Peaceful would be the easiest way to describe the situation.

Vert lied in her white king-sized bed, making motions akin to hugging the life out of something. That something being her light green plain bodypillow, of course, the object receiving all of the sleeping CPU's strength.

That poor bodypillow.

In the elegantly designed room filled with, um, special merchandise, standing by the side of the large bed was Vert's supposed 'sister,' Verna. The little girl was eating a red bag of Golditos, designed with a golden triangle fusing through the very title and pictures of cheesy chips. She obtained the bag through sneaking, and watched her 'sister' with amused, slightly worried eyes.

"How come sis fell asleep?" Verna turned her head to Chika. "I thought the ground was dirty..."

Chika, who had totally not been glaring at the little one, huffed. "Your arrival sent her into a bit of a shock." That was an understatement.

"I shocked her?" Verna put on a sad frown. "B-But I don't remember zapping her..."

Oh, for the love of- "I mean you made her go nighty-night." Chika spoke in a way that she hoped Verna would understand. "She does that sometimes." 'Especially after one of her stupid all-nighters...' she silently added.

"Ooooh..." Verna munched on another chip as she looked at the sleeping woman, a smile slowly forming as she stared at the stupid grin on the dreaming CPU's face. "Sis looks funny, hehe~"

The Oracle didn't pay attention to what the little girl was saying. Instead, she narrowed her eyes at the distracted Verna.

'This... This simply can't be happening! It can't! This must be some cruel sick joke the Universe is playing on me! I hate you, the Universe!'

Of course, even as she screamed internally, Chika did not make her sorrow audible; if Vert were awake, doing so would certainly make her shoot the Oracle a look of disapproval.

It was simply logical, then, that bringing her pain to the physical world was completely forbidden.

'For years, I have been Vert's little sister. Me! Who gave this kid the right to call herself my Lady's little sister!? She has the audacity, the nerve to call herself as such!? I hold the rightful place as my Lady's little sister, not her!'

That did not mean Chika wouldn't shout as loudly as possible inside her mind, however. And that's exactly what she has been doing for quite a while now, all the while constantly shooting the oblivious supposed little sister occasional narrowed glances.

'I won't let that brat take my spot, I won't!'

munch munch Meanwhile, the eating Verna was entirely unaware of the green Oracle's inner rage, focusing instead on her new 'big sister,' Vert. Occasionally, she poked the woman's cheek, as if testing to see if she was actually real or not.

Of course, she made sure to get the nacho cheese off her fingers before she did so, but her green nightgown suffered terribly as a result.

'Would it be too much to move her to Planeptune? Surely my Darling would-' "Hey, don't do that!"

"E-Eh?"

It was right out of nowhere. One minute Chika had been silently plotting to get rid of Verna, and the next she was shouting and pointing to a particular spot on the side of the little girl's green gown.

That spot happened to display a noticeable orange stain, where Verna had repeatedly wiped her fingers.

"What is wrong with you!? Do you know how much those fancy clothes must cost?! Ugh..." Chika brought a hand to her forehead in frustration, letting out a long sigh. "Honestly, you may be a little girl, but making such a mess is just inexcusable here. Do you want to embarrass us!?"

"Uh..."

Chika huffed, lowering her hand as she glared at the clearly stunned Verna. "Follow me. We're getting that gown cleaned." She made a motion for Verna to follow her, to which the little girl obliged without a word.

'I swear, kids are so much trouble...' Chika grumbled under her breath, while Verna continued to eat from the bag. Almost on a whim, the Oracle glanced at the little girl.

She was staring at her cheesy fingers.

"Hm..."

"Don't you dare!"

"Aw..."

"There." Chika pushed the Start button on the washer, and the cycle began. Seated cross-legged on top of a nearby dryer was Verna, clad only in her white top and green panties.

munch munch

'She's still eating whatever is left of those damn Golditos... Gah!' Chika internally screamed in frustration. "Kid, if you're going to eat those chips, use a napkin!" The Oracle instantly summoned a green one from her hammerspace and handed it to the little girl.

"Napkin, get!" Verna declared with a wide smile before she wiped her face. "Thanks, Big Sis!"

"Whatever, just make sure you-" Wait a gosh darn second. "W-What did you just call me?"

"Big Sis? You're Big Sis Chika!" Verna practically bounced in happiness as she cheerfully pointed at the woman.

