Chapter 2A: Hopeful Reunion Chapter 1: Theater A:
(Re:Zero is owned by Tappei, not me. Hopeful Reunion is ArcherfromArnor's fanfic.)
Hopeful Reunion CH 1: 9 Years
Begin.
The screen revealed the face of a woman, laying in her bed with an arm wrapped around her hidden beneath the covers.
Her melancholic expression stared at the ceiling of her room. Her eyes were filled with tired emptyness..
"Ah…It's true…" As impossible as it seemed, a her lips seem to barely upturn as she seemed to remember something. A smile so faint that it could hardly be seen.
Still under the blankets of her bed, the woman turned her head to her right to see the back of the head of a black-haired man, still sound asleep.
"You rest, dear…" she whispered, inaudible to all but her, "I will…Go and prepare…" And thus, removing her blanket, the brown-haired woman went ahead to the kitchen and sorted several ingredients, one by one, on the table.
Milk, eggs, butter, sugar, vanilla.
Then, she grabbed her apron. The essential uniform of any housewife worthy of this name, and tied her hair into a ponytail before she began her work.
While it was true that she was nowhere near as lively as she used to be, today was one of the few days of the year she nearly managed to seem alive.
The screen freezes on the woman's face and all sounds stop.
It wasn't lost on Priscilla how similar this square was to the window she's been watching in the theater. It held many similarties to the window she saw in the theater. This window was just much smaller and more comfortable to look through.
Priscilla also understands exactly what was happening to the screen and why it was paused.
She gives a glance toward the one who's causing this viewing to halt.
"... Wha– Why did it stop?!" Subaru panics at the sudden pause. "Oi! The guy who's keeping us in this place, your crappy screen just bugged out!"
"It's not the window before us that's the problem." Priscilla tells him.
Subaru looks at her. "Why has it stopped working then? Please tell me!"
Sensing the desperation in the boy's words, the Baroness simply stared at him as she thought how best to explain it to him.
"What's taking you so long?!" Subaru urges as the desperation overtakes him. .
Priscilla's eyes glance over to the woman on the screen and back to the boy before her. "This woman. I can see you have her eyes."
"... Huh?" Subaru glances weirdly at her. This causes the princess to roll her eyes.
"Is she truly your mother?" Priscilla sighs as she asks again.
"Uh… Yeah. Sh-She's my mom." Subaru leans back on the couch, a shuddering breath escaping him. His fists were balled against his knees. "I haven't seen her… It's just been a really long time since I traveled to Lugunica and left my home."
"Mhm." Priscilla looks away, breaking her scrutunizing gaze on the boy. "Your home has many particular things that interest mineself."
Subaru's eyes turn from the floor to the lady beside him. "Uh… Thank you? I don't really know if you will ever see it… It's really far away. Can we just get to what I asked?"
"Do not be so sure," Priscilla says casually, "Mineself has taken interest in your household, you may bow in gratitude and happiness."
Subaru's face looks tired as he sighs. "I shouldn't be wasting time with you. This TV is probably malfunctioning because of poor conditions," he stands up and walks towards the device. "Probably should check the outlets in the back first though."
"It stops whenever there's a reaction to be given." Priscilla's words halt him in place.
"Uh…?"
"Your world's machine doesn't work this way?" She raises a brow which makes Subaru feel a bit confused.
"No? TV screens don't just stop if the viewers are talking or doing something else in the background. That would be extremely inconvenient." Subaru's eyes widened in sudden thought. "Hold on… How do you know what's wrong with the screen? You were brought in here after me."
"Tis simply the intuition of a goddess," she gives a haughty smirk. "Believe it or not, this situation does not concern me as much as you."
Subaru clicks his tongue against his teeth. He was annoyed at her but couldn't bring himself to debate her at this moment. He moved closer to the device, breathing growing slower as the image of his mother came closer to him.
"... No," he gives a disparaged whisper. "This isn't a normal TV… It's not connected to anything at all."
Priscilla watches as the boy fiddles at the back of the room with increasing frustration. She quietly observed the two faces of Subaru and his mother closely..
"DAMN!" Subaru cursed, going back to the couch in defeat. "... I can't fix it."
"Then you might do well to hear the words of this Goddess beside you," Priscilla advises to the glare from the boy.
"Could you just help me?! I don't care how you know about this screen anymore, just… please let me continue watching her." Subaru had his head fixated on the TV, his eyes a mess of complicated emotions..
"I shall give some charity to a commoner such as you," Priscilla pompously replies, but through her haughty persona, a hint of excitement was noticed by Subaru. "But for this kindness, you shall provide answers to what I desire."
"... A charity is supposed to be an act of compassion, you know?" Subaru sighs.
"Have I not shown compassion by giving you precious moments of mine time?" Priscilla blinks with genuine surprise.
Subaru's eyes twitch as he holds his arms up. "Whatever, I'll answer any questions you can throw at me, but you must help me through this entire thing!"
"Yes, yes. Bring yourself some closure for I do not request much from a dependent dog such as you." Priscilla points her fan at him. "Here you stand before an image of your dearest mother, yet you provide no emotional reaction after being away from her for so long. One might think that this is intentional from a commoner's part such as you."
"Are you saying that I'm hiding what I feel from seeing her?" Subaru questions, glaring at the baroness for her audacity.
Priscilla hummed and eyed the far end of the room with disinterest. "Moreso, you're being willfully ignorant of how truly devastating this should be for you."
