Finally managed to finish this chapter! Now, on with the story!
Wishes, Dreams, and Memories
Chapter 35 – Forgotten Memories
"I'm… just like him…" Frey's voice turned into a whisper as both of them looked at Ethelberd, "Just like Ethelberd, I'm a living rune too…"
"You never told me," Lest responded sternly, "Why didn't you say that you're already dead?"
"Because I know you very well," Frey replied in a shaky voice, "We've witnessed our own mother murdered right in front of us. Haven't you considered that kind of trauma? To know that the family you're looking for is also dead?"
Lest only gave a silent respond, knowing the truth in her words. If he knew that he already been on his own, he would have reverted to his old self when he first arrived in Selphia. He would return to being a lost child, not knowing who he was or where he had come from, but eventually ended up in a place filled with warm people. A new family he could call his own.
"But I have to admit, I was wrong about one thing," Frey let out a smile, "You were never alone, which was proven when you can handle being a prince without me to help you all the time. Now I understand when you said you didn't need me anymore back then."
"I… said that?" Lest looked at Frey in confusion as she showed him her palm.
"I'll share you some memories of our time," Frey's palm started glowing as hers and Lest's body started glowing slightly, "But this time, let the runes tell you the actual stories instead. They'll tell you that we didn't always get along as siblings."
"Are you sure you've brought everything you need? Enough money? Water? Food?" Frey asked in worry as she went over Lest's rucksack, making sure anything necessary was inside.
"I've asked around about the price yesterday, so the money should be enough," Lest replied as he watched his sister looking into his belongings, "I don't think I'll need that much food or water for a short hike to the bazaar today. Well, it's not like I plan on camping out in the wild…"
"Oh right, I think you forgot something," Frey put the mess she had made on Lest's things on the table as she left the room, making Lest groan in frustration.
"Come on, I need to leave quickly or we won't have enough food for the next season!" Lest protested before seeing Frey coming back into the room with several pieces of gear in her hands, "What are those?"
"If you're going out there, then there should be monsters as well," Frey took a rusted shield and shoved it to Lest, "Use this to block their attacks," Frey took a pair of dual blades and put them in his hand, "If you need to counterattack a fast enemy, use dual swords to your advantage," Frey went through the other equipments before Lest stopped her by putting the ones he was holding back on the table, "Hey, you must carry that all the time! The world out there-"
"I know about the monsters, Frey," Lest replied in annoyance as he unsheathed a little of his own sword, "See? I already have one with me. Besides, I can fend off monsters on my own after a bit of training. I don't need you to be worried about me all the time!"
"I am your sister!" Frey raised her voice in anger, "I have all the right to be worried about my one and only brother! You still need me to look after you!"
"No, you know that's not true," Lest took back his belongings and started walking away, "I think it's more like you need me to dote on like when we're kids, but we're already adults! I feel like a helpless little kid who needs a stalker-like sister…" Lest looked back at her, but had already calmed down from anger, "Just… leave me alone…"
"Lest…"
Lest stood still in his place, looking at Frey with guilt all over his face. Frey responded with a smile, "Don't be like that. I know that it wasn't right of me to treat you too much like a kid."
"Yeah, but…" Lest started, "I feel like there are things I should say better to you back then… I'm sorry…"
"It's okay, I forgive you," Frey let out a sigh, "Besides, I really think I deserved it. Especially after I envy you for being better than me in many things…"
"Really? I feel like you're a lot better in doing most things… except for cooking…"
"H-Hey!" Frey yelled out in annoyance as she blushed in embarrassment, "You did the cooking all the time, so I didn't have the chance to actually do it myself!" Frey looked at the surprised Lest before calming herself down with a deep breath, "Well, I was never good at anything… That's why I've always envied you… I didn't like how people compared us, so the only thing I could do the best was trying to be a good sister to you…"
"So that's how we got into that argument…" Lest felt guilty once more after remembering the memory.
"But… I guess I do recall myself being better than you at one thing…" the twins' body started glowing once more, "Our mother was there too…"
"Okay kids, it's time to learn more about the Earthscript!" a woman with long green hair called out to the younger versions of Lest and Frey, with Lest came running towards her in excitement as Frey simply walked while looking completely uninterested.