...

...

...

'Andwvvnoinvoewnowncwcewnewpw-' "U-Uh..."

"Somethin' wrong?" Verna stared at Chika with her big ol' eyes.

"Uhhh..." Chika's mind was mush. All that was comprehensible through her mess of a brain was...

What.

What.

What.

WHAT.

"Big Sis Chika?" Verna immediately noticed how the Oracle had, for lack of a better description, gone blank. Placing down the newly depleted bag of Golditos and wiping her hand clean, the little girl tilted her head quizzically at the woman. "Is it hurting somewhere...?"

"D-Don't call me that!" Chika hastily let out, face suddenly turned pure red. Why? Well, the woman was trying to figure that out herself.

"Why not?" Verna tilted her head confusedly, her eyes a bit sad.

"J-Just don't! Alright!?" Flustered, for whatever reason, Chika noticed that the washer was done. In desperate need for a distraction, she attempted to turn her attention to the machine, taking out the nightgown, placing it in the dryer and pushing the Start button a tad too fast. "G-Geez, why are you so- Huh?"

During her outburst, which would appear quite sudden and out-of-nowhere to anyone that wasn't a telepath, Chika had failed to notice that Verna looked... sad. Her head was hung, she fiddled with her hands, and even her lips were quivering. The girl looked like she was about to cry.

That was when the Oracle realized it.

Verna was about to cry.

'Ugh...'

"Hey, what's wrong?" Chika, despite having an intense feeling of jealously towards the annoying brat, wasn't heartless.

"Y-You..." Verna raised her head to look at Chika. "Y-You don't like me saying Big Sis Chika... I-I thought it was n-nice..."

Chika pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. Some kids... "Hey, now..."

"I-I'll just call you Miss Chika, i-if you want..." Verna bit her lip, tears already pooling in her eyes.

The Oracle suddenly found herself gulping, her willpower faltering slightly. Was this kid seriously trying to guilt trip her?!

'No, I won't accept this! I'm not falling for this! You won't manipulate me, you-'

A small whimper interrupted her thoughts, followed by the little girl's mouth trembling as her big, blue eyes stared straight into Chika's own scarlet eyes with nothing but pure, soul-crushing sadness.

'Argh! To hell with it!'

"H-Hey!" The woman called out to Verna, her voice, and her expression, considerably more desperate than intended. "Enough with the weeping, alright? Geez..."

"Hm...?" Sniffing lightly, Verna shot Chika a confused, yet still sad, look.

"Ugh, look, just- shouldn't you save the 'Big Sis' name for your... actual... big... sis..." Chika died a little inside.

"B-But you're like a Big Sis too! Y-You're doing my pajamas!" the little girl insisted, waving her napkin around as if to prove her point somehow.

'Seriously...'

Chika wanted to argue that doing laundry doesn't make you big sister material, but then she realized she would effectively be arguing with a 5-year old and let it go. "Yeah, yeah, whatever..."

"You still don't like it..." Verna pouted, her mouth not trembling anymore as she wiped her eyes.

"It's not- Look!" Chika pointed at Verna, struggling to keep a serious face as she attempted to think of something to say. "J-Just, alright I don't mind if you call me 'Big Sis' but that doesn't mean you get to throw it around all willy-nilly! 'Big Sis' is a great title, you know! Better than great, it's a title that shouldn't be taken lightly!"

"Uh-huh..." Verna clearly wasn't quite understanding Chika's rambling, but, as she sniffed again, she seemed less sad already.

"What I'm saying is that I'll let pass this one time. You can call me 'Big Sis', but see it as a right!"

And, just like that, a happy expression was on the little girl's face. "Yaaaay!" Hopping off the dryer, leaving both the napkin and the empty bag behind, Verna hugged Chika as strong as her small arms allowed. "Big Sis Chika is the best!"

'This damn kid...' "Y-Yeah, sure..."

Beep!

"Dryer's done!" Thanking the True Goddess for convenient timing, Chika removed Verna's nightwear from the white machine. It was nice and clean, like cheese had never stained it in the first place. "Here!" She held it towards Verna, thankfully making the little girl let go of her to grab the outfit.

"Yay! It's all new!" Verna didn't waste time in putting it on, a big, bright smile on her face. "So warm~"

"Come on." Averting her eyes with a frown, Chika did her best to ignore the cuteness. "I doubt your... s-sister... is awake yet, so leave her be for now, alright?"

