Mixers were whirring, ovens were turned on, and there was flour all over the work station and on the floor as well.
Hime didn't know what happened to her daughter but she was pretty certain that Midori had never been good at baking; actually Hime thought she was terrible at it. So it came as a surprise when she watched her daughter dash through the kitchen like a hummingbird, making cakes, cupcakes and sweets for the stores showcase with the expertise of an actual baker. Hime glanced at the pink cat shaped clock on the wall.
6:00 am
This was way earlier then the time Hime normally came down to start her day. Then again, she knew Midori did have trouble sleeping lately.
'It's better that she uses this as an outlet rather than those nasty drugs'
Hime thought with concern. Her daughter finally noticed her as she zoomed past her with a hot pan of cupcakes. She stopped in her track and offered a sheepish smile.
'Oh, morning mom' Midori said, rubbing her cheek against her shoulder to push a hair out of her face. Hime noticed a speck of flour on her daughter's cheek and without thinking she reached out to wipe it away with her thumb. She held back tears as her daughter leaned against her touch briefly, offering a small smile. Finally, her daughter was accepting her affections again; Hime didn't think she would see the day, where her own flesh blood wouldn't recoil from her touch as if she was burned.
'You up quite early darling, everything ok?' Hime asked, taking the opportunity to tuck some of Midori's wheat blond hair behind her ear.
'Oh yeah, I just couldn't go back to sleep, so I decided to help out, I hope I didn't disturbed you or dad' Midori frowned in concern as she gently set down the cupcakes down onto a cooling rack.
'oh sweetheart no, your father got a notification from the cameras, but you know how hard he sleeps so he didn't hear it but I knew it would be you down here when I looked into your room and you were gone' Her mother reassured, even if it did sound a bit accusatory. Midori winced and bit her lip, ducking her head between her shoulders.
Hime took a chance and gathered her daughter into her arms, pressing her nose into her hair.
'Don't worry honey, it's all good, I'll gladly take the help that you are offering' Hime said tenderly 'Now, let's clean up at bit and get our day started!'
'Ok here you go Midori; you can bring these samples to Petits Pieds ballet studio. It's their 10th anniversary and they want to commission a cake from us' Hime said excitedly as she handed a box of several samples of cakes to Midori. 'You can look up the address on your phone, off you go' Hime urged, kissing Midori's cheek before she nearly pushed her out the door.
Midori let out a chuckle and shook her head, fishing her phone out of her pockets while balancing the cake box in her other hand. Midori shook her head as she saw the bothersome eye icon. She deleted it and pulled up her internet tab and looked up the ballet studio.
She whistled at the pictures that were shown on their internet page. It sure looked like a fancy place. Must be why her mom asked her to dress prettily to go deliver the samples. She handed her an outfit and told her to change and even helped her do her hair and make-up. Her mother had tastefully chosen a nice black off the shoulder top with a white skirt and comfortable black wedges. Midori turned back to look inside the Café and saw her mom waved at her enthusiastically. Midori smiled and waved at her mom and took off.
I am thou, thou art I…
Thou hast acquired a new vow. It shall become one the beacons that will guide you out of the darkness. With the birth of the Temperance persona, I have obtained the winds of blessings that shall lead to freedom and new power.
Fortunately for Mina, the studio wasn't that far and she didn't have to make use to public transport to get to it. She looked down at the address to make sure she was at the right place.
'Petits Pieds Studio' she said aloud to her before moving up the steps to get to the entrance. She had to hurry or the cakes would get pretty hot and would be ruin if she spent too much time out idle in this heat. She balanced the box in one hand while she opened the door with the other one. She kept it open with her foot so she could slip inside. She gasped and raised the box above her head as some rowdy children almost bumped into her on their way out.
Mina looked around curiously, taking in the lobby and spied what seemed to be a glass case. She walked closer and saw a tiara resting on a red velvet pillow. She tilted her head and saw a plaque.
