"...Wait a minute...where am I?
The air was crisp, cool, and fresh. It was full of strange and wonderful smells, some sweet and some strong.
Kid opened his eyes, light flooding into them. He winced, shielding his face with his arms. When he opened his eyes again, he looked up slowly and cautiously.
He gasped.
When he opened his eyes to see where he was, the only thing he saw was beauty.
Land. Land as far as the eye could see. Trees in almost absurd amounts dotted the surrounding field he was standing in. Large, gigantic rocky hills rose proudly on the horizon, long streams cut through the land flawlessly.
Small, tiny birds flew above him, chirping happily. Strange, four legged animals ran by him, prancing happily. The wind was blowing gently to his back, causing his ebony hair to flow gently.
"...What is this place?" Kid asked, currently wishing he had multiple sets of eyes to look around him.
"I've… I've never seen land this magnificent or vast before…" he whispered, gazed forward. When he tried to step forward, his foot never left the ground. Almost like he was glued to the stop he was on.
"Wait. What?" he looked down, trying to unstick himself from the grassy plain. But no matter how hard he pulled, he couldn't dislodge himself. The world around him suddenly began to fade, pieces of it fading and disappearing into black nothingness.
"Wait! WAIT NO!" he cried, pulling on his legs. But the darkness only spread, soon engulfing him and sending him plummeting. Kid screamed, feeling the air rush past him faster then he was comfortable with.
He was falling. Faster, faster, FASTER!
"AAUGHH!"
Kid shot up. Sweat dripped down his forehead and body, his chest rising and falling with each panicked gasp he took. His head whipped around, trying to figure out where he was,
He was in his room, the moon hanging in the sky.
Kid placed a hand to his chest, trying to regulate his breathing pattern. What was that? Where was he? Was that all...just a dream?
He swung his legs over the side of his bed, placing his feet onto the cool wooden ground. He held up his hand. He was shaking.
Why? Why was he afraid? Or was it something else? He shook his head, the tiredness falling back on him. He laid back down, trying to relax. He stared at the ceiling, his mind racing.
What was that place? That vast land with no end in sight. Strange animals, and the sky was only above him. Not below.
Was that...the Surface?
Kid sighed, running his hands through his hair. First a dream about his old teacher telling him about it, now a dream about what he believed it looked like. Why was this happening to him? And now of all times! His wedding was tomorrow, he needed to be focused on getting all of that ready!
He rolled over onto his stomach, pulling the blanket back over him and curling into fetal position.
He really needed to sleep.
"The Surface?"
Morning had risen. Kid was currently sitting in the dining room, waiting for his breakfast to be delivered to him. Liz was sitting at his left, eyes full of shock when Kid revealed his dream of the previous night.
"Yes. At least I think… the land was much too large to large to be an island. And there was no sky below me, just grass and dirt. It looked just like my old teacher described…" he sighed. Liz hung her head in thought.
"That's interesting your majesty. I've never heard of someone having a dream and seeing the surface before. I mean, your dad told me about it when I asked, but he never described what it looked like. I've never heard of that before…"
"Neither have I."
Tsubaki had just exited the kitchen, carrying two plates in hand. She placed one in front of Liz and the other in front of Kid.
"Thank you Tsubaki. You know we do have cooks here? You don't have to cook my food," Kid picked up a fork and cut a bit of the egg. Tsubaki only smiled.
"I know that. But I've seen you my prince. You like my cooking a bit better than the other chefs. And besides, I love cooking for my friends," she chirped. Kid smiled fondly, nodding.
"It's true. Nothing tops your cooking," he confessed, Maka nodding with a mouth full of bread.
"Oi! Tsubaki! Want me to clean up in here?" Patty stuck her head from behind the kitchen door and yelled. Tsubaki spun around, a look of panic on her face.
"N-No that's ok! I can clean it up!" she ran into the kitchen, fussing when Patty ignored her and got to cleaning the mess. She only laughed from off to the side.