"I don't understa–"
"You're too preoccupied with your half-wit master and those so-called-friends to lower your guard." Priscilla quickly turns to him. "Relax your shoulders and watch this with your feelings on your sleeve. That is the only way to get answers from this viewing. 'Tis understandable for you to have questions."
"... I don't know why Mom suddenly showed up." Subaru looks down at the little girl beside him and Priscilla. His eyes were cloudy and riddled with guilt. "I thought she would never show up in my life again. I shouldn't have been able to see her again, I—"
He gave himself a moment of quietness, stifling a sniffle. "I-It's whatever, doesn't concern you." He said, trying to hold back the emotions that welled up inside him..
Priscilla huffed in annoyance at the pathetic attempt to remain prideful in front of her. It was clear to her from the start that the boy wanted to cry his eyes out since the woman appeared. She must've been a wonderful mother to him if an image of her was this effective.
"Huh… Where am I?"
Her frown deepened at the ridiculous attempt from the boy.
"What is this place?"
It wasn't about hiding one's pride or showing too much emotion.
"I promise… I'll save you…"
It was about what he sacrificed to gain this small moment of relief, of seeing his mother and old world once again. And yet he's kept his emotions hidden in order to not disrespect his conditioning from the days he spent with the half-elf.
"So this is an impossibility for you. You've completely given up on going back home and dropped any hope of seeing that woman again." Priscilla states while turning her eyes away.
Subaru would've noticed a fire inside of her ruby-eyes if he could look up from his knees.
He sighed and allowed his nerves to relax. At the moment, only the screen mattered.
"Ok… Let's try doing this your way." He muttered.
His eyes widened again when the screen began to continue the scene.
The screen cuts to show the sun rising, singling hours of work had been done by the woman. The scene cuts back to her as she was still in the middle of her cooking, she heard footsteps coming closer, and slowly she raised her head to meet with the black-haired man.
"Good morning dear. I hope you slept well." She whispered to him, his eyes widening as he perceived the slight, bright tone in her voice.
"Ah…It's this day of the year isn't it…" He sighed as he smiled, looking at the calendar.
"I see you're already on it." He laughed, but it was hollow, "still an early bird aren't you."
Walking towards his wife, he gently took her hand into his as he caressed her back in a soothing manner.
"Is there anything I can do?" He asked her.
"I have already done most of it," she replied as she turned to him. "It should be ready any minute now."
"Man… What is with this depressing atmosphere?" Subaru couldn't help himself but ask, pausing the screen again. "Why is it so suffocating to watch this… Shouldn't you be doing backflips or something to startle her, dad?"
Priscilla takes one look at the boy and recognizes the denial in his eyes immediately.
"Your parents are clearly suffering from the empty space in their household." Priscilla clicks her tongue at him. "But sure. Blame them or the world around them for any change you might notice. It's not as if you were worth anything in their eyes."
Subaru turns away from her, keeping his mouth shut as he did so. Priscilla burned the back of his head with her gaze.
"I don't see why we are watching all of this," he chokes out. "Mom and dad wouldn't be this deflated… not for this long. I know for a fact that they will move on from my absence and be happy again. That's just how strong they are."
Priscilla's pitying look pierced through the boy. "You have such cruel eyes for your family. Mine eyes can tell me that this is truly not the case." She points at the screen with a look of contempt. "Have as much fun trying to ignore it… But these two are clearly damaged because of you."
"I'm not ignoring anything!" Subaru slams a fist on the couch's handle. Priscilla ignores his outburst and looks at the screen again with a cold expression. The boy stayed silent, ruminating on his feelings.
And just as she pronounced those words, the distinct sound resonated from the oven, noticing them that the preparation was over.
"This is a bell that indicates our cooking is done." Subaru explains to no response. He hoped for a less cold attitude but she refused to give him any attention.
He looked disappointed. His eyes turned back to the window and widened as soon as he realized what was about to happen.
"Mom no!" He shouts at the screen, making Priscilla glance at the little girl for a moment to see if she awoke from her stupor.
Turning around with a rare humming, she bent over as she opened the hot oven before she was stopped in her tracks by her husband.
"Hey…!" He grabbed her arm, pulling her away.
Noticing her troubled eyes before his alarming expression, he quickly continued.
"Gloves…You forgot to put on your gloves…"
"Ah…You are right." She replied her voice monotone despite her husband's panicked state, putting on the big kitchen glove.
As he watched over his wife getting ready to grab her cooking, he couldn't help but wince in pain again.
"Is your mother that airheaded?" Priscilla scoffs at the idiotic action the woman was about to take, smart enough to understand exactly what was about to happen had the woman's skin come to contact with the hot metal.
"... Not that badly, no." Subaru surprisingly didn't deny the statement about his mother, too preoccupied with his father's face to answer the royal's insult sufficiently. "Mom's usually a great cook…"
Priscilla glares at him as his voice trails off without a hint of conviction to what he was saying. He knew what was wrong. He knew it perfectly well. He just refused to acknowledge the reason.
"It is ready." She whispered, it was so soft the man had to strain his ears to hear it..
Pulling him out of his thoughts, she had in her hands a perfectly cut slice of a vanilla cake with a strawberry on top…And a candle.
"It looks really good." He forced out, his voice weak.. His breahting hoarse as he battled with all of his mind to keep his tears in.
Smiling, his wife began to slowly walk towards the living room, then turn to go into another room situated opposite of the living room, followed by her husband, to a shelf on which was several familial pictures, golden medals, and drawings.
Slowly, she placed the plate on the shelf before the most prominent photo, showing the woman on the left, her husband on the right…And a young black-haired boy in the middle.
