The Red Hope
Chapter 3: They Know
Hey! It's me! Please don't kill me!
Right, so last week I didn't update at all, and for that, I'm very sorry. I needed more time to finish this chapter, which is why I waited for another week before updating.
Still not very excusable, really.
But anyways, I'm here now with this chapter. For those of you that were disappointed that I didn't update last week, I hope that I can make things up with this chapter.
Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Magi.
"There are no secrets that time does not reveal." –Jean Racine
She was floating.
All around her, there was this seemingly endless sea of emptiness, with this deep depth of black, black, and more black.
And it was rather depressing.
It had been like that for a while now. She tried to think back and remember what had happened to her. After a while of painful thinking, she was rewarded.
Red. Lots of red. That was her first thought. Then a barrage of bright colors assaulted her mind.
(Why did the mere mention of red seem to scare her so badly? What was so wrong with the color red?)
Then she remembered.
(Everything. Everything is wrong with the color red.)
First, she remembered smelling smoke. It was heavy and thick throughout the air; she could remember seeing sparks of red, and she could remember feeling the heat. Running. She remembered running for a while. She remembered trying to outrun the trails licking at her heels, so so very close. And she remembered calling out her name.
(She remembered feeling desperate; she wanted to know if she was safe or not. She needed to find her.)
Then she remembered feeling heat. Painful, awful heat.
(And it was burning.)
She remembered that after it caught up to her, she fell down, thrashing around in the ground, shouting out helplessly while the sparks devoured her whole.
(But who would hear her? She was among the many that also got captured by the sparks. No on needed to see if she was alright; they didn't feel obligated to investigate her screams.
No one . . . But perhaps her.)
She could definitely remember that she whispered her name, and . . . And . . . And . . .
(What had happened? What had happened after that again? She couldn't seem to remember . . .)
Then, she closed her eyes; finally finally, the pain seemed to stop. Then, it felt as if she was leaving behind something, and it felt very . . . very relaxing almost.
Almost.
As she let go, she opened her brown eyes to see white.
Pure, endless white.
(And it was everywhere.)
Questions filtered through her mind immediately; who? What? Where? And why?
(Whywhywhywhywhy? Why did it happen? How did it happen? Why them? What did they ever do? Why?!
So many questions, yet so little answers.)
Her ears registered a low sound, and the questions in her mind stilled briefly. The noise seemed to be coming her way.
'Huh? What's that noise? It's loud.'
She was so so peaceful before. It was (somewhat) calm before. And now that it was quiet, it became loud?
(Why wouldn't they let her sleep?)
"It seems like you came too soon." A deep voice sounded out, ringing through the silence, coming from somewhere.
(Who was that?)
"I was unable to help you and the rest of the people in your home because it would interfere with her mission." The voice continued. "And because of that, all of you lost your lives. For that, I'm sorry."
(Sorry? The person is . . . Sorry?)
She was startled; she turned her head, craning her neck until she could see an outline of something. 'No,' she told herself. 'An outline of a giant.' The giant seemed to regard her sadly, regret brimming in his eyes.
"Whether or not she continues the mission is up to her," The giant continued. "She will have to choose, just like her predecessors." He seemed to have this nostalgic look in his eye. "Don't worry; we won't force her. It may be his wish, but it is still her choice after all."
(Did he say mission? What was that? What was he talking about? Who was he talking about?)
"Who-?" She started to ask, but the giant quickly interrupted her before she could finish speaking her questions.
"She's doing well." Her heart stilled. Was that a smile she could see on the giant's face? "She was very sad . . . But, she's trying her hardest to move on. To move forward . . . It's quite the accomplishment." She could speak. The giant seemed to notice her silence and asked, "Would you like to see? You wanted to see her, right?"
Something welled up in her heart; it felt strange, but pleasant. She couldn't help but nurture it. The giant waited patiently for her answer, head tilted slightly. She nodded her head quickly, frantically.
