9: One Step Closer to Another
Series*
Shiine·etc*
General*
AftertheWedding*
I stared at the chest of old holiday decorations. It was one week after Iris' fifth birthday, and the whole house went under a general cleaning that day. I volunteered to fix the things in the attic while my mother and father took care of the other rooms downstairs, and was almost through sorting out which ones to spare and which ones to throw away. It might have been my wrong judgement, but I hardly gathered anything to throw away. I spent more than half the day looking at each toy, figurine, or book, whatever it was, that caught my attention. I stared at everything for at least twenty minutes as I recalled all the fun memories that we had with it.
They came to visit us before every special holiday took place, but as time passed, the gap between one visit and the next seemed to have gotten wider the next time around. I understood why, in a way...when I returned to the Royal Castle for the first time in about two years, I learned that Cha-cha, the Princess Cha-cha, would not admit visitors, regardless of their relation to her. Word spread around that she hardly spoke and was not seen by any citizen other than her parents, and perhaps the ladies-in-waiting and Teachers Seravi and Dorothy, ever since Riiya left the place. All I knew was that he was forced to leave with his grandfather about a few years back for training, and that was it.
Soon, we had to celebrate Iris' birthdays and our Christmases with smaller smiles, if not forced ones, on our faces.
Only Suzu came to visit us as often as she could. It seemed like everyday she was with me, helping around with the chores, baby-sitting Iris, practicing magic and her ninja routines, or just fooling around with our little games. She didn't actually follow what she had said, but she made sure that her promise would be fulfilled -- that she would be there for me anytime and would never, ever forget me. This time I knew who my best friend really was. Although I kept repeating to myself that I didn't have anything against Cha-cha or anyone else, especially my Teacher Dorothy, I still felt bad they couldn't come as often as Suzu did.
After spending half of the day thinking about them once more, I stood up with some kind of a magic wand in my right hand, and a bag of trash in the other. I realized that I had just finished gluing together another present Iris would definitely like playing with. I twirled it around, trying to see it from every angle, and imagine what it would look like if I would put more decorations on it.
Some more glitter on the star, lavender ribbon wrapped around the stick...
"...and rainbow-colored strings all around, fit only for the little princess of the spectrum..." I declared to Iris as I danced around her like a court jester and then gave her the wand. "...Iris!"
"What's a sep...tum...?" Iris asked us.
"A spectrum, Iris. It's a band of colors, just like the rainbow," Suzu answered between smothered giggles. "You look like a clown, Shiine!"
"I might as well make a fool of myself right now than when I'm too old for it."
"You are too old for it," she reminded me. "You're eighteen years old."
"What's the difference between the spectrum and the rainbow?" Iris repeated.
"The difference between a spectrum and a rainbow is..." I trailed off, staring at Suzu with eyes that begged for help.
She only shook her head knowingly, and crossed her arms over her pink kimono. "Strictly speaking, the rainbow is only one of the ways by which a spectrum is shown, but for a five-year-old like you, I would say there is no difference between the two."
"I don't understand..."
"You will when you read about books on weather and light," I answered, breathing a sigh of relief just after Suzu had answered her question.
"Am I going to Principal Urara's School of Magic, like you and Suzu did?"
"Of course, Iris!" I replied brightly. "One day you'll learn all about magic, and soon you'll become one of the greatest magicians on Earth."
Iris' eyes grew wide as if she had been convinced of a very good deal. "Can you teach me right now? Please?"
"It's not that easy..." I said reluctantly, glancing at Suzu once more.
"Shiine doesn't want to teach you because you might beat him at it. If I teach you the way of the ninjas, we can turn Shiine into sushi in no time! Wouldn't you like to find out how he would taste like?"
I knew what Suzu was planning to do, and so I had no other choice but to give up and teach Iris, who almost agreed to the idea that I would be history at such a young age. I sighed silently before playing along with her. "--But you don't want to kill your big brother, right? Magic is more fun, and less violent too."
I went on. "To start off, you must start calling me your Teacher Shiine..." I heard Suzu clearing her throat. "...and uh, Teacher Suzu."
Iris stood up straight and gave me a quick salute. "Yes sir, Teacher Shiine sir!"
"Whoa, we're not in the military, little girl." I told her.
She apologized with a sheepish smile, and covered it immediately.
"Where did she learn that?" Suzu whispered to me.
"The TV."
Suzu, Iris, and I dropped to the ground under the shade of a tree, exhausted from both the heat of the sun and the desperation of trying to teach the little girl at such an early age.
"How about resting for a while?" I asked them.
"I feel like sleeping for a hundred years, like...who was that girl in the fairy tale? Right...Sleeping Beauty," I said while spreading my arms and legs over the grass, and looked up to the sky. "Who wants to wake me up with a kiss?"
"I thought Sleeping Beauty was a girl..." Iris protested.
"I know."
"Shiine, have you lost your mind? Your sister might think that Sleeping Beauty really was a boy," Suzu scolded me, sitting up straight. "Oh I see...you're growing backwards, admit it!"
"I'm not growing backwards!" I said, standing up with mock anger, and looked down at her to prove that I was far taller than she was. "See?"
"I meant mentally, behaviorally, emotionally. You're eighteen years old, for heaven's sake! I think you and Riiya have so much in common now."
"If he hasn't matured," I argued, and sat down beside her. I can't believe I'm actually defending someone whom I have formerly known as my mortal enemy.