As he began to cry, he slowly wrapped his arms around his wife, who leaned closer in his embrace, both looking towards the shelf and the photo.
"Happy birthday…Subaru."
"How ignorant can one be to their own family?" Priscilla scoffs without a hint of remorse. Her eyes held a poisonous amount of anger and disdain for the entire scene.
"Just… Leave it alone."
Priscilla heard him sniffle behind his hands. She saw that he held both palms up to his face. A deafening silence surrounded him, no sign of emotion was heard or seen from his side of the couch.
He remained covered to the world, and possibly to himself.
Pity filled Priscilla once again at the sight, instead of her usual blinding rage for the pathetic display. She supposed that her previous experiences with viewing his story made her a lot more understanding to people's situations.
She knew he had no power over his transport. She wasn't so unfair as to blame everything on him. The boy was probably watching his parents trying to cope with his disappearance and blaming himself for everything already. One didn't need to be a genius to figure out that he was guilt ridden to the point he could drown in it.
Priscilla observed the frozen image of the two crying adults, her eyes reflecting a hint of emotion.
"You were correct, fool," her soft voice was barely picked up by Subaru. She didn't sound at all as snarky as she seemingly always was. "These two have incredible courage and strength."
He was too distraught to notice the sincerity behind her words, or maybe he didn't care that she was approving of his family right now. Regardless, all Priscilla got was a small nod from the boy.
She sighed, understanding what must be done.
Slowly, she stood up, careful not to wrinkle her dress, and swiftly moved the little sleeping angel from between them to take her place on the couch. Priscilla looked at the little girl for a second, wondering if this girl had any family of her own that waited for her with such open hearts like the boy's parents.
"It shall all be answered soon…" Priscilla sighs and returns to her task at hand. She plopped on the couch, right next to the boy.
He remained hunched down, elbows resting on his knees as his hands covered his face, as if to hide himself from the world..
The Baroness was interested in his reactions so she quickly wrapped an arm around his shoulder, and pulled him towards her.
"H-Huh?"
She smoothly moved herself back, letting them both sink into the couch as she hugged him tightly.
Subaru offered no resistance, his hands fell when he was pushed to rest his head on Priscilla's shoulder. He had to admit that the lady smelled really nice. There was an air of warmth that exploded around him once she took initiative to touch his shoulder.
His eyes found hers when he looked upwards. She stared down at him with a look of half-lidded eyes and thin lips. He couldn't read such a look. Was it boredom that her expression wore? Was it disinterest?
"Do not hide yourself from me. This pride of yours is unsalvageable, so cry your heart out."
He couldn't understand what she was saying to him. Leaning more into her tight hold, Subaru cannot seem to find her typical mocking tone in her voice or her usualy haughty expression. Priscilla was being genuine.
"Consider yourself blessed, this divine goddess will ignore any tears you wipe on her dress, this is a truly fortunate occasion for you indeed."
Subaru couldn't help but burst into a fit of chuckles which quickly turns into heartfelt laughter as he leans more into her shoulder.
But over time his warm soft laughter derailed into small whimpers and sobs. As the boy cried into her shoulder Priscilla began toying with the boy's hair while patting him in comfort. She didn't rest her chin on the boy's head but kept held on to his shoulderwith her arm and allowing him to stick to her side to the point he was half sitting on her leg.
She had to admit that she enjoyed the warmth brough from close contact with this commoner..
The hairs on his head became her toys as she passed the time counting and dishelving them. One by one, she touched and whirled his hair in different places, finding the act very amusing and soothing for herself.
After a few minutes Subaru gradually calmed down. Eventually he managed to stabilize his breathing and wipe away his tears but his tired eyes still remained red, seemingly on the verge of bursting into tears once again..
Priscilla said nothing once the boy leaned away from her touch. He sat up, foregoing the warmth both of them felt for a much colder position where he was on the edge of the couch, away from her.
"I'm sorry for all of that…" His hoarse voice choked out. He continued to rub his eyes as he continued. "I-It's just been a while since I've…"
"How long have you been away from your family?" Priscilla questioned as she crossed her legs and looked at the back of his head.
"A year and a few months now," his tired voice answered, "that's the amount of time I've spent in Lugunica since…"
He trails off into silence, continueing to hide his face from her. Priscilla opens her fan and waves it.
"Since you were taken from your world."
"..." Subaru glances at her with surprise.
"Have you forgotten the precious moments this goddess gave you?" Priscilla hummed expectantly, giving him a moment to think.
"I don't follow."
"Hmph!" She gives him a scathing glare which causes him to flitch. "I wouldn't be surprised if you lost the memory of our fated reunion. That day was one to forget after the humiliation you placed upon yourself."
"... There's only one situation that resembles that…" Subaru sniffled again, clearing his nose and rubbing his eyes, attempting to get a better grip on his emotions. "Oh wait… We did meet before the royal selection—"
"'Tis correct. You'd have never come to disappoint your half-elf had it not been for my kindness, in fact."
"Don't be so proud!" Subaru bites back with an annoyed look, "that situation caused me great deals of trauma and PTSD!"
Priscilla simply blinked. "Hm? I don't recall making you cause such a grand spectacle ending with yourdefeat under the expertise of a royal knight."
"Stop saying it like that!" Subaru hid his head between folded knees and raised arms. "It was a moment of haste and teenage fantasy!"
"It was boring and sad." Priscilla mercilessly countered. "The half-wit really managed to impress me when she realized how damaging it was for you to stay attached to her."
Subaru dropped his arms, his saddned stare meeting the floor. "Emilia really did choose right… I was unbearable huh."