"Goodness, such a fuss you two are." Kid sighed. Liz laughed in response.
"But that's what makes us fun. I'm surprised you chose maids of our background as well. We used to cause trouble all over the island, but you scooped us up and allowed us to work for you. According to Lord Death, you're one of the most flexible princes we've had," she explained. Kid shrugged, remembering the first time he met them. The two had broken into the castle to steal some goods, but got caught red-handed by him. Instead of reporting them however, he saw some potential in them, and hired them to work for him.
Right after that, Patty and Tsubaki walked out of the kitchen, holding their own plates of food. They all sat down, Tsubaki at Kid's right and the Patty on her sister's left.
"So Princey, you had another dream last night?" Patty asked, digging into her food. Kid nodded.
"Yes. I was in some… strange land. The ground was almost never ending. Trees were everywhere, endless amounts. A longest river I've ever seen, longer than the city, was stretching through the land. And huge rocky hills were rising over the horizon, some with white tops too. Strange animals ran past me, and the tiniest birds I've ever seen were flying by me, and they were smaller than my hand. Honestly, it looked a lot like the Surface my teacher described to me when I was younger," he explained. The others all looked at him with awe.
"That sounds amazing. To have a dream with that much detail. Must've been beautiful," Tsubaki whispered in amazement. Kid sighed, nodding slowly.
"It was. The most beautiful place I've ever seen. Honestly, I wouldn't mind actually going there," he laughed. The girls all nodded, some laughing with him, others smiling.
The door to the dining room opened, three girls standing in the doorway.
The room went silent.
"Your majesty? What are you doing associating yourself with your servants?" the blonde one of these girls scoffed. The other two girls looked at her worriedly, hoping she wouldn't cause and make a scene again.
Kid's eyes narrowed dangerously. The three other girls that had walked in were nobles. One of them was his fiance, and thank everything it wasn't the one that just spoke.
"Anastasia Yngling. I would appreciate it greatly with you didn't call them my servants. I've told you this many times before and I would like it if you obeyed this one rule I've given you while around me. Now, all that aside, what do you need of me?" he asked.
The second noble skipped up, smiling.
"We came for breakfast of course!" she cheered. Kid nodded, making eye contact with the third and final girl.
"Tsugumi...good morning," he stood from his chair, giving a small bow.
The girl, or Tsugumi, flushed darkly and nodded. She returned the bow.
"G-Good morning my p-prince…" she looked away, embarrassed to be around him. Liz noticed this action and laughed.
"Wow, for being his fiance and everything, you don't seem to keen on looking at him~" she teased. Tsugumi gasped, blushing darker.
"N-No! That's not it! I just...ummm…Meme help me!" she clung to the girl with short, brunette hair. Meme patted her head, giggling. However, the blonde Anastasia, glared at Liz.
"How dare you! Mocking Tsugumi! The nervousness of getting married to a prince is stressful! Someone of commoner blood like yours should show some-"
"Excuse me! Let's not fight! Anastasia, please do not snap at my friend. And Liz… please don't make comments like that."
Kid shared a glance with Liz, showing her that he understood where she came from and wasn't really mad. The blonde haired maid smiled, winking at him as the other three girls came to sit down. They waited patiently for the other cooks in the kitchen to bring their food, Anya eyeing Tsubaki.
"Prince, your secretary cooks your food for you and you seem to enjoy it. Might I-"
"No."
Liz snorted her drink, pounded her chest and laughing when Kid cut her off before her sentence was even finished. Anya looked shocked, appalled that Kid wouldn't let Tsubaki cook for her. Meme, however, sensed the tension and waved.
"So my Prince, how did you sleep?" she asked. Kid shrugged, turning back to his food.
"Fine I guess. Had a dream about the Surface, but other than that, all fine well and dandy." He smirked as the three looked at him with shock. Tsugumi spoke up, her voice nervous but louder then when she got in.
