Thanks to everyone for waiting! The Prince is more well-rested now. By the way, that contest I mentioned a few chapters ago is over. Thanks to those that participated! *^*/
The bells chimed as they lowered Catarrhina's casket into the ground. Everyone was wearing black, even the four girls who did not even live there. It would have made Iris terribly upset, since she had actually known Catarrhina, so the Marine forced Alice into a nice little black dress. The ceremony was long, and dragged out, because so many villagers were sobbing their eyes out, telling various stories about past experiences with the person in question. Alice wanted to scream. They had been able to spend as much time with Catarrhina as they wanted! Even now, if they wanted to see her, they could just visit her grave! It really grated Alice's nerves how much mortals took for granted.
But that doesn't mean Alice hates mortals, not at all; quite the opposite actually. Alice loved mortals with all her little pink heart, but at the same time, Alice wished for the extinction of mankind from the bottom of her pitch black soul.
The priest's long, boring sermon-thing came to an end. ". . .Now, let us pray that Catarrhina will ascend untroubled to the heavens and rest in peace."
The large crowd dispersed, everyone going back towards their normal lives, but with heavy hearts. Mayor Laria was comforting his wife, who was an emotional wreck. Marine rolled her eyes at the waterworks. These rich ladies sure do know how to cry.
Sheila felt bad that she had slept through most of the uncovering of Catarrhina's dead body, as well as the preparation for the burial. She hadn't known her for long, but Sheila had at least figured out that Catarrhina was a pleasant girl. Seriously, she had green hair! Of course she was a nice girl!
Alice twiddled her thumbs, deciding to play her role as the little child. The seconds were ticking by, and she was stuck in this stupid town, instead of being on the Starflight Express, well on her way back to the Observatory. She did not like this. Not at all. Sadness, regret, misery, blah blah blah. Stupid human emotions, I have no need for them. Just gotta keep on moving forward, keep going towards my one true goal... but I do feel bad for these people. Catarrhina must have been a ray of sunshine for this town.
Alice was pulled out of her reverie by the sudden weight of Stella leaning on her head. She tilted her head up to look into Stella's irritated face.
"What's wrong, Stella?" Alice hummed softly, so as not to attract the attention of the few people hanging around (not to mention her fellows).
"Look at this! The mood is so flappin' gloomy, I doubt we'll be gettin' any benevolessence! So much for the hard work us gals put in savin' this town! Nobody has even thanked us, let alone given us a reward." Stella sighed, and turned back into the pink ball of light, hiding back into Alice's pocket.
Alice looked around, and noticed that she was suddenly all by herself. Where did everyone go?...Why didn't the girls tell me anything?
Pausing, Alice figured that the girls had probably told her, but she had been too busy stewing in her own thoughts that she hadn't realized they were talking to her. Besides, it's not like Alice couldn't make her way around town to the inn by herself, but... damn them for abandoning her. They should have made sure she was listening. Haven't they been paying any attention to her at all?
Sighing, Alice took off her bandana, tying it around her neck instead, and mussed up her hair. She was rather frustrated with her conflicting emotions, they were never consistent. She couldn't quite recall the last time her feelings had been her own, it had been so long since that happened.
Getting away from that subject, Alice realized that it was getting dark out, and was about to go to the inn to rest for the night, when she noticed something... odd. It wasn't odd for her, but it would have been odd for any random little girl. Standing right over her own grave, was Catarrhina, in all of her innocent glory.
"...Catarrhina, what are you doing?" Alice spoke in a normal voice, since there was nobody else outside at this hour.
Catarrhina giggled, "Well... oops, hehe! I appear to be dead... W-wait a minute. You can see me, Alice?!"
Alice nodded, making Catarrhina squeal. "Oooh! That's so amazing! You did look a little... different, but I never, not even in my wildest dream, would have guessed you could see ghosts!"
"Well... I'm a Celestrian. It's my job, sort of."
Catarrhina gasped exaggeratedly, "Wow! Does that mean you're here to bring me to heaven?"
"I suppose so." Although I doubt it exists," Is there something you still need to do...? Like, any last regrets, or something?"
"...You see," Catarrhina sighed, "I need somebody to cheer up my Phlegmy. I hate to see him blaming himself like this, and he won't let anybody help him get better. Do you think you can help me out...?"
"Of course." These types of requests were always the most complex, but they were worth it 100% of the time. As Stella would say, this was a "flappin' good opportunity to get more benevolessence." Besides, spirits were usually more polite, since they had to depend on the Celestrian to help them. There were the rare assholes, though, just like in everyday life.