(Yesyesyesyesyes, please! Pleasepleaseplease! Let me see her!)
Finally, she found her voice. "I want to see her."
The giant seemed very pleased with her answer.
The fluttering sound grew louder; she could see bright and breathtaking white white birds, and they were floating around her gently, surrounding her in a white soft glow, like a halo.
He closed his eyes, and smiled.
"Very well then. Follow the Flow. It will take you to where you need to go."
And she did just that.
She did as the giant told, and followed the white birds. They lead her along a huge, and what seemed endless, trail. She could see bright outlines of people, but their forms varied; some were very faint, while others had a bright and distinguishing aura. She could barely make out the faces of these people, (not unless she looked very carefully at them) but she didn't care; she quickly walked the opposite direction of them, brushing past them gently so that she could go to where she needed to go. The people she moved past didn't seem to mind. In fact, it looked like they didn't even notice her; all around her, the people seemed to converse with others next to them on their path, laughing and smiling as they all walked forward, following the majority of those white birds.
(What were they anyways?)
The light seemed to get brighter as she walked closer. She continued to walk, her arm reaching out to the birds leading her.
(Closer, closer . . .)
'Almost there . . . Just a little more . . .'
And then, when she finally caught up and reached the birds, the light shone, blinding her.
When she opened her eyes, she looked down at herself. Her arms faded in and out of existence as she moved. Her inspection of her body led her to conclude that she was only here to observe, watch, and to not interfere with anything.
'It only seemed fair,' she decided. 'At least . . . at the very least, the giant gave me a chance to see her, if only for one last time.' At that thought, she quickly squashed the tiny part of her that was bitterly upset and protesting, and she chose to look around, only for her brown gaze to be met with destruction.
She could feel the wind blowing by, brushing along the burnt ashes of something (she didn't want to think about what) with it.
She walked along the path of destruction ever so quietly. Her arm reached out to tentatively brush the ash smeared and burnt stone wall still managing to stand beside her.
'Oh!' Her mind perked up. 'I . . . I remember . . . I remember this path!' Her feet moved by themselves, taking her along to see a bunch of burnt objects and smoky bazaar stands.
Her body stopped moving all together.
She didn't like this.
Her mind seemed to protest at the silence, and she agreed with it; it so . . . it was . . . too unnatural, too quiet, and too desolate. It felt as if . . . As if . . . As if it was missing something.
'People,' she decided. 'It needed people. And noise.' She added to herself, beginning to walk forward. 'Lots and lots of noise.'
(But they're all gone. Gonegonegonegonegone.)
Ignoring that thought, she opted to look around, different memories swirling and flashing around in her mind, creating a catastrophic hurricane. She looked around with, what seemed like, amazement.
'Yes . . . Yes, I remember.' She looked around again, her head twisting and turning to regard the once lively place. 'This is . . . This was the market!'
Her eyes caught something, and she darted over quickly to one of the unrecognizable stands. "This is . . . Was . . . This was . . . Chiyoko-san's fish stand . . ." She glanced down at what was left of the stand; she saw the charred and blackened wood, and she could still see the reminiscent remains of silvery fish scales.
(Was. It's was. Because they're all-)
Something welled up deep in her heart, and she quickly turned away and moved forward.
She chose to head north of the market, heading to where more of the town's prominent and standard shops stood. She paused; she turned her head to regard what used to look like a tiny brown store. Hesitantly, she stepped towards it, her hand moving aside the debris.
Her brown eyes were met with heavy and painful amounts of ash; it cloaked the atmosphere, with the heavy scent of smoke accompanying it. She closed her eyes, thinking of a different setting. Her mind shifted, and formed an image; large wooden shelves filled to the brim with big and small books. Paper, brushes, quills, and shiny bottles of ink filed neatly on the left side of the store. A middle aged woman was in front of the counter, sweeping the floor, humming to herself as she did so. She looked up from what she was doing, and smiled at her; her smile filled with warmth and understanding.
Warmth.
Understanding.