'In memory of Adeline Devereaux 2008-2019'
Mina pouted softly before bowing her head slightly to pay her respects. She looked up at the painting that was on the wall behind the glass case. It was a family portrait; it had one older woman, a man and a little girl, all smiling happily in the painting. The woman in the picture was seated on an ornate chair, her features kind and regal. The man stood behind her with a hand on her shoulder while the little girl was kneeling on the ground, her head against the woman knee, and a broad smile on her chubby face.
'Excuse me miss?' A voice snapped Mina out of her observation. She turned to face a woman that sat behind a high desk near the entrance, only the top of her head and eyes visible. Mina was surprised she hadn't noticed her. Then again, mina as always in her head these days, another trait that passed along from her old life.
'So sorry' she said, ducking her head sheepishly, walking over where she assumed was the receptionist desk. 'I'm Midori; I came to deliver the samples from 'Café Mon Coeur'.
She brandished the box out for the lady to see and offered a smile.
' Oh fantastic, Mr. Devereaux is currently teaching a class right now, would you mind waiting for a little bit, he should be with you shortly' The receptionist assured with a smile. 'Give those here, I'll put them somewhere cool in the meantime' the woman said and held out her hands. Mina gave her the box and the woman put them away in a small fridge that as behind the counter.
'In the meantime, would you like anything to drink? It has been awfully hot outside these days' the woman, Anzu, as her nametag supplied, said conversationally.
'Oh, um, water would be great actually' Mina said softly, leaning up against the counter to peek behind it. Anzu reached in the small fridge and supplied her with a cool water bottle. Mina thanked her with a smile, before opening the bottle to take a hearty sip, realizing how parched she was.
'You can wait in the little waiting area just there' Anzu motioned to a plush red couch. Mina nodded and want to take a seat on the couch, marvelling in it comfort as she reached into her purse for her phone. She let out an irritated 'tch' as she saw the red eye app again. Hen would that app leave her alone, it really as getting bothersome.
She occupied her time by checking her e-mails and playing some the rare games she had on her phone. She finally looked up when a group of young pre-teens passed by giggling and talking among themselves. Two of them stopped and approached Midori.
'Oh hello Midori' One of them said sweetly. Midori startled a bit and looked up, recognizing two of her mother's most loyal customers. Mitsuki Emiko and Kumiko Hotaru. They were two middle school students that came to the Café on a regular basis. Mitsuki had short light brown hair that went a little below her chin and were tied in two low pigtails with vibrant green eyes. Kumiko on the other hand, has long straight black hair with defiant green eyes. Both of them wore an absolutely adorable pink school uniform.
'Oh hey girls, I didn't know you did ballet' Midori smiled pleasantly while putting her cell away.
'Come ooon Midori, you totally saw us rehearse in the café right?' Kumiko let out an annoyed huff at Midori's blank look.
'Kumiiii, don't be rude' Mitsuki chastised her friend lightly as she pushed her playfully and turned back to Midori' yeah we do, we are in the advanced classes' the girl puffed her chest proudly with a smile. Both girls took a seat on either side of Midori and got comfy.
'So why are you here?' Kumiko asked absentmindedly as she took a peek at her phone.
'Is it to join the adults classes?! Omgitwouldbesocool!' Mitsuki bounced excitedly in her seat, looking at Midori with wide emerald eyes full of expectations.
'ha-ha noooo, I'm wayyy too clumsy for ballet, believe me it's safer that I don't' Midori firmly shook her head, feeling a pang of guilt when the bubbly pre-teen beside her seemed to deflate like a balloon. 'No I came to deliver samples for the 10th anniversary of the studios, the owner chose our place for catering for the sweets table.'
'Oh right the 10 anniversary; Mr. Devereaux seems pretty stressed about it…' Mitsuki seemed to deflate in her seat even further, her shoulders hunching up as she crossed her arms, looking to the side. Midori narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the display.
'Stressed? He's been acting like a bastard for the past month Suki' Kumiko hissed heatedly, making sure to lower her voice so the other straying students or god forbids, the teacher, would hear her. 'He's been real hard on us recently, don't you dare deny it…'
'But, I bet he has his reasons….' Mitsuki said in a small voice, her lips pouting. Kumiko let out another scoff before standing.