"Oh, thank you! Thank you! The first step to curing Phlegmy is to get him to come out of his musty laboratory. It's easy to get him out if I'm here, so why don't you just head down to the lab, and I'll wait for you?" Nodding, Catarrhina phased out without waiting for Alice's answer. Not like it mattered, because she had to cooperate if she wanted to get anything accomplished. Alice quickly made her way over to the laboratory, because she wanted this to only take place at night. The darker it is, the less likely people will see her talking to "herself".
Alice had arrived first, and stared at the wooden door. It was obviously going to be locked, but she was all alone, and had nothing to do, so she tried just once. Of course, it didn't budge.
"You won't have any luck doing that, Alice." Alice turned to see Catarrhina standing behind her, illuminated by the light of the lit torch. "Phlegmy will only answer the door if you use our secret knock. Do exactly as I say, okay?" Catarrhina gives Alice a detailed description of how to knock.
Immediately after the last knock, Alice could hear movement from the inside. Phlegming was probably killing himself, tripping over his own two feet to get to the door.
"Catarrhina? Catarrhina, is that you?!" Phlegming burst through the door, and looked around frantically. Alice felt bad for him, still holding onto a small fraction of hope that his lovely wife was still alive. Phlegming quit freaking out, and looked down at Alice, "...Was that... Was that you knocking like that, Alice?"
Alice noddedly solemnly, and Phlegming proceeded to smash his hand against the door in frustration. "Of all the tasteless jokes out there, mimicking Catarrhina's special knock...! Don't do that! What kind of things are your parents teaching you?!"
Before Phlegming could trudge back into his lab, one of those nice men with the full-viking helmets came up to the railings on the upper level by the mayor's house. "Oi! Phlegmin'!"
Phlegming turned to see the man, who waved a gloved hand at him, "Glad I caught 'ya. I've got a message for ye. Ev'ryone in Coffinwell says thanks fo' savin' us, an' all that. We sure do owe 'ya!... Oh yeah, an' we're all 'opin' you'll be back on your feet soon. We're all worried about 'ya, y'know?"
Catarrhina tapped Alice gently on the shoulder, "Alice, dear, I'd like it if you could pass on a final message to Phlegmy for me."
Phlegming narrowed his eyes in confusion as the viking man walked away, turning back to Alice, who was tugging on his coat. "...What the-?"
"Shut up and listen to me. Catarrhina wants us to go visit the victims of the plague who lived because of you." Phlegming raised an eyebrow at her. Was this little kid REALLY telling him that his dead wife wanted him to go visit people he didn't know?
"...How would you know what she wants?" Alice paused, tilting her head left and right. Well, he's definitely not going to believe that I'm a Celestrian, because I can't quite prove it at the moment. Hm... Oh!
Alice opened both her eyes, her eyelids fluttering from the lack of use. The glaring difference between her two eyes made Phlegming stagger back a few steps from the shock. "My eyes... allow me to see these types of things. Just do what the hell I say, and then your beloved wifey here can go up to heaven already."
Phlegming sighed, and shook his head, "...But, I wouldn't even know where to start. I don't know who was ill. All I was worried about was trying to one-up Father-in-law..."
And that's why mortals are the dumbest species imaginable. So stupid and selfish, not minding the downfalls of others, as long as they get what they want. Alice sighed at the lack of her own empathy. She was mildly taken by surprise when Phlegming clamped his hands on her petite shoulders, staring at her with a shocking intensity she hadn't expected from a mortal.
"...Alice, I need you to take me to see the people who were ill." Alice glanced at Catarrhina for directions, and Catarrhina nodded, guiding them towards the various houses in town where the victims lived.
The first victim was an old man, who was still lying in his bed, moaning as they walked inside. Alice stood directly beside the old man, watching him through her re-closed eyes. Phlegming was standing at the foot of the bed, being stupid as usual.
The old man kept coughing viciously, "(COUGH COUGH COUGH)... Ugh, I feel like death..."
Phlegming took another step towards the bed, standing right up against it, inspecting the man. "This can't be...! The contagion has been sealed! How can he still feel this horrible?"
Catarrhina appeared, giggling. "Oh, Alice. Can you tell him that the man's okay? He just has a cold, silly Phlegmy!"
Alice looked at Phlegming, and quietly set him straight, so as not to disturb the old man's painful sleep. Even if she didn't like them, Alice had a healthy dose of respect for old people, whether they were mortals, demons, or fellow Celestrians.
"Ah, I see... Well, that's a relief. Er, not for him, I mean. Colds are terrible."
No fucking shit. Alice rolled her eyes as they moved on to the next house.