"Yay! I love Earthskip! Teach us, Mommy!" Lest called out in excitement, making his mother chuckle.
"Lest, it is called Earthscript, not Earthskip," Sara turned to her other child, "Frey, don't make that kind of face again. Can't I see the beautiful smile of my little angel?"
Frey shot a smile, "Look, I'm smiling!" the smile soon disappeared from her face, replaced with a frown, "Can we go out and play now? Earthscript is too easy for me! It's boring!"
"You know that's not true, dear," Sara walked over to her hesitant child and took her hand, "Both of you still need to study more because it looks like you still hardly know anything about Earthscript."
"What about magic, Mommy?" Lest tugged on his mother's clothes, "Frey told me that her fire magic is so good she made the backyard boom-boom!"
"Stupid Lest! It was supposed to be a secret!" Frey called out in panic, until she saw the anger in her mother's eyes, "M-Mommy?"
Sara let out an irritated sigh, "That explains why the maids carried buckets of water to the backyard yesterday…" Frey closed her eyes in fear as Sara squatted down to her level, only to be given a pat on the head, "I know you're very good at your magic, but you cannot use it whenever you like. People could get hurt because of your magic."
"I… I'm sorry, Mommy…!" Frey buried her face in her mother's arms as she let her tears out from the fear and guilt, "I-I promise… I won't do it again…"
"Now that's one problem settled," Sara turned to Lest as she comforted the crying girl, "I wonder if the scratches on the hallway floor from the maids' bathroom to the backyard had something to do with this as well…"
Lest looked at his mother with teary eyes, aware that his mother had already seen through his actions, "B-But… Frey is… a-and the fire is… the yard i-is too hot…"
"Lest was…!" Frey's voice managed to get Sara's attention, "Lest was… trying to… save me… when I was saving… a family of birdies…"
Sara was left with two crying kids in her arms and her attempt on giving them more lessons had to be postponed. She brought the two into a hug, "You did what you could to help so that the little birdies are safe now. And you two did well looking out for each other, but…" Sara turned to Frey with a smile, "This little princess of mischief needs an extra lesson today!"
"She was a kind mother, wasn't she?" Frey asked Lest with a sad smile, "Even after my best magic managed to set the half of the backyard on fire, she still had that warm smile of hers to comfort me…"
"Yeah… I think I'm starting to remember a little more about her…" Lest responded with a sad smile before he noticed that both Frey and Ethelberd were starting to turn invisible, "Frey, your body!"
Frey gave him a nod, "I know," she turned around to face the gate, "The rune sphere shard's power is slowly fading after the amount of time I spent out here and the battles I've fought."
"Can't you just stay here? The people in Selphia are willing to take you in just like they did with me," Lest looked at his twin, who stood there and completely unresponsive at his words.
"I wish I could…" Frey responded, "But I got into this situation because of myself, so it's my responsibility to see the end of it," the female Earthmate turned to look at Lest with a sad smile as tears rolled on her cheek, "There are lots of memories I want to share with you… Good memories… Bad memories… But this is all I can do for you…"
Frey's body started disappearing along with Ethelberd, making Lest even more panicked, "W-Wait! DON'T GO!"
As soon as the two figures disappeared from his sight, a small ball of light in the spot where Frey used to be. The light shone brightly and completely covered the whole area, bathing the place in bright white light. As the light shone, a series of images came pouring into Lest's head, giving him back the memories he had once lost. All the adventures he had with his sister, all the troubles they had caused together, and all the family memories with or without their mother. They were all his precious memories and they had already come back. A single tear left his eye as he remembered his past and the fact that the last of his blood relative was gone.
"I wish I could still go on more adventures with you… but this is how it's supposed to end…"
Lest opened his eyes, finding himself standing at the foot of Leon Karnak with runes slowly coming out of the ground.
"… I'm sorry, Lest… for not being a good enough sister to you…"
"You already are a good one, Frey…" Lest looked up at the sky as more tears fell from his eyes before he collapsed on the hard ground.
As his consciousness was slipping away, he could hear a faint sound of metal objects falling near him and some footsteps.
"Sir Halwell… Lest… take… airship…"
The story is almost at the end, but there will be a few more mysteries yet to be revealed. How did Ethelberd managed to take control of his own son's body? Coming up next chapter!