Her eyes shot open.
Nobody was there.
She wanted to sob. " . . . Chika-san . . ." Her eyes looked at the ash with sadness and despair. "Her precious store . . ."
Next to her, on the ground, she noticed a surviving bit of charred yellowed paper. She kneeled down and attempted to reach out and clasp the piece of paper close to herself, but her hand simply phased through. Her heart squeezed painfully. Helplessly, her emotions got the better of her, and she quickly stood up and ran out.
Her feet moved quickly as she ran, continuing to move down along the scene of destruction. As she passed by, she saw a small burnt shop, the only part of it still partially intact was a brick wall, with an ash caked bell tied to a burnt wooden post with some metal wire.
That strange painful feeling came back again. "Even . . . Even Mino-san's bakery . . ." It felt like something was struggling to be let out, trying to claw its way out of her heart, but she couldn't tell what it was. She slowed herself and walked quietly and knelt down in front of the bell. Her hand gently reached down, trembling slightly, as if too afraid to touch the bell. At the last second, she composed herself. Instead, she pulled back her arm, and clasped her hands together, closing her eyes in silence.
(Whywhywhywhywhy?
She didn't have an answer. It seemed like she won't get one for a long time.)
After a moment, she stood up, and turned away.
She didn't look back.
(She didn't want to.)
Her instincts seemed to take here away from the town. Not exactly so far from what was left per say, but it wasn't close enough to be next to the town either.
She let her feelings lead her away, and she quickly found herself bored. She decided to look and watch the sky above her quietly.
It was blue. It was bright. It was sunny.
It was a beautiful day, yet the sky looked on silently at the destroyed town below it. Stoically. Quietly. Unflinchingly.
(It was too colorful. Too happy. Too cheerful. It shouldn't have been.
It shouldn't have been.)
She stopped, realizing that she stood in front of a small green hill; the grass on the hill seemed to faze right through her fee as she stood above it. Not a very uncomfortable, but still . . . It still felt strange.
She looked up at the green green hill. Her feelings urged her to walk up the hill; she hesitated slightly, before she spotted a small trail of the white birds that lead her here. They seemed to beckon her silently, as if telling her to follow them up the hill.
Mustering up the little courage that she still had left, she took a deep breath to calm herself. And another. And another. And another, until finally, she followed them up.
Left, right. Left, right. Left, right.
(Green grass. Gray pebbles. Large stones. Silence.)
Left, right. Left, right. Left, right.
(One foot before the other. Stumble a bit. Catch your balance, then pick yourself up again.)
Left, right. Left, right. Left, right.
(Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. In, out. In, out. In, out.)
Left, right. Left, right. Left, right.
(Slowly, carefully. Quickly, quietly.)
Left, right. Left, right. Left, right.
(Blue, green. Sunny, cheerful. Red, gray. Sadness, grief.)
Left, right. Left, right. Left, right.
(Keep going. You're almost there.)
Finally, she was able to reach the top of the hill, her body sagging in relief. She took the time to look up and around to see her surroundings. And what she saw stunned her.
She saw a girl knelt respectively in front of a stone with carved words over it, her back turned towards her. The girl was holding something—a flower—in one of her hands, the other, clenched tightly into a fist as she sat on her knees, hands in her lap silently.
At that moment, she understood.
A grave.
This was a grave for someone . . . maybe even for multiple people judging by the many carvings. The girl was simply paying her respects to the town's dead.
She wanted to choke as another burst of overwhelming emotion sprung from her chest at the sight of the girl.
She was alive. She was alive!
She was relieved. So so relieved.
(Thank goodness.)
She watched as the girl put one hand on top of the grave stone. She watched as the girl looked up at the sky with clouded eyes. She bit her lip, gnawing on it; she wanted to run badly towards her, comfort so that the dead look on the girl's face was no longer there.
She wasn't even able to get a word out, before the girl in front of her began talking.
