Reminisce

Chapter 5: Re-telling by the Score

Immediately and with haste, Ayu gathered all her essentials, making sure she had packed everything she will need for the trip. After having things sorted out, she changed into a much more comfortable and suitable clothing; a blue long sleeved top, an above the knee length skirt with a twin tail whose ends have rings attached to them. The weight of these rings were controlled by her own fonic abilities which meant even if she was moving around they wouldn't hit her but it was possible enough to bludgeon a target during battle and it also helped on keeping her skirt down. A white tunic with elaborate pattern designs and her sheath belt; wrapped securely around her waist as her father would have once used the very material.

She observed herself from the mirror, a smile gracing her face as she nodded in approval of her wardrobe. She has never been able to try any of the clothes she was provided for journeys outside the kingdom as they were to be used when she was 18. But that doesn't seem to matter now, does it?

Finally feeling prepared, she dashed out of her room and towards the gates outside Baticul, casually waving goodbye to the people she knew. The air seemed to be different as soon as she left the place, it carried a different aura, distinct from what she would usually wake up to when she was back in the manor; it was much stronger. As though nature was sending her a warning to be cautious of the imminent dangers that lurks in the new world she has just stepped into. She gripped the handle of the sword behind her, as if to reassure herself that it was there before she crossed the bridge that separated Baticul from the dangerous outside.

"Hey! You're Ayu, correct?"

The young girl turned her head to see a blonde girl with shoulder length hair rush towards her, she was somewhat at the same age as her aunts but she seemed much more youthful with how she moved. Her hands were raised up in a waving motion to catch her attention. She smiled at her with a nod as soon as the girl was at a conversational distance.

"I am Ayu, and who might you be?"

"Noelle!" she cheerily replied before eyeing her quite ardently, which somehow made the young aristocrat uncomfortable.

"I-Is there something wrong, N-Noelle?"

"Hm~? Oh! Nothing's wrong, Miss Ayu. I was just inspecting you, you really do have a similarity to your father but your body is definitely from your mother." She smiled before she gestured for the other girl to follow her

Ayu blinked at her, her expression a cross between disbelief and utter shock. Her parents barely talked about their excursions back when they were younger which was why she was surprised to hear this girl talk about them so casually.

"Y-You know my parents?" a smile finally broke out from her features as she tailed the older girl.

"Sure do. Haven't they been telling you tales about their great adventures back then to overthrow the score? Basically, my brother and I drove them around Auldrant using the Albiores which you'll also be using now, Miss Ayu."

"I see. Father doesn't usually talk much about the past though I am aware of his reputation. Mother, on the other hand, she's usually either at Yulia City or Daath and she barely has time to ever talk to me about them either. Would you mind relenting what you know about them and what they did during those times?" she asked, her tone seemed nearly pleading which made Noelle smile.

"Sure. No problem, Miss Ayu. It'll make our flight less boring"

"Thanks and uhm… call me Ayu." she smiled.

Ayu was able to enjoy Noelle's relentless banter of what she can recollect from her memories while they flew above countless places around Auldrant. The young noble felt quite comfortable despite this being her first flight, the view from above was absolutely gorgeous! It would be a memory she would endlessly relive within her mind. Her curious questions were entertained warmly by her pilot, who seemed enthusiastic enough to answer her. She had no qualms about her relentless chatter, in fact, it barely bored her. Someone as animated in a conversation as Noelle would have been a perfect company for anyone. What surprised Ayu most was how fast they arrived from Baticul to Daath, it felt like minutes ago when she was still in Baticul and now she was in front of the gates of the neutral faction in Auldrant.

"Thanks for the ride, Noelle. I enjoyed it greatly." she complimented as she bowed in gratitude.

"Don't mention it, Ayu. Just drop me a call when you need to be picked up, okay" the blonde girl winked at her to which the red head chuckled.

"Of course, I wouldn't want to miss a second chance to get hitch back home using the Albiore II"

It was Noelle's turn to chuckle before she waved goodbye and took off with the Albiore. Ayu smiled, watching the craft turn around and disappear almost immediately into the sky. Finally, she faced the gates and gripped onto the strap of her bag. Who knows what kind of message awaits her in there? Gathering all her strength and pushing away the feeling of uneasiness at the back of her mind, she stepped inside and was greeted warmly by some passerby's who seemed to somehow know her.

It felt oddly nostalgic, it hasn't been a day since she was away from Baticul and yet she misses the people and the place immediately just by pointing out similarities between them. She smiled and continued to trudge her way towards the Cathedral where she was greeted by her Aunt Anise and the Fon Master Florian.

"Ayu!" Anise squealed as she rushed to the young noble, pulling her into a hug into which the girl returned, albeit awkwardly. "How was the flight? Good? I hope you didn't feel sick?"

"No, no. I'm perfectly fine Aunt Anise." She smiled, amused at how concerned Anise was with her.

"Well, that's Luke and Tear's daughter for ya! Just as tough as her parents" Anise chuckled as she ruffled the younger girl's hair, much to her dismay.

The Fon Master chuckled and greeted her after she has had time to at least make her hair look slightly presentable after the brunette's ruffling.

"It's a pleasure to have you here, Princess. But as you probably know, we called you here for a reason."

The young Fabre suddenly felt her heart drop at the reminder of her purpose, the nagging feeling of dread returning into her system as she nodded. She never considered herself as intuitive but the heavy feeling residing upon her heart told her otherwise. Florian and Anise led her inside, following them into the Fon Master's office where she silently took a seat and waited for anyone to break the ice.

"Ayu, do you know anything about the Score?"

The young aristocrat's head lifted, her green eyes staring straight into the Fon Master's before answering.

"It's a special stone said to carry a written text of the future and was once the cause of dispute between the two kingdoms. Because of its special qualities only a few selected fonists are able to read what is written within the stone, mostly Seventh Fonists. It is said to roam around the fonbelt and dropped into Auldrant a long time ago. My father, however, abolished this as people blindly followed the score before. As of now, people only consult the Score casually, knowing that it is only one of the many possible ways of the future."

Florian nodded, approving of her vast knowledge while Anise sat in awe but said not a word. Ayu however, sat in silence, contemplating for the reason why she was asked of such a thing.

"Why you are here now is related to Score, Ayu. The Score mentioned you and your twin as related to an imminent danger that is about to approach Auldrant."

"A twin…?! But I was born alone, was I not?" She turned to her aunt, whose expression turned apologetic, arousing her confusion more.

"The truth is, you do have a twin. But at the age of five, Kimlasca came with a crucial decision of who to keep as heir. In the end, the choice was you. You had the red hair akin to every Fabre that ever lived and had more potential as a leader, so they erased any existing memories about your twin and made you believe you were an only child. The same process was done with your twin before she was casted out."

Out of the shadow, came a girl with bright blonde short hair and sharp ocean-like blue eyes. Her fringe was kept away from her face by two black pins. Ayu almost jumped with surprise by her sudden appearance. She had not felt her presence until now, it was as if she had just come out from thin air

"And you are?"

"Rilliane. Rilliane Carlyle, your highness. You're loyal observer" She smirked as she made a polite curtsy.