"Fufufu~ Had it been me you embarrassed in such a manner, your head would have decorated the carpets of that hall."
"Ok, that's a bit grim." Subaru grimaces as the lady swings her foot to uncross her leg through her laughter. "I'm a bit uneasy with this subject. But I wouldn't be fair if I blamed you for that day," he caught her attention with the sad smile he gave. "I'm thankful you decided to help me get to Emilia back then. I wouldn't have found out Al was like me if we hadn't talked on our way to the castle. In the carriage."
"Ah, so you do remember the blessings my gracious heart bestowed!" Priscilla boasts with a smug grin, finally making him remember. "'Tis correct. I know you're beyond our world and so does my knight, Al."
"Yeah, I forgot about a lot of what happened that day… I choose to focus on what came after it personally." Subaru gave another smile to the lady, weak and tired one but one that finally seemed truly happy.
Priscilla's expression turned sour, to his surprise.
"Eh?"
"'Tis nothing to worry about." Priscilla sighs and looks away. "Do not fret over such trivial mistakes."
Subaru takes a moment to mentally go over the conversation, searching for anything that would cause the baroness to act in such a way. "What's going on with you? Since when are you so chatty and worried about others?"
"Foolish boy," Priscilla's pityfilled look meets his, "Have I not taught you how this world obeys and bends for mine will? You'd best be grateful you were amusing enough for me to help you."
"..."
The boy ignored her arrogant deflection completely. He looked at Priscilla with a look of wonder, before he realized how close she placed herself to him.
"You've been trying to help me get over seeing my parents after so long." Subaru concluded. Strangely enough, the idea reasonated well with him. "That's what it is, isn't it? You wanted me to get over that!" He points toward the image of his parents holding his picture.
Priscilla blinked as she saw the look of gratitude in his eyes. She gave a dismissive wave torwards him. "Your tears were annoying mineself. Besides, Aldebaran would've become rowdy had I allowed his 'friend' to cry alone."
"I mean fair enough but please describe it in a way that doesn't make me look like a child!" Subaru sighed and rubbed his eyes for the third time, trying to keep his exhaustion from the emotional backlash from diverting this conversation any further.
"Dunno why you've been so nice lately," Subaru smiles at her. "But I'm thankful for your support, Priscilla-san."
The lady gave him a small nod before turning away from him so she could observe a part of the room's ceiling.
"... At least say something back?"
"I do not acknowledge thanks. If you wish to show mineself gratitude then do it on your knees beneath my heel."
"Always so obnoxious!" Subaru groaned.
"However," Priscilla continues, cutting off his sarcastic retort. "You will have to get better quickly… This little one has a connection to your parents for some reason and I'd like to understand it."
Subaru looks at the beautiful child sitting to the side of them with shock. "Wait a minute… I forgot this was supposed to be about her! Why the hell is this guy showing my parents?!"
"Again," Priscilla stressed in annoyance, "You'd best be focused on your ability to accept the fact that this is how your parents are living right now because of your disappearance. Only then can we move on to understand what this window is set to show us."
The boy nodded his head as he gazed at her in admiration..
"It's like you've been through this process before, Priscilla-san."
"A goddess must always be ready to lead into the unknow?" Priscilla haughtily replies, her lips hidden behind her fan..
Even though Subaru chuckled, he found it hard to lean back into the couch since he would touch shoulders with the relaxed princess.
"Uh, sorry—"
"Get comfortable," she said casually. "This viewing will not get any easier, not for you at least."
Her matter of fact statement caused Subaru to nod once again, accepting that what he will see will not be to his liking. Seeing her confidence and absolute willingness to give him a chance made the boy feel encouraged to look at the screen once again. His feelings burned with guilt and sadness for what's become of his beloved mom and dad, but he would push through them for the sake of the sleeping little girl besides him.
It was fine when he joked around with Priscilla, but the princess wasn't gonna allow anymore breaks for him to cry.
However as soon as he turned back to the screen, his confidence newfound instantly disappeared. "I don't think I can do it… I miss them too much." He hung his head in disappointment.
"... If you cannot do this, then how else will this child be freed?" Priscilla asks..
"Don't do that." Subaru raises a hand to rub his temple. "Don't guilt trip me to face off against my own parents."
"I asked no such thing." Priscilla scoffed at the notion. "Simply put, you are in need of purpose, saving someone, in particular, seems to be your favorite one."
"I'm not some animal you've picked up, Priscilla-san." Subaru's deadpan reply caused Priscilla to raise an eyebrow.
"Oh? Then start acting like a man and think for yourself," her heel connected with his shin, making him yelp in pain. "Have the decency to stop constantly thinking about your faults to your sires and start looking at this for what it is."
Her harsh tone contrasted with the compassionate look she gave him, but it was exactly what Subaru needed to stop himself from spiraling further.
"You cannot get back to them," Priscilla continues, mercilessly opening up old wounds he thought he had long forgotten. "The reality is that they will suffer for a long time because they love their son." She looks away for a second with longing in her eyes that surprises Subaru. "Maybe they will never be able to move on from such a heartless situation."
"Fact of the matter is that this isn't anyone's fault but the one who brought you to meet the half-wit." Priscilla looked like there was more to that sentence but Subaru instinctively cut her off.
"H-How did you know I met Emilia first?" He asks, utterly baffled and scared for what this might entail.
Priscilla narrows her eyes before giving a sigh. "'Tis my godly intuition. The obsession of a dog is always strongest when they familiarize themselves with their master for too long. Considering you said that it's been only a year and some months since your arrival… Yes."