'Let's go, my dad's here' Kumiko said, a touch softer, reaching a hand out for the meek brunette. Mitsuki beamed and took her hand before standing and straightened her skirt.
'We'll see you at the Café Mimi, see ya!' Mitsuki said sunnily before being dragged along by the brash girl, who offered a wave over her shoulder at Midori.
Midori waved at them weakly, frowning when the girls were gone, what Kumiko and Mitsuki said not quite sitting right with her. Unknown to her, Midori's phone flashed as the red eye app opened.
Petits Pieds Studio…
Hit
'Anzu, did the samples from Café mon Coeur have been delivered yet?' A man with a thick French accent asked the receptionist. He was quite tall, well over 6 feet tall. He had short, stylish black hair framing crystal blue eyes, a sharp angular nose with full lush lips. He wore a simple black shirt with form fitting leggings.
'They are right here' Anzu gave the man the box, her joyful demeanor from earlier gone. Mina frowned at her change of character. She took this as her cue to approach the man.
'It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Devereaux, I'm Café Mon Coeur owner's daughter, Midori' Midori went to stick out her hand by force of habit. She quickly took it back and bowed to him instead. The man raised an angular eyebrow at her.
'Pleasure, I'm Sebastien Devereaux, welcome to the Petits Pieds studio.' The man said with flourish, extending a hand to show off the entire space of the lobby. 'I'll give you a short tour of the studio before we can move to my office to try out these wonderful cakes, follow me if you will Mademoiselle'
Unknown to her, Midori's phone flashed as the red eye app opened.
Petits Pieds Studio…
Hit
Sebastien Devereaux…
Hit
Midori tried to keep up with the man's long legs as he climbed up at flight of stairs.
'My dear mother founded this school when I was a child. Ballet always had been her passion back when we used to live in France. Just her and I. She had her own little ballet studio back there' the black haired man gave a soft, sad smile. Midori didn't question why he didn't mention his father, just in case it would seem rude.
'Then she met a Japanese man, my current step father, when he went on a business trip to France and they hit it off. Then we left everything behind to come here. Seeing my mother sad from the loss of her studios, my step father bought this building and the rest is history'
Midori held back the question that sat on her tongue. Where was the little Adeline, the little girl from the painting, what had happened to her. The man gave a brief sniff before plastering on a plastic smile.
'Here we have our numerous studios, each have their own class and level of difficulty.' He opened one of the doors, soft piano music resonating through the big room. A group of children dressed in canary yellow were following the teacher's example. The teacher briefly glanced at them and offered a tight smile before going back to her teaching.
The man continued to show her more studios, some empty and others with students in them.
'Finally, la pièce de résistance, my mother's pride.' Mr. Devereaux opened a set of double doors with flourish 'The stage!'
The room was large and reminded Midori of an Opera house rather than a cheap, let's say, high school amphitheater stage. Everything decorated in rich reds and gold with a beautiful, humongous, crystal chandelier on the ceiling.
'Every recital is performed here without fault' the man assured' we are known to welcome a lot of people when we have recitals, most of our students being the best of all Tokyo' Mr. Devereaux said proudly' We have quite the high standards here, not everyone has the chance to have a spot among our ranks'
Midori frowned at how haughty he looked at the moment, boasting and puffing his chest like a prideful peacock. Being this demanding must cause a lot of strain and pressure on some of the students…
Midori snapped out of her mind when Sebastien clapped his hands.
'Now about these cakes, venez avec moi Mademoiselle, we'll go to my office' The man briskly walked to a dark obsidian door before opened it and letting her go inside first with a small 'after you Mademoiselle' before following close behind.
Sure enough, the box of samples rested on a desk with a fork and a hot pot of tea or perhaps coffee?
'You may sit' the man said, sitting behind his desk, motioning to a chair in front of it. Midori gave a small smile before taking a seat on the plush black leather chair.