The smiling little girl nodded excitedly. "Oh! Can I eat something? I'm hungry!"

"Who does this kid think she is!?" "Y-You just ate a large bag of Golditos! There's no way that you're-"

"Pleeeeease, Big Sis?"

"Awww..."

A sad Verna was sat at the kitchen table, eyeing the fruit bowl placed in front of her with lament. The fruit itself had been expertly cut and prepared, as Chika was no lax when it came to cooking after all. Needless to say, it was a fitting snack for the healthy and weight watchers!

Not so much for a little girl without a care in the world, though.

"Don't be like that. Fruit is healthy for a growing body!" Chika nonchalantly gave that absentminded response in something akin to a chiding tone as she tended to the dishes, her mind quite obviously somewhere else..

'Is she a Candidate? No, that much is obvious. But why was she born in the first place? Did something happen?' Chika mused, while washing a plate. 'Maybe it's because of our increase of Shares. Then again, does it even work like that?'

"Big sis, I need a fork!"

The freshly cleaned utensil was skillfully flung into the fruit bowl, landing perfectly in a watermelon. Following the feat, Chika didn't even glance behind her to ascertain whether it feel on the right spot.

"Thanks!"

'I remember Histoire telling the others and I a long time ago, shortly after the other Candidates were born. I should ask her...'Chika thought about it. 'Everything about this situation is so strange! Normally I would be elated whenever happiness is brought to my dear sisters life, but...'

"Big sis, I'm done!"

Chika automatically swiped the empty bowl from the little one. "Good girl."

'I can't fathom why a Candidate would be born now! And, more importantly, this kid threatens to take my long deserved spot as Vert's little sister! How heartbreaking! Oh, how cruel life can be!'

"Sis, I'm thirsty!"

"Some juice to go with after your snack." Chika speedily reached for a cup, a nearby box of apple juice and poured a cup before handing it to Verna.

"Thank you!"

'Why can't this brat just disappear? Why must I suffer so!?'

Chika continued to mentally gripe, completely unaware of her surroundings, or all existence in general. It was like she had severed her connection to the world in order to focus on her nonsensical internal grumbling. Reality didn't strike her again until some time later, perhaps an hour, where Chika had grown tired of hearing herself moan and groan...

... and found herself in Vert's room, with Verna sleeping cozily with her head on the woman's lap as they sat next to the sleeping CPU, on her large white bed.

...

'Huh!?'

Chika blinked.

Did... did she just blank out big time or what!? Chika would never allow this sort of thing to happen!

But, still... Verna looked so peaceful... and adorable... and certainly very happy to be in that spot...

'Gah!'

Chika refrained from making any sudden noises, but she was screaming on the inside.

'IT'S NOT FAIR! This brat BRAINWASHED me! How evil, how malicious, how-'

"...Big... Sis..." Verna muttered in her sleep.

It took all of Chika's willpower to stop herself from squealing on the spot.

And she despised herself for that.

'This kid...' Chika glared at the Candidate with as much hate as humanly possible. 'I'll have my revenge...!'

Yes. That was a promise.

"Hng..." Still, when Verna suddenly shifted on her spot and her mouth formed a cute little smile, no amount of willpower could have stopped Chika from placing a hand on the little girl's blonde hair.

And she hated that.

'Someday...'

Chika will surely have her payback someday.

Not this day. Maybe not the next day either. Perhaps not even on the day after that.

But... someday.

The Oracle glanced down at Verna, only then noticing how her own hand began ruffling the little girl's hair and how impossibly adorable her satisfied expression looks.

'Argh! Now this is just unbearably unfair!'

Seriously, Chika hated her so much...!

'J-Just you wait, you brat! Someday... Someday, I'll deal with you!'

That's right... Someday...

Yeah, someday...

A/N: Oh Chika...

Anyway, Verdant Breeze is expected to be updated every Wednesday. If it comes in late, then that means I was a lazy bastard and didn't do it. It's kinda hard to juggle this, playing Neps and writing down new ideas at the same time. That, and my Procrastination Skill is Level 11. owo

If you like, review. If you hate it... well, don't be a douche about it, but a constructive review is appreciated. I kinda want to know if I'm doing good or not.

Until next time...

-Yuri