Subaru looked at the princess with a stare of thought. "I don't think… I believe this at all."
"... And even so, you'll still have to face this challenge." Priscilla said. "Bring yourself some courage, this child's, as well as mineself's lives depend on watching this hurtful world."
"... You're really too understanding right now." Subaru sighs and rubs the back of his head. "Aside from the dog calling, you've been super encouraging and helpful, Priscilla-san… I'm kind of weirded out."
The baroness simply leans to her side to rest her side against his.
"Wh-What are you doing?!" Subaru flushes, unable to move away from the sudden closeness.
"Mineself is taking advantage of you right now." Priscila fully has her head rest on his shoulder as well as her arms wrapped around one of his. She nudged him closer to her by hugging his arm between her bosom. "Can one say that I'm being kind when I'm using you as a pillow for comfort?"
Her sarcastic question was met with a stutter. "H-Hey that's not even remotely related to what I meant!"
"Does it matter? A goddess has her head lay upon your shoulder. Why aren't you crying from bless and forgetting about your problems right now?" Priscilla shoots him a smug grin that increases the sweat on his back.
Subaru couldn't help but feel ashamed of himself. He could deny it all he wanted but the fact is that his body was willing to lean more into her touch than he was comfortable with.
"This is just like back in the castle… You hugged me the same way to mock Emilia!" Subaru tries to growl but it more so sounded like a squeak under his blushing cheeks. "This is the favorite tactic for evil roses! The art of seduction—"
"Your hands are no longer trembling." Priscilla cuts him off with a statement she spoke so casually it made him realize what was happening. "This is good." She gave a nod, pleased.
"You— This is…" He couldn't make out the words. Her head did not move from his shoulder so he had to stare at his front towards the screen that caused him pure agony.
Priscilla gave him a small pat on the arm. "Mineself's grace is only comforting you because it is the right thing to do." She didn't raise her voice above a whisper, it was soothing and equally casual that Subaru grew more inclined to lean into her to hear it again. "This will get worse and worse. And you will need to have a companion through this viewing."
Subaru looked down at Priscilla, she moved to look up at him.
"This World's will is my toy. And it only works for me and me alone." Priscilla boasts in confidence and elegance that made him stare in disbelief. "It is predictable that it sent me here to help you instead of anyone else."
"Are you really dissing Emilia-tan right now?!" Subaru breathlessly chuckles as the princess grins at him. He couldn't explain the comfort he felt when she looked at him with warmth in her eyes instead of that disgust she was always giving the world around her.
"If you choose to accept this or no. I won't be stuck in here because you refuse to free your heart from the pain." Priscilla raised her head from his shoulder, and let go of his arm so she could look at him with an equal stance.
"Why would you go this far though?" Subaru asked in a serious tone for the first time. Showing how firm he was so he can get an answer. It seemed the courage she was pumping into him finally started to show.
Priscilla grins once more. "I've chosen to change you for the better. Rejoice and save your tears of gratitude."
The boy didn't realize this, but the stare he was giving Priscilla told her everything she needed to know already. While he wracked his brain for a response, the lady leaned back with her grin growing cocky as she observed the dazzlement he fell into. It only took for her to start chuckling with amusement for Subaru to flush out of his frozen state.
"I seriously thought you were endearing there for a sec… Jeez." Subaru sighs and keeps his eyes on the floor. The boy was imagining Priscilla's red rubies staring at him even when he wasn't looking at her. "I get it. You act like you don't care about anything to do with me but then do the most to support me…"
"You're a tsundere of the worst degree, Priscilla-san." He points at her courageously with an exhausted frown. Priscilla raises her brow and stares at him suspiciously. "And I'm going to watch this with you because you care so much. So do your best to help because I'm gonna rely on you when I cry!"
"What a tasteless joke. Where's the worth in your existence if it was to leech on the kindness of a divine being such as mineself?" She states, turning away from him and patting the small child's head.
Subaru felt giddy at the small smile on her lips.
"I shall bring you to form," she casually said, accepting her role in this situation without any resistance. "Best not disappoint me, half-wit's dog."
"... Call me Subaru."
They both caught each other's eyes. Him, tired, scared, and derelict of hope. Looking at her with such desperation and need for comfort that instilled a ball of both disgust and pure inclination to help him. Priscilla's elegance and forwardness were clear to him with hints of her wild interest in everything that was going on. She was willing to put up with this role of being his helper just to see the end of this, like a perfect completionist. Yet the endearing part of her facade caught the boy's attention the most. As she smiled and became patient with him in order to help him understand things he couldn't even see, Subaru felt a lot more trusting of the lady he once scorned as a witch because of one failed loop a year ago. It was clear to him that she was a lot more understanding of others around her.
He regretted everything he said to her since the start of this.
"I don't know why you changed so much in such little time, but I'd like us to be friends if you're going to help me like you said, Priscilla-san." Subaru smirked at her with charm. "Call me Subaru, please."
The baroness gave him a once over before pulling her fan and using it on herself. "If that's the position you'll assume to amuse mineself, I'll allow you to have it. Displease me and I'll demote you to be my cupbearer for life."
"You won't even say my name?! Lady, you have impeccable arrogance!" Subaru sighed after the exclamation and comfortably enjoyed the warmth of having Priscilla sit near him. She radiated a calming energy that was both irresistible and dangerous at the same time.
The woman elegantly swung her hand to nudge his nose with the fan she was handling.
"Stare ahead and watch your parents live, I command it."