"Goodbyes are too sad." She watched quietly as her niece reached forward to trace the names carved with her finger. "You guys were my family. I made that mistake, and because of that, you suffered. For that, I'm sorry."
'What?' She flinched. "That . . . That's not true . . ." She protested. The wind blew as she said that; but the girl didn't seem to hear her.
"This world may be unfair," The girl moved her finger, fingertips brushing each of the names with a tender gentleness and care. "But that's why I'm here."
'Huh?' Now she was really confused. Just what was she talking about?
She listened as the girl continued to talk. "I'm going to change that, so that it won't happen to anyone. So thank you," She watched as the girl laid the flower down in front of the grave delicately. "For reminding me that tragedies are still here. For giving me the courage to move forward and never forget."
"For giving me hope that this world can be changed." As she said this, she watched her back stiffen slightly, and she noticed that she had clenched her fists. She imagined the girl's face right now; stiff, firm, normally warm rosy eyes hard.
So unlike her usual self.
"Change . . .?" She whispered. "What are you talking about . . .?" The wind seemed to agree with her as it blew lightly around them.
"I know that it won't be easy," She watched as her niece stood up. "But this is what I want."
" . . ." She had a calculating glint in her eyes now.
"If I can help other people . . . If I can stop something like this from happening all over the world . . . If that was my destiny, then I'll do it!"
" . . .!" Her brown eyes widened, awed by the sheer determination and will that she heard in her niece's voice and words. She was literally pouring all of her heart into this.
She had truly changed.
"So that's why . . ." The girl unclenched her fists, her voice dropping to a whisper. "You guys don't need to worry about me anymore."
" . . ." She was speechless.
'Not worry about her? It's my job to worry about her! It's always been!'
"I'm older now—I was just a bit shaken up with the accident here but," She watched her take a deep breath. "I'll get stronger. Not by myself, but with my friends too. I won't let this happen again. I promise."
'Oh . . .' she could feel something springing up in her eyes. 'Oh Atsuko-chan . . .'
"That's why everyone," Her niece reached out to touch the stone again. "I'm going to leave now . . . Please wish me luck." She watched her hand hesitantly leave the stone, and watched as she turned away.
While taking a few steps, her niece seemed to pause and contemplate something. Then, she turned around.
"Ittekimasu." Was the whisper she heard, a sad smile on her pale niece's face.
Her heart stilled at those words.
Then, her niece turned back again, and this time, she didn't look back.
(What are you waiting for? Don't stand there! Run after her!)
At that encouraging thought, she quickly snapped out of the trance she was in, and quickly ran after her niece.
She ran, and ran, and ran, until finally, she could see her niece talking with another person. Both looked like they were getting ready to leave.
She was almost there!
But her niece and her companion continued to move, oblivious of her attempts to follow them.
She bit her lip; she only had one chance at this.
She took a deep breath, and shouted.
"Atsuko-chan!"
Her niece stopped. Her companion paused as well, looking back at Atsuko questioningly.
As her niece turned to look back, she took the chance to sprint forward, catching up to them. Tears slipped freely down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around the girl in a loose hug. Atsuko's rosy eyes widened as she felt something engulf her.
"You've truly grown, haven't you, Atsuko-chan?" She murmured. She squeezed her. "Mikoto-sama would've been proud to see you grow so well.
"Atsuko-chan . . . Really . . . I can't say how proud of you I am." Her hand reached up to fondly stroke Atsuko's now scarlet locks of hair. The girl stood there; she was unable to hear or see her, but she could feel the warmth in her hug.
"Truly . . ." She tightened her grip even more on the girl, her eyes closing. "I was so so happy being able to raise you! You are both mine and Mikoto-sama's pride and joy!
"So thank you . . . Thank you Atsuko-chan!" She began hiccupping. "Thank you for letting me be a part of your life! Thank you for letting me watch you grow! Truly . . . Truly . . . I'm truly glad . . . Thank you Atsuko-chan . . . Thank you . . ."
