Chapter 6:
~At the Snow-dome~
The rest of the time Fine spent at the dome was more like a Q&A session:
Fine (F): Who are you, exactly?
Aki (A): Prince Akihiko of the Crystal Realm, the eldest of my parents' kids, otherwise known as the Prince of the Snow to foreigners. ^-^
F: What is this place?
A: Like I said, the Crystal Realm. It's practically a secret kingdom because so few people know about it. I could tell you the entire history of this place, if you want.
F: Um, thanks, but what is the Star that you've mentioned?
A: Oh, the Star? It's a magical gateway from the Crystal Realm to the outside world. You travel through it in a flash of light because the Star is literally a star. Don't you remember that time when you went back to the Sunny Kingdom in a burst of white light? On the other side of the Star, people see the gateway as just another little twinkling light in the sky. When you go through, you don't just go directly into space, but rather, you float into a timeless area with colorful balls of light surrounding you. Then you think hard about where you want to go and you're there! Although you could just travel into space if you wanted and fly to whichever planet you want. Well, if you can actually fly.
F: So…is that how you came to our school and just…took me away?
A: Yes!
F: How come I didn't remember you in the beginning?
A: I'd say that's because at first, you were too surprised, and then confused, and then shocked, and only recalled it when you and I finally had a talk.
F: Oh. How did you find me, though?
A (shrugging): Navigation.
F: No, I mean, how did you know I was on the Wonder Planet?
A: Easy. I've been tracking you occasionally ever since you left here.
F (clears her throat): …Why would you do that?
A (half smiling, half smirking): Gosh, you're the same as ever, Fine. If you don't mind me saying, your memory's not any better, either. I told you, you came here to be my bride. We're going to be married. If I didn't follow you, who knows if you would've landed into the hands of some other guy?
F: Gah! Please! Don't mention the…thing. I—I can't take it…
Here the Q&A session stopped abruptly at Fine's awkward response, but also because she was thinking of a certain boy, making it impossible for her to continue anyway after Aki's reply, especially the last sentence. She sighed quietly. If he (that boy) liked her that way, she probably would've gone with him after all.
But why would he like me? Fine thought.
Akihiko stared at her expectantly. She didn't know what to say, so Fine said the only thing that came to her:
"I need to go take a break."
Aki tilted his head, looking at her confusedly. Reading the tiredness and uncertainty in her eyes, he smiled a little and nodded.
And with that, Fine strode out of the dome, across the garden, into the palace hall, and right back into the bedroom—apparently her bedroom, the one that had been furnished for her all those years before—and plopped down on the bed, lying in the exact same place she'd found herself when she woke up.
~In the mirror universe~
Shade wasn't having much luck.
He had absolutely no idea where to go, and no matter how many times he turned around and around, every direction (if there was any) seemed exactly the same.
Added to that, he heard an annoying ticking-clock sound in the far background, but seeming to get closer and closer, louder and louder. With each step he took, the speed of the ticking hastened. But even though it was faster, the tick-tocks were still very distinct, never merging into each other. To him, they seemed to be mocking him, reminding him of the time he was wasting simply by trying to find a specific mirror.
Then a thought came to him: What if there's time difference? What if the more time I spend here, the more time is going on outside. What if…What if Fine's already married?
This last thought scared him so much he began to run faster through this bottomless pit of a world…until something dark swooped at him from above, knocking him over.