Collision
Chapter 5
Written By: Kimchi_Taco
I do not own anything from Dawn of the Arcana/Reimei no Arcana or any of the songs that I mix in with the fanfic. I am just your average manga reader that wishes I could have been a part of the adventure but with a little imagination and a stroke of the keys… I can be. I hope you guys enjoy!
Rainy had finally begun to memorize the floor plan of the castle, mostly because she had to move the thought away that this was all under one roof. She tried to plan it out in her head like it was a FOB (Forward Operating Base) and that each room was its own different building instead. She has been finding it easier for herself that way. This was after Cain had explained the floor plans about eight times.
"No no… you go to the left and then it's the kitchen." Cain pointed down the hall and swayed his hand to the left.
Okay maybe more than eight times, "To the left. I got it. Now go shoo-shoo! Go back to your boring Kingly duties… I'll walk around and get use to everything. Or get lost and bump into one of your guard people."
Cain nodded and asked, "Are you sure you don't need a guide…"
Rainy waved her hand in a "no" and responded, "No! No! That isn't necessary! Well I'm going… this… way. I'll see you tomorrow! G'night!"
Cain bowed his head slightly as he said, "Good night Rainy."
Of course five minutes later, Rainy was lost. Though she wouldn't admit it quite yet being stubborn as she was and walked through the halls mumbling, "If I'm right I should be by the kitchen over here…."
She stopped for a second and heard some sniffles and muffled crying, when she looked down the hall she noticed it was Nakaba against one of the doors and asked, "Princess Nakaba?"
Nakaba quickly stood up, wiping the tears away quickly and mid surprise and fear she yelled, "Who is there?"
When Nakaba noticed it was Rainy she stammered, "I'm…. I'm so sorry! I look horrible!"
Rainy took out a handkerchief out of her pocket and handed it to Nakaba and said, "Oh don't worry about it! Are you ok?"
Nakaba leaned in as to whisper and said, "Shhh! Shhh! I don't want Loki to find me!"
Rainy blinked confused and whispered, "Ooohh yeah cause Loki has super sensitive hearing. Right, right… wait I thought he was like your right handed man? Why are you hiding from him?"
Nakaba leaned against the wall and while sliding down to sit she explained, "We… we got into an argument."
Rainy leaned against the wall and asked, "I see… would you like to talk about it?"
Nakaba slowly shook her head "no" as Rainy exclaimed, "You want something sweet to eat?"
Nakaba looked up to Rainy puzzled as Rainy started to help the red-haired princess to her feet, "Yeah! Show me the way to the kitchen and we'll get some pastries or fruit. It'll get your mind off the argument and also… I won't be lost anymore… again… yeah."
Arm in arm, the princesses, well at least one princess, walked down the hall as Rainy asked, "Well your husband is sure is a hottie and you two are so cute together!"
Nakaba's cheeks turned red and embarrassed as she said, "Yeah well… it's just a royalty marriage… nothing more."
Rainy looked at Nakaba and questioned, "Well that is not what I saw… at least at the dinner table."
Nakaba confused asked, "Well… what did you see?"
Rainy equally as confused when she said, "What do you mean…?"
Nakaba's eyes continued to ask and plead for an answer and Rainy seemed to realize that Nakaba was being torn in all different directions: not use to actually someone loving her, understanding what love was, being raised the royalty members hated her, and being in a country that hated her.
Rainy sighed as they finally arrived to the kitchen, sitting on top of crates waiting for the chef to bring some fruit. She realized she could tell them they are totally in love, just being stubborn and naïve but Rainy felt it was almost… cheating.
Once Rainy decided her answer she looked at Nakaba with a smile and said, "You know it doesn't matter what I saw or what I thought I saw. Sure you guys looked teasing and happy to me. But what really matters is what you feel."
The chef, a short man with a bald head, shuffled over to the women with a bowl of fruit, cuts of apples, grapes, and some sliced strawberries, as he said, "So sorry your highnesses but we were cleaning up and this was all I can prepare for you."
Rainy gave a goofy smile and a wave of the hand as she said, "This is absolutely great Cookie! This is just perfect for us!"
The chef leaned his head to the side as a quirk and repeated, "Cookie?"
Rainy nodded and meant, "It's a nickname for chefs where I come from. A really good chef that can be depended on and does everything he or she can do. It's one thing to be called a chef… but it is on a different level for "Cookie." Almost family like to me."
The chef smiled and bowed his head and said, "Well thank you your highness… If there is anything else you need…"
Rainy looked at Nakaba and asked, "Hold on, Nakaba is there anything you need?"
Rainy saw the chef scowl and she quickly asked, "Hey… she's part of the deal to. You're not "Cookie" unless you do your job as a whole… no matter what goes through that kitchen door. And not only that, Nakaba is my friend. If you can't treat her equally… then I'll have an interesting talk with the highnesses…"
Cookie immediately bowed and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, your highnesses! Is there anything else either of you need?"