"Don't be pushy, I'm gonna do it." Subaru tiredly moved her hand away and accepted his place in this room.
He had to move things along, whether he wanted to do it or not. He didn't have anywhere near the conviction or determination to face the coming scene, but he must. Priscilla was eyeing him from the side.
"Naoko." Taking a seat in front of his wife, Kenichi called her, "I need…To talk with you."
Staying silent, Naoko stared at her husband, waiting for him to continue.
"…This year…I…We need to do it." He firmly announced, clenching his own fists to the thought.
"Do what?" She asked in a low voice, tilting her head.
"You know very well what I'm talking about…" He said as he teared up, taking his glasses off "H-his funera-"
"NO!" A shout resonated, still echoing in the room.
"Naoko…!" He got up from his chair, coming closer to her as she got up as well.
"He is not dead!" She shouted, tears running down her cheeks, "my son is not dead! He is here, out there! He is alive! And he will come back!"
"It's been nine years already!" He shouted back, hitting the table with this hand, "Subaru would never disappear like that without leaving a trace!"
"Ni–Nine years?!" Subaru choked on his own spit at the information.
"So this projection is showing us the future? How can this be linked to this girl?" Priscilla remained calculated while the boy beside her melted at the information.
"Mom and dad still looked for me… Through all this time…" Subaru couldn't help but let out a small sob, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees in order to hold his hands in front of his face and just cover his mouth. "They've never done a funeral for me!"
Strangely enough, this thought was as agonizing as it was riveting with relief. "They haven't moved on…"
"Your father seems to be doing his best in that regard." Priscilla notes to the astounded, confused Subaru. "Even if I can see him disbelieving his own words."
"My dad's doing what is best for them," Subaru whispers, heartbroken. "They have suffered long enough. Nine years is too long a time—"
"You really did expect them to move on easily," Priscilla pauses Subaru's words in his mouth with a stern voice.
"... I hoped they would," he replied after a moment of faltering. "It was much easier to cope with my sudden transport if I imagined them living happily after a few months of being depressed and distraught."
Subaru held his hands up to hide his face. "So much easier… Nine years…"
Priscilla couldn't say anything as the screen flashed to continue. She was surprised to find that he had his eyes open through his fingers. Even when he was in distress, he wanted to make it through.
The lady commended this by nodding toward him and watching the sad sight of his family by his side.
"He is not dead! He will come back!" She shouted again, her voice becoming hoarse, her entire body shaking, trembling, as a feeling of fear and pain took her mind over.
"Naoko!" Kenichi began to cry, grabbing his wife's wrists, "It is time you accept it…"
"No!" She screamed.
"HE IS GONE!"
"…"
"Our boy…Our son…Is gone…"
"…"
"And he will n-not… Come back…"
Upon saying his last words, the man's legs lost their strength. Making him fall on his knees as tears wouldn't stop pouring from his eyes. Soon, his wife followed, burying her face in her hands as her loud cries did nothing but amplify their pain.
"Just g-give me a moment… Please."
"Have at it. Take your time."
Priscilla patted the back of the boy as he instinctively paused the screen and allowed himself to a moment of silence beside her. It only took her comforting gesture to give him enough courage to let out the long cry of heartbreak.
He shed his tears while sobbing uncontrollably, unable to revert to a calmer state of mind. All Priscilla could do was watch him descend his head to his knees. He looked like a rabbit that was hiding from the world around him, contained, where no one could see his face.
The baroness rested one of her hands on the back of his head, rubbing across his hair in order to comfort him.
She didn't know if this was helping. It might not be at all. But this is the most she could have done when the boy was closing himself off.
To her shock, the screen began playing again.
The grieving mother refused to answer her husband and chose to glare at the ceiling instead, her eyes flashing with rage. "Give him back…" She whimpered, crying onto her husband's shoulder, "Give me my son back!"
"Naoko…"
"My boy! My baby boy…!" with tears falling, she yelled in distress, "Give him back!"
"I'm sorry…" He whispered as he hugged her as tight as he could, "I'm so sorry…Naoko."
And when the sun was finally up high in the sky, still in the darkness they remained. In each other's embrace, as cries and tears would fall. And a question that burdened them, which would remain forever unanswered.
"I'm sorry mom." Subaru whispered dejectedly as he stopped covering himself. His tear stains were evident on his cheeks but Priscilla concealed the urge to wipe them away and focused on the depression in the boy's eyes.
"I'm so sorry," he croaked, wiping away his tears to no avail as they were replaced with another stream.
Priscilla couldn't help but sit there and watch with pity in her eyes. She would be incensed if someone from the outside were to see her care like this, but she wasn't so heartless as to have no empathy about this situation. The red lady understood that these parents on the screen will never see their son again. Nine years was a long time to hold on to hope, that is very much something Priscilla respected.
However, it also showed both her, and Subaru beside her, that Lugunica would never let the family reunite again.
"There's a reason why the screen is showing us the future of your sires." Priscilla didn't touch the boy but her voice was stern enough to get through to him. "Watch this with open eyes," she orders him before turning away.
To Priscilla, this could be the chance to make him have his closure with his parents. Maybe she needed to stay away for now, even though she had just promised to stick by him and help. She would catch him if he fell too deep, it was just the duty she instilled upon herself.
"I am watching." Subaru lets out. "I'm watching and praying that they can move on."
After a while, it was time for Kenichi to leave for work. Still with the funeral in mind, he decided that even without the full consent of his wife, this was something that had to be done.
Not bringing the subject anymore, he kissed his wife's forehead before putting on his coat and leaving the house. Slowly resolving himself of what he will soon have to do.