As she said these words, she felt as if she was able to let go of something heavy within her; now she felt . . . very light. Refreshed. It was an indescribable feeling, but she, strangely enough, welcomed it.
And now she was ready to go.
The birds surrounded her again; she could feel herself getting lighter and lighter. Her body was becoming more and more transparent, the background of the hill becoming more prominent as she began to fade away.
Before she could leave completely, she whispered one last word to her niece. "I love you, Atsuko-chan . . ."
Her words echoed, and she disappeared.
Atsuko stood there limply as a large gust of wind blew her hair back, scarlet locks flying. She closed her eyes, savoring and reveling in the warmth that came with it.
"What's wrong?"
She opened her rosy eyes. "It's . . . It's nothing. Don't worry about it." She turned away from the hill, inclining her head.
"Let's go."
Somewhere, in a desolate and abandoned town full of destruction, the wind blew over the ashes of what remained; small and slightly charred fish scales followed it. Swirling ash was blown off of a once shiny and silver bell. And the wind stirred a charred piece of paper; it flipped itself over, and revealed the inked words written on it briefly, before being taken by the wind.
" . . . And I had never been more happy . . ."
Evelyn was a woman who liked to be neat; she attempted to keep things organized, and have everything planned ahead of time. Being Atsuko-chan's aunt/guardian didn't necessarily have her 'up-to-date' with everything all the time, but she tried (it also helped that Atsuko-chan tried her best to help too). Basically, while she didn't exactly like change, she adapted as best she could, and altered her plan; she enjoyed her routine, and was pleased when things went according to plan (which seemed ironic to her).
For example . . .
When morning came, Evelyn was usually the first to wake; when she did, she would go about her morning routine of visiting the bathroom, then paying her respects to the tiny shrine in the back of the hall.
After doing that, she would head to the kitchen, hurrying to make breakfast for both her and Atsuko-chan as well, while trying to be very careful when doing so, so that she wouldn't wake the sleeping girl. The two of them enjoyed a variety of dishes, and each of their meals varied depending on Evelyn's mood, and what they still had.
While in the middle of making breakfast, she would head to the room that both she and Atsuko-chan shared, to check and see if the girl had woken yet. Most of the time, the girl would wake up on her own. However, there were some of those rare occasions where Atsuko-chan would be dead to the world, and she would have to go and wake up her niece herself.
Then, after Atsuko-chan got ready for the day, and pay her respects to the shrine, the two of them would sit down and eat breakfast. When the two of them finished eating, Evelyn would have to go over a 'To Do' list mentally in her mind, just to see what chores needed to be done. Upon finishing her mental review, Evelyn would round up Atsuko-chan to help her finish all the chores; when finished, Evelyn would help Atsuko-chan with her lessons, giving a few tips here or there, but otherwise leaving Atsuko-chan on her own, while she made lunch. When the two of them were finished they would both eat, and she would let the girl go and play with her friends, using that time to prepare and cook dinner.
When she finished, Evelyn would call Atsuko-chan back inside; the girl would wave to her friends goodbye, while asking to play with them tomorrow. Then, the two of them would eat dinner, with Atsuko-chan chattered about what she and her friends did; the two of them would go and quickly take a bath to clean themselves of the day's dirt. Finally, the two of them would conclude the day by going to their room, and going to sleep.
When morning came, Evelyn would repeat and start the cycle of her routine again.
It was very simple.
And all in all, it was a very busy and time-consuming schedule that kept Evelyn on her toes.
However, today was different; today was a special day.
Today was Atsuko-chan's birthday.
Special events like this demanded change; and to Evelyn, this special day may have messed up her usual routine just a tiny bit. So she adapted her routine slightly.
This morning, she made sure to wake up at least an hour earlier than usual, taking extra care to stay silent so she wouldn't wake the birthday girl.
She sat up from her straw tatami mat, stretching her arms. Afterwards, she looked down at the sleeping girl; said girl was twitching in her sleep, snoring softly as she kicked off her blanket; her black hair was twisted all over her face and splayed out under her head, with a trail of drool trickling down her chin.