'Coffee?' The raven asked, pouring himself a cup. Midori nodded and murmured a small thank you. The man poured her a cup and pushed it in her direction with his long fingers. He slid a crystal contained that held the sugar along with a small creamer. Midori made the coffee to her liking and observed as the man finally opened the box. He took a whiff of the cakes and let out a pleased sigh, the tension he seemed to hold in his shoulder ever since she introduced herself seemed to melt.
'There's classic Vanilla, chocolate, red velvet and a special Forêt Noire' Midori named off, indicating each with her finger.
'Ah Forêt noire, it used to be my little sister's favorite' the man reminisced with a sad nostalgic smile. Midori only caught it for a second before it turned back to the cold, plastic smile he had been wearing all the time he did the tour. Midori waited patiently as he tried all of them, happy that he only had good comments to make about her mother's cake. He let out a relieved sigh when he was done.
'Tough choice but, I think I'll with the Forêt Noire, it was quite exceptional, I believe your mother received the type of cake I wanted by email? Mr. Devereaux questioned as he closed the box and stapled his fingers together.
'Yes she has received it and ready to work on it' Midori nodded and finally stood up after polishing off the rest of her coffee, holding back a grimace at the strong taste. It wasn't like Uncle Sojiro's coffee at all. That man had ruined any other coffee places for her with his unique way of making coffee.
'Parfait, then off you go, I have quite the agenda lately and I don't have a spare second to myself these days' The man temporarily let his stress show, the tension in his shoulders coming back, his eyebrows creasing into a preoccupied frown. Midori bowed to the man and thanked him again before stepped out of the office, closing the door as she went. She offered a smile at the receptionist as she stepped out into the lobby and finally out the door. She gave a small sigh before moving down the steps again, reading to head home. She shot her mom a quick text with Mr. Devereaux answer and asked if she needed anything while she was out. As she made her way down the stairs she noticed a pond that she hadn't noticed before. In the center was a statue with what seemed to be woman, Sebastien's mother with his little sister. She approached it to examine the plaque that rested underneath.
The women of my life
Adeline Devereaux 2008-2019
Rose Devereaux 1969-2019
Midori frowned softly, both his mother and sister died in the same year? That must have been real rough for him.
'Women of my life' Midori said softly, before bowing her head in respect for a second time that day. A low meow sounded that snapped her pout of her stupor. She was met by a pair of familiar cerulean eyes.
'Morgana? What are you doing out here boy, are you lost? Midori said softly, kneeling down to pet at the cat, which leaned into the touch with a loud purr. A giggle bubbled out of Midori as she felt her mood improve instantly. 'Come here, I'll bring you back to Uncle Sojiro's'
She picked up the cat gently and tucked him into her arm, affectionately rubbing his tiny wet nose against hers.
Women of my life…
Hit
Beginning Navigation
Midori suddenly started to feel dizzy, staggering on her feet as a feeling of vertigo overtook her. She held Morgana close to her as she tried to get her bearings back. Perhaps she had stayed in the sun too long today or the heat was finally getting to her. She slowly opened her eyes as Morgana started to wiggle in her grasp. When she finally fully opened her eyes she couldn't help but stare.
'What-what the fuck?!' she swore as the scenery seemed to have changed around her. Gone were the over bearing heat of the sun and the pristine steps of the studios. An icy hallway now stood in front of her with tall intimidating arches. A gust of frozen wind shook her to her very bones as she hugged herself in effort to keep warm as her teeth started to chatter together.
'W-where' she tried to say, trying to stop the violent shivers that wracked her body.
'Seems like you too have access to the Metaverse' A small voice supplied, Midori looked around frantically to find the source of the voice. 'Down here'
She looked down and saw the same pair of blue eyes as Morgana but he was now, bigger? Stood on his hind paws and had…a sword!
'Morgana?' She tested, unsure, the situation getting stranger by the minute.
'Shhh, you can't call me that in here' Morgana whispered, looking around furtively' just call me Mona'
Midori found herself nodding dumbly, at loss for words about the whole situation. She finally stopped shivering for a second and gulped.
'Where are we, why aren't we at the Studios anymore?' She really hoped the now anthropomorphic cat had answer for her.