Next was the church. Catarrhina didn't instruct this one, but Alice had visited the church before they had set out for the ruins, and several more times over the time it took to set up the funeral for Catarrhina, so she knew better. A young sister in her early twenties approached the duo once spotting Alice's little form. Her eyes widened when she saw Phlegming follow after Alice.
"Oh my! It is certainly a pleasure to see you out and about again, Dr. Phlegming! Please accept my deepest sympathies about Catarrhina... she was truly a wonderful young woman. I know your pain is many times deeper, but your fellow citizens of Coffinwell are grieving for her as well. She was loved by all, of course."
Phlegming nodded, "Of course. Everyone loved dear Catarrhina."
He took a quick glance at Alice, wondering why she had taken him there. There were no victims in sight, so why would she have stopped by the church to chat with the nun while they were in the middle of doing something rather important?
Alice tugged at the long sleeve of the sister, "Are you feeling better, sister?"
The nun laughed at Alice's childish charms, petting her on the head. "Yes, dear. My sickness disappeared when the contagion was sealed, after all. I appreciate your concern, but the Almighty looks over his children well. On a side note, that candy you gave me before you left that first day was delicious. Where did you get it?"
"I made it myself, for special occasions." Alice smiled, and handed the sister a small baggy of bright red candy shaped like little puppies. The sister thanked Alice, and waved at them as they exited the church.
Next was a house on the house side of town. Phlegming knocked on the door softly, not wanting to wake up the victims if they were resting. A blonde man in his late thirties opened up the door, smiling brightly when he realized that it was Phlegming at the door. There were deep bags under the man's eyes, indicating that he hadn't slept in quite a while, but he had a serene look to him.
"Dr. Phlegming! Come in, come in!" He ushered the two of them into the kitchen, handing Alice a couple of chocolate chip cookies to munch on. "I'm forever indebted to you for saving my wife and daughter."
Phlegming's eyes widened, "Your wife... and your daughter? Both of them had fallen ill?"
The man sighed deeply, "Oh yes, I had stayed up many a sleepless night, watching over them. I honestly thought I was going to lose them both in the end... but then you saved everyone! I owe you everything, and that's a fact."
Phlegming stared at him, bewildered. This man wasn't that old, so his daughter couldn't even be in her teens. Somebody that young had fallen prey to the contagion?
The man continued to thank Phlegming profusely as they exited the house quietly, making their way to the final stop. Alice needed no instructions from Catarrhina, because she had seen the victim herself walking around the inn ever since they had returned.
Alice knocked gently on the door to the room, and the door was swung wide open by a young lady in her late twenties, blonde hair flowing down her shoulders, with a bright white bow tied on top of her head, resembling a pair of bunny ears. She was wearing a tight black-and-green checkered dress, and even had a little bunny tail attached to the back of it. Her smile brightened when she saw Alice standing there, and reached down to pinch Alice's cheeks tightly, bringing the two of them inside without even asking what they were doing there.
Inside was a large double bed, where an old man in his late sixties seemed to be sleeping, snoring loudly. The woman had them sit down at the table, serving some tea and cookies.
"You're Dr. Phlegming, am I right?" Phlegming nodded, "The one who got rid of that nasty disease?"
"Er, yes, that's correct. Were you suffering from it too?" The woman squealed, and took Phlegming's hands in hers, squeezing them tightly once before releasing them.
"Ooh, thank you ever so much! I was thiiiiis close from having to kiss my Snugglelump goodbye for good! Now, I have all~ the time for kissing in the world thanks to you!" She grinned at him deviously, "Would you like a little smooch to show my appreciation?"
Phlegming stood up quickly, panicking. "N-no, no thank you! That's really not necessary!"
Catarrhina appeared next to Alice, who was taking her time robbing them of all their sweets, angered beyond comprehension. "Good grief! What does she think she's trying to pull?!" She shook her translucent fist at the girl, "Stay away from my Phlegmy with your seducing outfit and your adulterous suggestions!"
The three of them left in a hurry, returning to the laboratory. It was nearly daybreak now, and Alice wondered why none of the girls had come to fetch her by now. Did they just not notice that Alice hadn't returned?
As they made their way back to the lab, Stella reappeared, leaning on Alice's head as they walked. "...I can't imagine what it would be like to lose someone you thought you'd be with forever. Pretty flappin' horrible, I suppose..."
Alice's hand twitched violently with the urge to strangle Stella until her last breath came from those glossy lips, but managed to contain herself. Stella didn't mean anything by it, because she didn't know. Nobody knew.