Evelyn couldn't help but chuckle; she gently pushed Atsuko-chan back into a proper sleeping position, and tucked her blanket under her chin. The sleeping girl smiled slightly and snuggled under the blanket, enjoying the warmth. Evelyn smiled, patting the girl's head softly, before exiting the room and heating into the tiny bathroom for her morning routine. Afterwards, she quietly got dressed into her green commoner's robes, and walked over to the tiny shrine.
The shrine wasn't an actual shrine; in reality, it was a small wooden table that Evelyn and Atsuko cleaned daily. A small ceramic incense holder stood in front of a small well-polished picture frame; the old woman staring from the picture looked stern and harsh, but somehow at the same, soft and kind as she smiled lightly.
Evelyn carefully grabbed a few incense sticks, and lit them over the tips; she put them gently into the ceramic incense holder, and proceeded to clasp her hands together in front of her face, and close her eyes silently.
She stayed that way for a moment. Then, she opened her mouth to talk in quiet hushed whispers. "Mikoto-sama," She began. "Today is Atsuko-chan's birthday. She will be turning five years old today. I still remember when she turned four," She chuckled a bit. "There was that accident with the cake and mud, and you scolded her." Her smiled dimmed a bit, before brightening again. "Atsuko-chan and I are doing well; Atsuko-chan is especially excelling in her studies. She constantly get bored and pesters me for something new to learn. I'm trying my best to continue tutoring her, like you did, but . . ." She chuckled again. "It seems like I can only do so much. Later, Atsuko-chan will most likely come to talk to you."
She paused for a moment, before talking again. "Please continue to watch over her; I don't know why . . . But," She hesitated a bit before speaking again. "I have a bad feeling." She stopped for a moment.
Evelyn took the time to look out the window, noticing that light was starting to peek through the curtains, signaling the arrival of dawn. She turned back to the picture. "I'm sorry Mikoto-sama, it looks like I've been talking for too long. I must be returning to the kitchen; I'll need to make breakfast for Atsuko-chan and I now. If you'll excuse me." She bowed to the shrine before exiting to the kitchen.
Evelyn quickly grabbed a pot; she poured at least three servings of rice into it, and set to clean it. She added water for it to boil in, and set it aside. She grabbed a batch of vegetables and some sauce she prepared last night; she checked the rice before nodding to herself, and starting a fire to cook.
Evelyn sighed, wiping some sweat off of her brow, smiling to herself in satisfaction. "There," She wiped her hands on a spare washcloth. "All done."
On the table, she set today's breakfast; it consisted of a plate of vegetable stir-fry, with an accompanying bowl of steaming rice and a cup of juice that she made from some imported apples she bartered from the market's fruit stand the other day. Her stomach grumbled slightly in hunger, and she sighed slightly; she put down the washcloth onto the counter next to the sink.
"Right then," She nodded to herself. "It looks like I'm all set here. Now to go wake up Atsuko-chan." She turned and headed to the bedroom.
She opened the door slightly, poking her head in to see the form of the girl hidden under her blanket; she was curled around it in an attempt to preserve her warmth from the slightly chilly morning.
Evelyn smiled to herself and quickly opened the door; she walked over to the sleeping girl, kneeling down and gently shook her. "Atsuko-chan," She called softly. "It's morning. It's time for you to wake up now." The pile under the blanket grumbled, and stubbornly curled under the blanket even tighter than before.
Evelyn sighed. She tried again. "Atsuko-chan, do you remember what day it is today?"
"Meh . . .?" Atsuko stirred.
"That's right," Evelyn nodded comfortingly. "What day is it, Atsuko-chan?"
"Mm . . ." The girl sat up; while some strands stuck to her face (due to the drool), most of it stood up in a mess. She yawned, one hand covering her mouth, the other stretching in the air lazily.
"Good morning, Atsuko-chan." Evelyn said again, giving her a smile.