'We are in the Metaverse, in that person Palace' Morgana, no Mona, provided. Sensing her confusion he proceeded to explain the whole concept to her. They started their trek through the long, winding hallways, snow and ice crunching under their feet. That person's Palace? Sebastien's Palace more precisely. Perhaps that explained how he and his students seemed stressed and out of sort. The event of the 10th anniversary probably wasn't helping.
'Hey you! You have no right to be here!' A distorted type of voice spoke up behind them. They both turned abruptly to see three nutcrackers soldiers brandishing weapons. Midori squeaked and took a step back.
'Come on hurry up!' Mona stressed as he tugged on the strap of her wedges. They both took off running, narrowly slipping every time they took a sharp turn. They ran until they couldn't heart the loud pounding of the soldier's footsteps. They hid behind a large ice vase for good measure. Mona peeked out cautiously, his little tail wagging in apprehension.
'The security seems very high for some reason' Mona whispered pensively, rubbing his chin with a paw. He was about to walk off when Midori was distracted by a flock of little ducklings waddling by.
'Little ducklings?' She tilted her head in confusion, following them for a moment before getting distracted by a stage where ice figurines danced ballet gracefully. Mona let out a huff at the girl's lack of attention before moving up to stand by her side as they watched the ice figurines perform.
'Long ago, a woman gave birth to a precious little boy' someone narrated out of nowhere, making the both of them look around cautiously. 'She cherished him with all of her being and gave him the name Sebastien'
The ice figure on the stage held up what seemed to be a baby and cradled it close to its chest sweetly while she did a twirl.
'The woman had a passion with ballet and decided to pass it down to her son' A smaller ice figure came to dance along with the bigger one, the both of them doing a plier and a leap. ' The woman finally fell in love again and met the love of her life' A more masculine looking ice figure leapt onto the stage to join the other two, all three of them dancing in sync.
'The woman was once again with child and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, who they named, Adeline' All three ice figures gathered together to see the little bundle. The lights on the stage dimmed a little bit, mainly focusing on the 'woman' and the baby in its arms' Alas… little Adeline was born with leukemia, and spent most of her childhood struggling with the illness, but she still found the energy to follow in her mother's and brother's footsteps.' Another little figure joined the three figures on the stage. The feminine looking little ice figure seemed to trip more and lose her balance. Midori felt tears pool in her eyes. Oh no…
The lights became bright again and the second little figure became steadier on its feet and able to be in sync with the other three. 'But luck seemed to be in her favor when she entered remission and her body got more energy and little Adeline was able to live fully…'
The lights dimmed again and Midori clutched the hem of her shorts as she feared the worse.
'Until she didn't… little Adeline finally succumbed to the illness at the age of 11 …leaving her mother, father and brother behind' the little female figurine dissolve right before their eyes. All three taller figures stopped dancing as the woman collapse to her knees.
'They all tried to live without little Adeline but the woman couldn't handle it…' The two male figures started dancing again while the woman stayed on the ground and ever so slowly started to dissolve.
'The woman couldn't bear the pain of the loss of her child, so she took her own life…' The woman figure slowly melted away. One of the male figures leapt away and the other stood there, all by himself on the stage and the curtains were drawn.
Midori shook as silent sob wracked her body, her arms hugging her body. The cold air froze her tears as they slipped down her cheeks. She couldn't fathom the pain that Sebastien was in. By the looks of it he had to grieve all by himself since the step-father seemed to have slipped out of the picture after his mother's death. Midori felt a soft touch on her leg looked down at Mona.
'We'll help him, don't worry' He reassured softly, giving her knee a comforting pat. Midori sniffled, her sinuses feeling stuffy as she wiped away the tears with the back of her hands.
'We should move along in case the guard's finds us' Mona said and they started exploring the palace again. They found what Mona called safe rooms and some treasures too but they couldn't open the chests since they didn't have the proper material to lock pick the lock. Mona seemed a bit down-hearted at that but otherwise; he patiently explained everything she wanted to know. They finally came across a large circular room that had a large frozen lake in the middle. It had large, arched windows that gave view to the snow storm outside. At the very end there was a throne, which was occupied by…Sebastien? He sat idly in the large chair, two beautiful swans resting on the arms of the throne.