"Have a safe trip…" Naoko whispered, with a frail and broken voice.
"Dad's got that look on his face." Subaru spoke hoarsely.
"Hm?" Priscilla glanced at him.
"He will do the funeral. Even if mom doesn't want to. He has his mind set."
"You do not seem agonized over this." Priscilla sounded with curiosity.
Subaru grunts, looking at the floor for a second. "I'm… uh… " he covers his eyes for a second. "... H-He needs to move on. Both of them must accept it. It's been too long for both of them."
Priscilla frowns at this answer but Subaru still refuses to uncover his eyes to look at her.
Going back to her daily tasks, Naoko began to clean around the living room, at a much slower pace, always glancing towards the table where the cake she made was placed.
"Mh…There isn't much left for tonight…" She thought as she opened the fridge and checked the remaining food of the house, "I have to go to the store…Kenichi will certainly be tired when he comes home…" Looking out, she noticed gray clouds making their way to monopolize the blue sky, and took an umbrella along with her coat as she went out.
Subaru couldn't help but allow the nostalgia to hit him full force as the screen showcased his mother going from one room to the next. He stared with a look of longing at the place he once called home.
He whispered under his breath as his emotions flared. "Maybe they still have my figurine collection… Could that be true after nine years?"
"Hm?" Since she was keeping an eye on him, Priscilla heard what he said and found herself intrigued.
"It's nothing!"
Priscilla narrowed her eyes but didn't push the boy further. She refocused on the screen.
Subaru however had a blush on his cheeks that could not at any cost be seen by the princess beside him. No matter what it took. He will get butt ass naked if it meant to distract her from his blushing cheeks, a man's gotta do what he had to do.
As she walked in and out of the store with her groceries, she met with several people along the way, all smiling at her as they recognized the lady of the Natsuki family, even though they all bore nothing but pity and sadness for her.
"Seems like most of our neighborhood's also trying their best to help you, mom." Subaru sighs as the depressing atmosphere collided with what was supposed to be a nice stroll his mother was taking. "I missed this street so much." He whispers to himself without noticing the observing glance Priscilla had on him.
"You'd think that this is the best way to help her, of course you would." Priscilla scoffs without hesitation to break the sensitive air around the subject. "This way of treading around her like glass only brings the woman to keep going how she is, indifferent to any sympathy or saddened eyes, in her own world trying to grieve for her son as everyone keeps pushing her to do so on her own."
"I-Is that how you see it? Yeash…" Subaru coughs, trying to lighten the mood miserably after the lengthy explanation the princess has given. "I don't think they can do much… Other than to act supportive and sad that is."
Priscilla looks surprised. "Ah, so you are not denying mineself's words," she gives an overwhelming cocky smirk.
He shrugs naturally and looks blankly at the screen while replying. "Yeah? It's obvious that none of their words are helping her, and if it comes down to it one day, they will hesitate to help her since she is still a stranger."
Subaru's eyes water for a single second before he closes them and holds a hand to cover them. Priscilla continues to look at him with interest, hiding her mouth behind her fan.
"Empty words are all someone could give when they see an unfortunate person going through tough situations. Not unless they are going through the same thing." His eyes open to give the screen a forlorn look.
"Hm," Priscilla hums when turning her eyes back to the vision, "worthless attempts are still worthless. Do not increase your guilt over such trivial commoners."
"They are trying to help mom get through this," he grits his teeth. "At least they get to say anything to her at all… I wasn't even able to do that… I…"
Priscilla narrowed her eyes to glare at him, finding his words suspicious but keeping it to herself for later.
"And yet this mother has never given up on her child's life, even after nine years." The princess sighs dryly. "Worthless help is worthless," she repeats. "Stop justifying it for your own twisted personality to place blame upon your heart."
Subaru looked away from the screen and the princess and fell into silence.
Priscilla found herself caring for what he was thinking at this moment. Maybe she was hoping that her words were not falling on deaf ears. However, she realizes how futile that is with him, knowing how he is.
Her eyes widened when the screen played once again to show a peculiar person that wasn't Subaru's mother.
"Ow!"
This small squeak immediately made Subaru return his gaze to the TV. Making him stand in shock with his jaw open in an instant.
"HUH?! WHA—"
"Ah…" The brown-haired woman gasped, looking down as she saw a young girl holding her forehead, "I am sorry, I did not see you."
Crouching down to put herself at the same level as the little girl, she tried to approach her and see where she might have hurt her.
She was a young and little girl with soft, long black hair going down her back, as a little side-swept bang nearly covered her left eye, which was a beautiful ruby color. On top of that, she was wearing very extravagant clothes, a blue and white dress that seemed to be very expensive…And also dirtied.
"Do not worry about it, madam. T-this is nothing…" The little girl said as she rubbed her forehead, raising her eyes to the lady.
"Hm, prideful little one." Priscilla found herself glaring at the dirt on the girl's dress, much to the astonishment of her partner in the room.
"H-Hold on a second now!" Subaru points ludicrously, "This GIRL is in my world! With my mom!"
"Yes?" Priscilla raised a brow at him.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHAT?!" By now he was glaring at her, fuming. "This shouldn't be possible! She's supposed to be in Luguinca or wherever it is, you're from—"
"That shouldn't matter to you, calm yourself before you ruin my mood."
Subaru flinches at the slight edge to her voice. "I didn't mean to prey on your personal stuff or anything, I'm just saying," he pointed back to the sleeping angel on the far side of the couch. "How is an obscure family member of yours in my world right now?!"