"Ugh . . ." The girl continued to stretch. "Morning, Auntie . . ."
"Atsuko-chan, could you answer my question?"
"Mm? Why?" Another yawn was added at the end of the sentence.
"Think really hard Atsuko-chan." Was her answer.
The girl paused, her rosy eyes narrowing in thought. Then, they lit up in recognition.
"Oh!" The girl clapped her hands cheerfully, a smile already breaking out onto her face. "Today's my birthday!"
"That's right," Her aunt laughed as Atsuko launched herself at her for a hug. "Happy birthday, Atsuko-chan."
They both laughed together. As they did, an unnoticed trail of black Rukh flew by.
A silhouette watched them silently before disappearing.
"Have a fun day, Atsuko-chan!" Her aunt waved.
"I will!" The girl grinned, waving back. "I promise to be careful!"
Evelyn continued to smile and wave, watching the girl until she went inside one of her friend's house. When the girl was out of sight, Evelyn's smile dropped, and she lowered her hand, sighing slightly.
She quickly turned and headed inside, shivering slightly.
'Why was it suddenly so cold?' She wondered. 'And . . .' She raised an arm up to clench itself at her chest. 'What is this awful feeling?'
She shook her head to nobody in particular. Now was not the time to be thinking. She needed to head to the town's market now.
She quickly grabbed the usual straw basket they used for groceries, and grabbed a small wool scarf. She wrapped the scarf around her neck and stepped out of the house, walking along the path that lead to the town.
She didn't seem to notice that in the shadows, something in the air wavered, and split; one went towards the direction where Atsuko went to, the other, silently following the woman.
"Excuse me." She quickly brushed past the bustling shoppers, offering quick apologies on her way. "Sorry."
She walked north of the bazaar, looking over her shoulder every once and a while; for some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something wrong . . .
Her anxiety increased, and she quickened her pace, wanting to head to her destination quickly so that she could go back to where Atsuko was.
Her brown eyes seemed relieved as she saw what she was heading for; a small brown shop. She quickly walked up to it, opened the door, and entered. As she did so, the smell of paper and ink entered her nose. She breathed in it pleasantly, relaxing her nerves for just a bit.
"Ah, Evelyn," Evelyn turned to see an old lady look up from reading a book. She had small light reading glasses perched on top of her nose, and her mouth crinkled as she gave her a smile. "Welcome. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Chika-san," She greeted her politely. She looked around. "Yes, it truly has."
"I heard that it's Atsuko-chan's birthday today," Chika took off her glasses.
"It is." Evelyn answered.
"I see," The middle-aged woman paused. "How old is she?"
"She's turned five years old today, Chika-san."
"She's already getting big." She chuckled.
"It's happening too fast for my liking." Evelyn sighed.
"Well, it always happens sometime," Chika supplied helpfully. "It's a parent's duty to watch their child grow, and prepare them for their future in the world."
"Yes . . . That is true," Evelyn smiled and nodded. "I suppose you're right."
Chika smiled. Then, she turned serious. "I know that you didn't come here for a conversation, or parental advice, did you?"
Evelyn sighed. Straight to the point. "No; it's as you say."
"I see . . ." Chika turned and pulled herself off of the stool she was sitting on; she turned and headed to the left of the store, where brushes, paper and bottles of ink sat on their shelves. She kneeled down to the bottom, and selected a rather big bottle. She took it over to the counter, and wrapped it in paper and elastic, handing it to Evelyn; the woman took it silently, slipping it into her basket.
"I can't thank you enough for this Chika-san."
"Please," She waved her hand dismissively. "You don't have to say anything; Mikoto-sama helped me and my family in our time of need; it's only natural that we do the same for you and Atsuko-chan."
Evelyn hesitated. "Still . . ."
"Don't worry about it Evelyn," The middle-aged woman reached out and patted her shoulder. "All you have to do is be there for Atsuko-chan."
Evelyn's eyes became determined. "Of course."