Rainy leaned over to Princess Nakaba and nudged her a little, "Do you need anything else?"
The red-haired princess shyly looked at the chef and had politely asked, "Can I please get some whip creme?"
Rainy raised one of the tiny forks that was in the apple and said, "That is an amazing idea! Of course if that is not too much trouble for you Cookie?"
Cookie bowed out of the way and responded, "That is no trouble at all. I will be right back with the whipped creme."
Rainy and Nakaba sat in silence when Rainy sighed and said, "Things change slowly."
Nakaba raised her head as she slowly bit an apple, "Excuse me?"
Rainy had a piece of apple in her mouth as she said, "Human beings are creatures of habit… in the short span of things we have this tendency to stay within our comfort zone. Day in… and day out. But gradually things change. We just have to be willing to the change and take things a step at a time."
Soon Cookie brought back the whipped creme and carefully placed a spoon full in the middle of the plate, Nakaba look at the chef and gently said, "Thank you… Cookie."
The Chef at first was taken aback by the Princess and then he quickly bowed his head but left without another word.
Rainy smiled and said, "See? It takes time."
Nakaba shook her head and said, "That's what I always get… being ignored."
Rainy shook her head and looked at Nakaba and said, "But you weren't ignored. Did you not see it? For a split second he… saw… you. Sure it was only a second before he bowed but he heard your voice and you said "Thank you, Cookie." Things change slowly, but they change." Rainy scooped up one of the last of the strawberries, "You have to believe there will be change."
Nakaba ate the last bit of the fruit and said, "Thank you, Rainy."
Rainy looked at Nakaba confused and said, "For wha? I didn't really do anything."
Nakaba smiled and said, "Honestly, you're one of the few that has ever been so… nice to me. To the point I feel like you're almost tricking me…"
Rainy quickly shook her head and said, "No! No! No! I'm not doing that I promise!"
Nakaba smiled and said, "I knew that the moment you made Cookie ask both of us what we wanted… a person trying to trick me or take advantage wouldn't go as far as to change someone else's view of me."
Nakaba brought up the apple slice that was in her hand and took the last bite and she said, "I would never have thought I would be having a late night snack in the back of the kitchen with anyone."
Rainy grabbed Nakaba almost in a choke hold (not tight to choke her but in an embrace style), "Well, I am glad it was with me! Now it's getting late. I am sure you have plans later for tonight."
Nakaba coughed a little, and then thought Rainy was reading her mind because Prince Ceaser wanted to meet her out in the gardens and stammered, "P-p-plans?"
Rainy completely oblivious what is supposed to happen tonight (I personally can't remember an entire manga page by page at least not off hand… it takes me a few minutes) and asked, "Well… I mean we have to sleep at some point. Right?"
Nakaba laughed and said, "You're right. I suppose we all do."
The girls left the bowl neatly on a counter with a quick note from Rainy that said, "Thank you Cookie!" Rainy being lost, of course, had asked Nakaba to help her find her room once more. The whole while chit chatting or giggling about something girls would probably understanding. Rainy started to recognize the grain patterns and the usual "feel" for the hallway and felt pretty close to where her room was. Rainy walked to the door and was about to tell Nakaba good night when she said something odd.
Nakaba exclaimed, "AH! I knew something was bothering me this whole time!"
Rainy blinked and asked, "What?"
"You looked familiar to me, but I couldn't put my finger on it until now!"
Rainy began to egg her on, "Well? Who?"
Nakaba laughed and said, "It's silly. You don't even know her and she was such a crude lady… her name was Lady Bella."
Rainy took a step back and said, "Oh?"
Nakaba pointed and said, "Not just your black hair either, you cut it differently. But really it's like your face… she had the same beautiful face as her. But there is a huge difference between you to."
Rainy raised an eyebrow and said, "Which is?"
Nakaba said, "Your eyes. Hers were just brown… a dark brown… But yours. Your is a light brown and have a little bit of green in them as well. And… call me weird but your face is just… kinder and not arrogant."
Rainy smiled as she nodded and said, "Yeah I don't really know her… but hey! You said she was beautiful so I'll take it as a compliment!"
Nakaba waved her hand as she began to walk to her room, "Well, good night Rainy!"
Rainy slowly waved back and responded, "Good night Nakaba!"
Rainy had closed the door slowly behind her and had walked to a mirror. She hadn't been really looking in the mirror lately, besides quick glances here and there. Certainly not to compare herself to someone else. As she looked in the mirror to compare her reflection, she realized that Nakaba's statement was all around in truth. But she stared at her eyes, and she realized why Loki reacted the way Loki did… he literally thought he saw a zombie. Rainy recalled the Loki was having an affair with Lady Bella so he could bring extra favors to Nakaba's way and also willing to kill to protect her. Loki pretty much dedicated his whole life to Nakaba and going as far as to kill a royal family member.