'You over there! What are you doing here!?' The raven's voice boomed all through the courtroom, his voice somehow distorted.
'Busted' Mona swore under his breath before turning to leave but found out they had been surrounded. Midori backed up as the nutcracker soldiers brandished their weapons at them.
'Emmenez-les moi' Sébastien demanded harshly. Mona and Midori were forced to go across the courtroom and forced to kneel in front of Sebastien. The raven picked up one of the swans, who had small pink crystal heart around its neck and tucked it on his forearm like someone would do to a dog or a cat. He petted its feather contemptibly as he looked down at them, his yellow eyes glowing ominously. He wore a dark blue sparkly leotard that had same colored tule fixed to his elbows and shoulders. His eyes were framed by dark plus colored make up that remind her of a mask of some sort.
'It's not the person that you think, this is his shadow' Mona supplied and hissed when one of the soldiers poked him with its weapon.
'Well well well, what do we have here, little trespassers huh? He smirked, showing way too many teeth. 'Now we all know what happens to those here don't we?' The shadows started whooping and howling as if they were excited. Midori ducked her head in fear and let out a cry when they grabbed her arms harshly. Mona let out a loud hiss when he was picked up.
'They get iced' Sebastien's shadow laughed, while stroking his swan, which made up quite the odd picture.
On the side one of the shadows pulled a lever which opened a trap door right in the middle which revealed churning icy water. Midori let out a yelp as she struggled into the shadows arms, trying to kick them. She dug her heels in,trying to fight against the nutcrackers. They only tightened their grip on her and lifted her off the ground.
'Enough with your bullshit already! Zorro!' Mona cried out, blue flames engulfing him and stunning the surrounding shadows. Midori could only watch in awe as a tall, burly man? Manifested himself seemingly out of nowhere. Sadly, more and more soldiers appeared to flank the other ones, quickly overpowering Mona.
Midori struggled against the firm grasp of the soldiers, looking on helplessly as Morgana struggled against his opponents, taking hits after hits. Midori heard Sebastien laugh loudly, his laughter cold and cruel as he grinned widely, the sight atrocious on his pretty face.
'That'll teach you to be where you shouldn't be petite insolente' The man hissed as he watched with glee clear in his amber eyes.
'No! Please! , take me instead, leave him alone!' Midori begged as tears prickled her eyes.
'About time, mon petit chaton' A voice echoed in her head as pain suddenly lanced through her whole skull, making her cry out in pain and double over, the soldiers letting go on her arms in surprise.
'Will you let the world trampled on your spirit again? Will you watch on as people suffer, like you suffered?
'No' Midori whispered, trying to form words as the pain in her head didn't let up. She felt tears stream down her face and drool drip from the corners of her mouth.
'Didn't quite catch that my darling' the voice inquired.
'No!' Midori shouted as she cupped her head in her hands, trying to fend away the atrocious headache she was experiencing. She rolled on the ground, her body writhing as she screamed.
A soft, melodious laugh rang out.
A large gust of wind sent the nutcrackers skidding back, most of them exclaiming their confusion and surprise
Midori panted from her spot on the ground, her whole body aching, something suddenly pressing down on her face. She reached up to feel it and felt the smooth surface of…a mask? The mask felt…right at home on her face somehow but what was it doing there? She reached to take it off and found that she couldn't, as if it had been super glued on.
'Splendid! just what I wanted to hear. We will make a wonderful team you and me. I am thou, thou art shall never be the little defenseless sheep again. Let the lioness within thyself awaken and let them hear thy roar! Shape and shift this wretched world into a better place! Leave your past life behind! Like a phoenix, rise from thy ashes and burn like an eternal flame!'
Her breath was starting to come in quick succession as she struggled to take it off. She gripped both ends and pulled and cried out as it tore itself off her face. She felt warm blood drip down her face in thick rivulets. She clutched her face in pain, curling up in miserable ball. Then, the blood seemed to slowly seep back into her skin and suddenly, no more pain but intense clarity as blue flames engulfed her. She was ready to shout in pain again but the flames that engulfed her were comforting, like a mothers hug. They licked at her skin but didn't leave any burns or pain behind, only warmth. She held one hand in front of herself and saw her clothes slowly start to shift as the fire trailed down her arms, her chest and her legs. The rattling of chains made itself heard through the roar of the fire.