Haven't heard about him for such a long while, though. Could it be that he finally grew up after all these years? I tried to picture an adult Riiya, but all I could see was the white-furred wolf-dog with bright blue eyes begging Teacher Seravi for hotcakes.
"My hundred years of sleep is over," Iris told us. "Can I try magic now?"
"But nobody kissed you yet."
"You and Suzu were fighting. That woke me up. It's not a kiss, but I couldn't sleep after that."
"Oh." I felt guilty for a minute. "Can you forgive us, Iris?"
"Great!" Suzu exclaimed, her enthusiasm inspired by the innocence of Iris' face as she nodded.
"The first thing Teacher Seravi wanted Cha-cha to practice on was growing a seedling," I recalled. "But let's make your first activity more fun. Let's see..."
"Shiine!" My mother's voice called from the entrance of our house. I looked up to listen. "Can you do me a favor?"
I stood up reluctantly and told Suzu and Iris that I would be right back. When I returned, I saw Suzu patiently teaching her to concentrate and focus on what she wanted to appear. It was surprising to see her, a ninja, teaching magic, instead of me, a magician's apprentice. We did go to the same school, but the function of magic for her was different from ours, and yet she seemed like an expert at teaching its basics. Her eyes were full of love, like that of a mother's...one I've seen from Teacher Dorothy and my mother...
Cheers of excitement broke my thoughts. Coming back to reality, I saw myself standing in front of a pot, and in it, rainbow colored glitter materializing into the shape of a rose bud. The sparkles slowly disappeared, and I didn't know how to react.
Iris was jumping up and down and dancing like crazy. Suzu was smiling from ear to ear. "IT WORKED!" She cried out happily, her blue hair in pigtails all messed up.
My face brightened up. "You did it, Iris! You did it! I'm so proud of you! Just wait 'till mother and father hear about this! I'll even tell Cha-cha and Teacher Dorothy that you learned to use your magic seven years earlier than we did!"
My father, who went out to see what all the noise was, picked Iris up and kissed her on the forehead. He really loves to kiss her! "Then pack your bags and we'll go to Mochi-Mochi Mountain in an hour. Does that sound okay with all of you?"
"We're coming back to Mochi-Mochi Mountain after five years? What if Cha-cha still won't allow visitors..." I asked, remembering what happened to me during my last visit.
"They wanted us to visit, dear," my mother told me.
"Then that means Riiya's coming back!"
I actually was excited to see him after such a long time.
It was my father's turn to speak. "A messenger was sent by the King and Queen. We spoke to him early this morning, even before you have awakened. He told us that the Royal family will be holding a surprise party for Cha-cha, and our gift to her is you and Riiya returning to the Castle. He also told us that Cha-cha has changed a whole lot...she isn't as cheerful and as bubbly as she used to be."
"However, you shouldn't be worried by what your father said. Young women her age are supposed to be more refined," mother said. "It is most likely that she doesn't want to go out that often anymore, especially since you, Riiya, and all her other friends left her at the castle. Who wouldn't be lonely after that?"
"I guess you're right," I answered reluctantly.
I found myself hopping on my broom almost as the same time Suzu did, although she sat sideways, with the ends of her kimono fluttering in the gentle breeze. I gave her the broom on her fourteenth birthday, because it wouldn't be easy for her to run around all the time. Just one of the things we did for each other as best friends.
Iris, because of the example she saw from us, wanted to ride on her own, but we reasoned out that it was only her first time to perform magic, and she might fall off if she suddenly couldn't control it at a very high altitude and velocity.
"Even at twelve I couldn't get hold of my broom properly for one whole trip from Teacher Dorothy's castle to Seravi's house, much less this long a trip to Mochi-Mochi Mountain, then how much worse for a little girl like you!" I teased her.
Trying to hide her disappointment and brewing anger, she did not answer, but instead, stood still for a minute, as everyone of us watched what she was to do next. After a few minutes, it was as if she was staring at something floating right in front of her. I squinted to see what she was looking at, and then all I knew was that pixie dust slowly materialized into a broom fitting her size. We all laughed in good humor.
"Just promise us you'll only stay between Shiine and me, okay?" Suzu asked her.
Iris nodded innocently. I smiled. It was one of those things little children had that I couldn't help love in them.
"Any other ceremonies to be held aside from the welcoming of a new magician in the family?" my father asked us.
"Race you to the first oak tree we see!" Iris called to me. As soon as she finished her sentence she was off, at an incredible speed. Incredible for a kid, anyway.
"Hey--"
That was all I could say, as I saw Suzu already speeding after her.
"Here's what Teacher Dorothy told me," I told Suzu when I had returned from the court room of Teacher Dorothy and Seravi's castle. She and Iris waited for me in my room as I went out to find out the details of the party. "Since Cha-cha has promised to herself to visit the cliff near the Royal Castle everyday, we'll fix the things needed for the banquet while she is away."
"We?"
"Teacher Dorothy and Seravi, the King and Queen, my father and mother...and us, if you like," I said.
"Why don't you go up the cliff and surprise Cha-cha before the party?" Suzu asked me, avoiding my eyes. "I'm sure she would be pleased when she learns you're here."
"Why don't you and Iris come with me, even if you won't show yourselves to Cha-cha?" I returned the question, trying to imitate her voice. But I thought it was a good idea.
"Are you sure you don't want to us to spoil your moment?"
I frowned at her. I gave up on her sarcasm.
"Okay, I'm sorry. We're coming."
APotBiB © iced*