Rainy had leaned into the mirror and mumbled, "This explains… why he quickly backed off… my eyes."
Rainy had jumped onto the bad, more like in the fell back into the bed, but she had a little "oomph" to it. As her head landed on the pillow and the sheets fluffed around her she asked out loud as she realized, "I think this dream… has gotten a shit ton more complicated."
Rainy had stared at the ceiling and announced to herself, "Well, the best thing I can do is make sure this story goes as it was supposed to. Changing things are out of the question…"
Even as she said this and tried to force herself to believe it, something in her gut told her that it was easier said than done. What was she supposed to do when Nakaba was in fear or close to danger? Of course assist in the best way, but also enough to make sure she will develop in this world. Or what about Loki? Will he get so distracted from Nakaba from her? And worse… what about Prince Cain? Can she live with herself and watch him…
Rainy shook the thought out and said, "I'll deal with it later."
She rolled and completely covered herself in blankets, as if she was trying to shield the thought away. Slowly but surely, sleep had covered Rainy as she entered into her dream.
As she was floating in the dark, surrounded by comfort and warmth a child-like voice, almost a whisper, called out to her, "Rainy…"
Rainy still floating in the dark had almost "swam" towards a glowing child, and on closer inspection she realized it was a small boy with two tiny, furry, brown ears appeared on the side of head. Rainy wasn't a vet by all means, but she knew it wasn't a cat or a dog…
"Bear if you must ask."
Rainy blinked and asked, "How did you…"
The boy reached his arms out, and immediately the black scene had changed into the familiar hot scene of Iraq as he said, "You're in my realm right now. I can make anything possible here."
Rainy then exclaimed, "Wait?! YOU'RE THE REASON I AM HERE?!"
The boy chuckled and said, "I'm sure you are well aware of the power of the Arcana. I have the Arcana of Dreams. This power has been passed down from generations, which is tightly correlated to the "bear" ajins. Most of the time bear ajin's are closer to mother nature than other… domesticated ajin you have ran into."
Rainy raised an eyebrow, "Wait… wait… first of all there are no such things as "Arcana" where I am from… how am I here? And I always thought Arcana powers were handed down from the "non" ajin person?"
The boy lightly laughed and said, "You have learned a lot. What you say is true. The ones carrying the Power of the Arcana tend to mostly be of non-ajin. There a small amount of people that carry the Arcana. Some are activated at birth. Some are activated on age. Others… others must be activated by right ajin."
Rainy had placed her finger tips on her head as she said, "Okay okay… look I am in a dream and you are giving me a headache. I'm not understanding."
The boy changed the scene to a village, and then as he described his story, flashes of his life passed before her, "In order for the Arcana of Dreams to be "activated" it for some reason needs a bear ajin to work. So true, you can have a male Arcana of Dreams and a female Arcana of Dreams have a child… but this child cannot activate the powers of the Arcana."
Rainy then asked, "So… in order for a child to have the Arcana of Dream and to use it… is if one was the carrier of the power and the other was a bear ajin?"
The child nodded and said, "That is correct but it doesn't guarantee to work. But as you can see… bear ajin are not exactly common. My father tends to stay in the woods more connected to the ways of mother nature intended. Thus, my kind is very… rare indeed."
Rainy again starting to get frustrated, "All right that's fine and great. But explain how I am here? The Arcana does not exist…"
The child said, "But for one second… for that ONE moment you wished it would!"
Rainy blinked as the child continued to explain, "For that one second you believed and I happened to be meditating and found your dream… read your dreams… felt your dreams… and also I felt you deserved a chance…"
Things started to glow brightly in the scene as Rainy exclaimed, "Wait? What chance? What's happening?"
The bear like child had smiled and said, "I can't reveal everything… but now it's time to wake up."
The moment "up" had slipped through his lips, Rainy had quickly sat up in bed with her whispering, "Wait… wait…"
As soon as Rainy had gathered enough "sense" into her brain and remembered where she was, she quickly had placed her head back into the pillows and even placed one over her face. She continued to remember the dream and tried to get any other clues the little bear boy had given her.
She said through the pillow in a muffle, "What… the fuck…?! Why…. ME!?"
Author's Note:
I'm trying to type a bunch of sequels out of before another semester rolls in. Also I realized that my last chapter has "Chapter 3" on it and not "Chapter 4." My bad! I always copy and paste my disclaimer and I didn't bother to change it. I am sorry! As always, thank you for your time reading this and I hope you enjoy the story. Also, thank you to the person(s) with the positive comments. Thank you! And enjoy the reads!