"Right then," Chika smiled. "Just remember . . . Sometimes, you will need to let go over your children and family earlier than expected, whether you're ready to or not. When that time comes, my advice to you is to support Atsuko-chan wholly. She will need someone to turn to, you know."
Evelyn hesitated, before nodding. "I will."
"Good. Do tell her I wish her happy birthday."
"I'll be sure to pass the message along." She promised. Then, she went over to the back. When she came back, she held three books regarding different subjects; one was of poetry, the other of philosophy, and the other was a story book.
Chika noticed the story book, and she chuckled. "The Adventures of Sinbad? I never knew that you were interested in books like these."
Evelyn flushed slightly in embarrassment. "It's not like that Chika-san! It's for Atsuko-chan; she's been getting bored again lately. I thought I'd surprise her with a gift."
"How nice of you." She smiled as Evelyn handed her the need money. Evelyn took the three books, and placed them into her basket with care.
"Have a good day, Evelyn." Chika called out, waving.
"You too, Chika-san!" Evelyn said back, smiling. "Next time, I'll bring Atsuko-chan with me. Thank you again, and please take care!" With that, she exited the store.
Evelyn took a deep breath; going to Chika-san's store and talking with her always helped her; Chika-san always knew how she felt, and offered her advice when she was unsure.
Feeling better, Evelyn quickly headed back to the path home, books and the hidden bottle of ink tucked securely into the basket.
A shadow moved discretely before vanishing.
A priest waved his metal staff; he flew into the air, the veil covering his face flapping wildly. A trail of black Rukh followed him; no one else from the market seemed to notice. As he flew, he got a high view of the town, mainly the view of a stone house where a girl and her guardian were laughing as they ate cookies together.
He waited for only a moment; a second priest soon joined him, coming from behind the shadows of their house. Like the first, black Rukh followed him up to the sky.
" . . . So?" The first priest spoke.
" . . . It is as Gyokuen-sama says." The second confirmed.
"Then? What shall we do?" The first priest gestured to the house down below. "I have been tailing her guardian all day. She bought nothing but books and ink."
"Books . . . and ink?" The second mused. "But no brushes? That would make it a bit harder to write with . . ."
"True . . ." The first nodded. "I thought of it odd myself. But I have my suspicions."
"And your suspicions are true." A woman's voice rang out. The black Rukh fluttered wildly.
"Gyokuen-sama . . ." The two priests turned to the direction of the east.
"The woman does not merely buy ink on a whim," The woman continued. "She must have some sort of purpose for it. The two of you will continue to gather evidence for me. When I deem that it is enough, you two will return and present it to His Majesty."
"Understood." The two priests bowed.
"Now go . . ." The woman raised a clenched hand, sleeve covering her malicious smile. "For the sake of our mission." She removed her hand from her mouth, and unclenched the limb to reveal more black Rukh.
Her eyes darkened as she watched them. "For our Father."
She turned to watch the darkening sky, with the stars beginning to peak out. She chuckled to herself. "Really, that foolish old lady thought she could fool me . . ." Her eyes shone with dark amusement.
"How idiotic; I always, always find out."
. . . Yes, I ended it as a cliffhanger.
Do not be mad. All will be revealed in due time.
Now, for those of you who have your ideas, go ahead and write them down in the review box. I won't say anything until the next chapter, so you're free to think as you wish. Brownie points to whoever can figure it out! ;)
A word of warning to everybody: I may or may not be able to update next week! This month will be very busy for me; I currently have multiple quizzes/tests/exams that I must study for, and I must choose the classes I want to take for next year. Next month will also be another test month. This is the busiest time of year during school for me! During this time, I'd like to ask everybody to please bear with me; I will try my best to continue updating, at least once a week, but I will be uncertain as to when.
Got any questions? Confusions you want to clear up? Comments? Feedback? If so, please PM me; I'd be happy to clear everything you have in mind up.
Please review!
Thanks for reading guys!
~kani-leek-lover