Chapter one : Impatience
Chloe knew for sure that Altena wouldn't be delighted when she only knew what the purple haired girl was up to for now. But Altena didn't understand. She just didn't.
Dealing with Kirika in Mireille's presence brought nothing but pain and torture. And Chloe wasn't going to leave her feelings to Altena's hands, even if she trusted her like noone before.
And that was how the things improved until now.
Chloe took a deep breath before she made her way to Mireille and Kirika's residence.
Mireille opened her the door, looking exactly furious like always whenever she saw her. And there was Chloe's love, popping her head from inside the kitchen with pure curiosity in her eyes.
"I want to make a deal," Chloe began without much greetings.
Mireille folded her hands in such a way that revealed that she didn't trust even a single hair of the girl standing in front of her.
"I will tell you anything you both wanted to know. In exchange," Chloe eyed Kirika,"you will come with me."
Mireille's eyes became wider. Kirika blinked once, but she said nothing.
"You are really going to tell us anything? What is it now? Another trap set by Soldats?"
"It is only me. Noone knows about this matter. Noone, including Altena."
Silence filled the room. Mireille and Chloe glared at each other, each one was trying to read the other's mind. It lasted some minutes until Kirika broke the silence.
"Where to..?"
Mireille turned at Kirika, slightly alarmed.
"Where are you going to take me to..?" repeated Kirika, looking at Chloe innocently.
"Far away. Far from everything. Just the two of us."
"Kirika, you are not planning to go with her are you!" asked Mireille in wrath, 100ly not happy with the way Kirika responded to the whole thing.
But as Kirika turned to look at her, Mireille knew that she actually planned to go with Chloe.
"Kiri.. ka..."
"Let her go. What do you want to know about your past?"
"I don't like the way you speak as if you know everything about me," scowled Mireille. "I am going to find it out myself, I don't need anyone!"
Kirika gasped and turned to look at Mireille, who paid no notice at her.
"If you are done with your business, just leave," Mireille said harshly, turning her back at both of the girls. Kirika opened her mouth to say something, but was stopped by Chloe's outstreched hand.
"Are you coming..? Or not?"
Kirika closed her eyes.
She wanted to know about her past. That was the reason why she joined Mireille. A pilgrimage to the past. No other reason. And Chloe offered to accompany her through the past. Chloe who knew exactly where they had to go.
Kirika opened her eyes again, accepting Chloe's offer as she put her own hand on Chloe's hand. Then suddenly she remembered something.
"Mireille..!"
"What?"
"About the agreement..."
Mireille turned around to face the Japanese girl.
"You will... have to kill me." Kirika added to remind Mireille about the agreement they had made.
Chloe stepped between Kirika and Mireille.
"Are you going to let her go, alive?"
Mireille saw Kirika in the eyes. True, they had such an agreement. But what's the point to hold on the agreement anymore? Mireille just wanted both of them to get out of her place right now. She didn't really matter to kill Kirika.
"Forget it," Mireille answered.
"Mireille..!"
"I said forget it, Kirika. I am glad for you that you have found such a great companion to go with you on this journey. Good luck. Just do that way, as if we never know each other. Forget about me."
Kirika's lips trembled, she was shocked by the blond girl's words.
"That's the best," Chloe agreed to Mireille for the first time since they met.
"I thank you," she said to Mireille, who didn't want to look at her face. "Let's go."
Kirika nodded.
After telling Kirika to go pack her stuffs, Chloe looked back at Mireille, who didn't seem to care about her and Kirika leaving at all.
"I suppose... I shall thank you," she said with unchanging expression. "Thank you."
Mireille didn't answer. She didn't see Kirika and Chloe leave. She only heard how Chloe whispered to Kirika to go, how Kirika stood still for some seconds before answered with a "Yes", and how the door was closed slowly.
Then after some time which might feel like centuries, Mireille turned around to find herself alone in her apartment.
"Mireille... I wonder if she is allright." muttered Kirika.
"She is no longer part of your life," said Chloe coldly. "Forget her. You are only about four months with her anyway."
Kirika closed her eyes. She noticed that Chloe didn't like it when she talked about Mireille. But Chloe was right. Mireille was no longer part of her pilgrimage. Kirika herself had chosen Chloe upon Mireille. What else could Kirika expect from Chloe?
As Kirika opened her eyes again, Chloe was outstreching her hand toward her.
"Shall we go?"
Kirika noted in mind that there was no way back. She took Chloe's hand and they began with a brand new kind of pilgrimage.
"Chloe..?"
Altena knocked on Chloe's room door but no answer came from inside. Assuming that the girl wasn't home, she went inside directly.
Chloe wasn't in her room. She wasn't anywhere. Altena had searched for her in many places, places where Chloe used to hang around. But it seemed that this time the girl just disappeared like a detergent bubble in the air.
Altena was just about to leave the room as a piece of paper attracted her attention. It was folded neatly and laid on the small table.
"Dear Altena,
I am so sorry because of what I am going to do now. I know you wil be very disappointed of me, but this is my deepest wish.
I thank you for being with me all these years. Thank you for taking care of me. Now I have to go on my own way. Take care, Altena. I will always love you.
Yours, Chloe."
Altena stared at the piece of paper with a cold expression. Noone could really know what she was thinking about at that moment. A few minutes afterwards she left the room with the letter in her hand.
Author's note : You will never ever know how delighted I am to finish this one chapter...