"The Surface? The place in the old story for children?" she asked. Kid looked up, his gaze deadpan and unwavering. Tsugumi leaned back nervously, afraid she asked the wrong question. But Kid nodded.
"Yes, that one. The only Surface we know of." he answer, taking a bite of his food. Anya huffed, nodding to the chef that brought her food.
"Prince, with all due respect, that place doesn't exist. Having a dream about it may be a bad sign for your health."
Kid's eye twitched, staring up at the blonde haired noble with an angry stare. Before he could say anything else, Patty piped up, crossing her arms.
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with him! He just had a dream about the time his teacher told him about it, there's nothing wrong with it, so be quiet!"
Anya took great offense to that retort, gasping dramatically and dropping her fork.
"How DARE you! Talking to me like that! You're nothing but a lowly peasant, dirty and low funded! I'm shocked the Prince took you and your filthy sister in at all! If I were in charge, I would've had you thrown off the island faster then you could say-"
"ENOUGH!"
The ones gathered at the table all jumped when Kid suddenly slammed his hands onto the table, his eyes glowing menacingly. He glared at Anastasia.
"I'm going to make one thing simple for you. If they are sitting at the same table as me, eating with me, and exchanging dreams of the previous night, they are just as noble as you! I will NOT tolerate hearing the girls I hold close being put down by ANYBODY! Not even my father. If you have a problem with them, you have a problem with me. And if this is the case, then I suggest you leave."
Silence.
"Tsugumi, I apologize for snapping in your presence. I suggest going to the spa and relaxing for a bit. The nerves seem to be wearing on you rather fiercely. Meme, please escort her, I'll have the cooks bring her a meal to eat while there," Kid ordered, Meme nodding.
"Sure thing Prince. Come on Tsugumi, let's get you all relaxed," she lead Tsugumi out, who was clearly shaken up. Anastasia walked close behind them, her eyes low.
Once the door closed, Kid sunk back into his chair and let out a screech.
"WHY CAN'T ANYTHING BE SIMPLE WITH THOSE THREE!?" he yelled, slamming his head onto the table. Tsubaki began rubbing his back while Tsubaki cleared the space so that he wouldn't get anything in his hair or on his clothes.
"They're just a bit stuck up. Lucky that Tsugumi is your fiance and not that bitch Anya!" Patty cheered.
"PATTY!" Tsubaki gasped, clearly shaken up by the whole scene. Patty shrugged.
"What? Everyone's thinking it!"
Kid laughed, raising his head up and smiling.
"Yes. I am very lucky. While I'm not too keen on getting married, a life with Tsugumi would definitely be better than one with Anastasia," he confessed. Tsubaki tilted her head in confusion.
"Not keen? You don't want to get married?" She asked. Kid sighed heavily.
"I don't know I just...don't know how to feel about her. Tsugumi is a sweetheart and a very kind soul, but I just don't feel attracted to her. I mean, I've been engaged to her since I was seven but...she's never grown on me like I have her. In all honesty, I'd rather not marry. But it's my duty as prince and future Lord, so I need to put aside my feelings and go with it…" he frowned at the end of his speech.
The others all looked at him sympathetically, some of them giving him words of comfort. Kid sat in silence, his dream on the previous night filling his mind.
That's where he wanted to be.
The place he saw in his dream. So much room to run. So much freedom. So much...everything.
Why didn't that place exists? Why was his mind playing with him when such a big moment in his life was incoming?
He hated it.
The fear and stress of getting married was really getting to him. That must of been it. Besides, tomorrow might be his wedding but nothing too dramatic would happen.
Right?
Another chapter changed! Roles were switched and I decided to add more to the diner scene with the three girls and Kid. I felt like I didn't put enough detail there, so here we are!
Next Time:
The wedding is here, and the islands couldn't be more excited! While Kid is still against it, a dream he has the previous night gets his head turning for a while. But before the 'I do's can settle in, catastrophe strikes! What does Kid do in this event, and how does it unravel?