A beautiful lady with long flowing blond hair, wearing a gold fringed outfit along with a large fringed hat that hid most of her face, only wide golden eyes visible. A large pair of wings quickly expanded from her back as she brandished a large scepter that had a serrated tip.
Midori stood up shakily and met the angel's eyes. Eyes the color of luminescent ambers stared back at her and offered a saucy wink. Midori grinned and slowly turned back towards the shadows, who had all adopted a defensive pose, leaving Mona free for the taking.
'I won't be anybody's doormat anymore, I'll show the world what I'm made of' Midori shouted confidently. 'With your aid, Gabrielle!' Midori shouted as she pointed at the Shadows. As if on cue, the angel at her back flapped her wings, sending all the shadows flying. Midori silently cheered and got her ass in gear to retrieve Mona before they recovered. Midori ran over to Mona, heels clacking and sloshing loudly along the Palaces floor. She scooped him up and ran for the exit, bashing her brain trying to remember which way to go. She finally made it out and collapsed at the entrance of the palace, the former slowly fading. She felt the same vertigo feeling she experienced when they first got into the Palace.
You have returned to the real world
Welcome Back
She heard something chime as she still held Morgana close to her chest. She blinked her eyes open and saw that they were back near the fountain, the sun shining down upon her once more.
'Morgana, are you ok?' She asked softly, petting the cat's ears. He shook his head before wiggling out of her arms. He shook himself briefly.
'That was quite impressive!' Eh? EH?!
'How can I hear you talk now?' Midori said in disbelief, blinking down at the feline.
'Because you went into the Metaverse' He said while licking at one of his paws. 'That was certainly a close one, good thing you found your Persona, which is the manifestation of a person's rebellious soul locked deep within a person's heart.' He supplied, very well knowing what she was going to ask.
'Now that we know you have a Persona, you will be able to join our group'
'What group? Midori tilted her head curiously and the cat sat down, wrapping his tail around his feet.
' The Phantom Thieves, we've been doing Palace for a while now, you'll need help going through this Palace, it was a weak one but he's very cautious for some reason so we can't complete this just you and me, no offense but you don't have the stats for it yet' The cat stood up' mind telling me the time?'
Midori nodded dumbly as she assimilated all the information that Morgana gave her. She took her phone out of her purse, which she was grateful that she didn't lose it in the Palace because going back for it would've of been a pain. She took a peek at the hour and choked on her saliva in shock. They spent two hours in there!
'Its noon' she informed the feline, shaking her head. She quickly went to consult the texts her mom sent her.
Mommy dearest: /would you be dear and get mommy one of these bubbles teas, you know which place ;) /
/Why are you taking this long? Did you hit it off with the handsome owner of the Studio ;)/
/Be back soon mommy misses you 3/
'Alright, the others are still at school, so it'll have to wait till after school, come and meet us towards 5 at Leblanc, ok?' Midori had the feeling that she had to agree and nodded. 'Alright see ya later!' The cat chirped before walking off.
I am thou, thou art I
Thou hast acquired a new vow…
It shall become one of the beacons that will guide you out the darkness.
With the birth of the Magician persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power.
Magician Rank 1
I sincerely cried during the ballet scene :,(
and had to edit this since i for g ot put the French translation on here ^^' French is my first language see so its just natural to me XD
Petits Pieds= small feet ( yeah sounds less charming in english lol )
Cafe mon coeur= Cafe My heart
Mademoiselle= Miss
Piece de résistance= piece of resistance
Venez avec moi ma demoiselle= come with me Miss
Forêt Noire: Black Forest ( which is chocolate cake with cherries for those who dont know :))
Parfait= Perfect
Emmenez-les moi= Bring them to me
Petite insolente= little insolent
I also made some modifications to the chapter as well ^^'