Upon entering the laboratory, which was really more of a study/library type looking place, Phlegming turned to look Alice square in the eyes(eyelids?). "...I really must thank you, Alice. You've enabled me to see what Catarrhina had wanted me to understand... Everything I've ever done has always been for myself, and I hadn't given much thought to the people around me... even Catarrhina. If I had been more wary, I would have noticed how ill she was getting. I'm truly unforgivable, and I know that. I can only atone for my mistakes by doing good from now on. Walking around town today, I realized that it was actually bright, even though it was enshrouded in darkness. The people inside are what make a town lively, and I only now realized how many kind people reside in the same area as me. From now on, I'm going to strive to be a bigger part of the community."
He turned away from Alice now, and hung his head, embarrassed. "...And I must admit that it was... rather nice to be the object of so much gratitude."
Alice smiled at him, though he couldn't see it, and looked at Catarrhina, who bowed politely to Alice. "Thank you so much for helping Phlegmy come back to his senses. You've truly allowed me to see my dream come true, even if I'm no longer alive to see the results."
She looked towards Phlegming, who was now seated at his desk, studying something (the hell was he doing?); Alice following her line of sight. "...You see, it's always been my dream for the people of Coffinwell, and especially my father, to notice how wonderful Phlegmy is. He's a gentle soul, so I wanted him to be able to interact with everyone else, slowly growing to love the place as a whole. That's all I wanted."
Catarrhina's body glowed bright green, brighter than the normal green, for but a moment, before Catarrhina shook her head slightly, and the light dissipated. "...Even though I know I shouldn't be here anymore, that I've died and should be well on my way to heaven, I still feel like I'm needed here. I want to stay here with the people of Coffinwell, and wait for the day when Phlegming will join me in the afterlife."
Alice smiled softly, unable to finish the sweet girl off. She had the power to do so, even in this state, because she had fulfilled Catarrhina's last request, but... she couldn't do it. Alice understood the feeling of wanting to stay with your loved ones, so, with a light nod of the head, Alice allowed it.
Phlegming (and Catarrhina) had walked Alice back to the inn, apologizing for keeping her up so late. Iris had answered the door when Phlegming had knocked, and was surprised to see him standing there, but beamed at him when she saw Alice standing there. Even if she had only known Alice for but a small amount of time, she knew Alice had a mysterious effect on people, and judging by the look on Phlegming's face, he had no more troubles from Catarrhina's death.
. . .
The next day/a few hours later, everyone was much more upbeat, because Phlegming had come out of his self-confinement. He had set up a small school for the children of the town, and even managed to get that nice viking man from earlier to join, because apparently he needed the schooling.
As for the girls, they were summoned to the Mayor's house. Alice was still snoozing peacefully, so Marine and Sheila went, Iris staying behind to watch Alice sleep.
Stella flapped her wings enthusiastically, gracing them with her presence, but forgetting that Sheila could see&hear her at the same time, "Oh, look at all the benevolessence! Alice HAS to be due for some kind of promotion, making all these people so flappin' happy! She's quite the high flyer, no mistake about it!... Oh wait... Heh, I'm lucky she's not here to hear me say that this one time."
When they entered the study of the mayor, Marine were surprised to see that Mayor Laria was buried into even more manuscripts than before, even though it wasn't incredibly necessary.
Again, he was muttering things, "...Let's see here... is this a Guardian? And this... is it supposed to be a falling star? If that's so, then this should be... a flower of some sort. Oh, this is so confusing! I give up."
Marine cleared her throat, making the mayor jump slightly, giving them his full attention. "Ah, Marine!... I, er, just thought I'd try taking a shot at reading one of these old things, seeing as I have numerous shelves full of them. You see, Phlegming stopped by here a few moments ago, you just missed him. He was blubbering about some nonsense like regretting his past actions, and such. As if that wasn't enough of a bother, he then suddenly asked if he could borrow all of my old manuscripts! I was speechless! The nerve of him!"
Pausing for a moment, the mayor dug into a particularly messy pile of papers, "Come to think of it, I still haven't rewarded you ladies for acting as hiss bodyguards, have I? Hold on one moment, I put it around here somewhere... ah! Here it is!"
He pulled out a box, and handed it over to Marine. "It's not much, but we truly appreciate you gals. This is for that little girl of yours, I'm certain that it'll suit her."
The two of them left the mansion, and opened the box. Inside was a bright red headband, with a lone white-and-green feather sticking out in the center of it. Returning to the inn, they found Iris dressed in her usual attire, and Alice standing around in her weird old clothing made out of the strangest material. Alice was unusually upbeat today, even for her, but only Stella could semi-figure out the reason.
Alice would finally be able to return to the Observatory.
It's not long now...
I don't care what anyone else says! That nun was sick as hell!