"This is still a future that is distant to you, nine years, remember?" Priscilla turns away from Subaru as she says this, she found herself inspecting the little girl's dress beside her for the spot where the dirt had manifested on the screen's version of the little one. "Do not seek from me answers that you can have by allowing us to continue watching this machine's vision."
Subaru was a little ashamed from the way she spoke to him so dismissively as she nodded with satisfaction at the girl's dressing. It's like he was a child throwing a tantrum and she was used to ignoring his words as mere kid-speak.
Priscilla looked back at the screen without acknowledging him except for a few words that stung him. "But. I understand the desire to waste everyone's time and hassle those who are superior for answers. It's ok, go ahead and begin your tantrum to the mangy dog holding us here, he might give you some of his bones."
"Right right! I got it." He flushed and sat down on his seat. His eyes were stuck to the little girl and he was thanking everything that placed him here that she was asleep and not hearing this degrading way Priscilla spoke to him. "I'm not a kid. This is really not a situation where you should expect me to be level-headed."
Priscilla cared not to respond as she glued her eyes on the screen. Subaru sighed and looked where she was looking but with a terrified and confused face this time.
"Uh?"
"…" Naoko stayed silent as she waited for the girl to continue. She seemed surprised about something.
"Is there anything?" The brown-haired woman ended up asking.
"You…Do not seem well at all…" The girl worriedly voiced, staring at Naoko's face, "What happened to you? Are you alright?"
Naoko widened her eyes in surprise, before trying her hardest to have a reassuring smile to show.
"Yes, don't worry. I am just a bit tired." She waved off, "thank you for caring for such a stranger like me, little one."
"She's a lot more perceptive than a kid her age should be…" Subaru was stunned by the situation and the way the girl managed to read his mother so quickly.
"Of course, such a little one must have intelligence above commenor folk." Priscilla was almost boastful of the girl which made Subaru glare at her. "'Tis but a demand to survive the troubles of her home."
"... Is she going to be born in a bad environment?" Subaru grew sympathetic after hearing the princess' statement. "If this is how we see her in nine years… She hasn't been born in Lugunica for us yet."
Priscilla understood the implications that he gave with that statement, and though she had no gripes to admit it, she was beginning to hold back on speaking about the girl's existence.
"Do not trouble yourself with the uncontrollable," she says while holding her fan and pointing to the screen. The look in her eyes was dead serious as Subaru stared at her, refusing to look at the little girl.
"She might be closer to me or might be some forsaken bastard spawn, it matters less with every second spent dwelling on it when the answer is right before us."
"Who's running away from their feelings because of pride now?" Subaru couldn't help but ask with a hint of spite in his voice.
Priscilla did not care to answer such a stupid statement as she focused once again on the little girl inside of the vision.
The black-haired girl didn't have any particular reaction to Naoko's explanation. Rather, she kept staring at her with a curious gaze, something that even managed to make Naoko uncomfortable.
"Ah! I am sorry auntie! It's just that…Are you sure that we never met…?" Tilting her head, she asked in a bright voice, coming closer to the lady.
"Hm…If auntie ever met such a lovely little girl, she would certainly remember it." Naoko replied.
"So…You don't recognize me…? Hum…" the girl began to wonder, putting a hand under her chin.
"Oh, do we really know each other?" Naoko said in a worried tone, not wanting to be so rude as to forget such a cute child.
"Well…I suppose we don't." She concluded, her tone surprisingly more serious as she lifted her face towards the sky and buildings around her. It seemed like she came to a certain conclusion in her mind.
"I just realized that we don't even know her name…" Subaru says. "It's very weird that she's familiar with mom in a way…"
Priscilla said nothing as she continues to analyze the girl's every movement and word.
"You look kinda busy right now. Nevermind." Subaru sighed, figuring out that he was being ignored.
He returned his eyes to the little girl beside Priscilla for a second, having the urge to rub her head via a pat. "It's crazy… But I don't know how she's related to someone like Priscilla."
As he thought this about the little girl, seeing how kind and thoughtful she is, he couldn't help himself but to parallel the kid with Priscilla. If nothing else, the lady beside him was an arrogant aristocrat that pleased herself with being superior to others.
"... Yeah, this might not be as simple as I'm making it out to be."
He shook his head and looked at the screen without acnkolweding the noblewoman beside him. He realized that Priscilla and the little girl had more things in common than even she liked to believe.
"What a complex girl." Subaru sighes dryly.
"She's not that troublesome." Priscilla was compelled to comment, eyes still on the screen. "The little one is being a proper lady, minus the heinous clothes and bad look."
Subaru snorts at her stern admonishment. "Buhahahaha, I'm not even sure why you care so much about her looks." He holds a small smile to the lady. "But I wasn't talking about her."
"..." Priscilla didn't say anything.
"You seem troubled now." Naoko continued, bringing her hands to caress the girl's hair in an attempt to calm her and check her forehead while she was at it.
As she was doing so, a wave of nostalgia softly took her over. This little girl's hair oddly reminds her of her own son's. They were as soft and as pleasant to caress. Just doing so gave her a soothing feeling she didn't feel for a long time now…A feeling…She craved for.
However, as she came closer to her face, she noticed some traces of dirt on her cheek, something that bothered her enough to lick her thumb and slowly rub it.
"Auntie?"
"Much better~!"
"Huh?" Subaru turned to the weirdly pleased looking woman beside him. Priscilla had a satisfied grin after his mother cleared the dirt off of the girl's cheek.
"That girl must be taught her lady etiquette once more."
"You are being a bit harsh," he says kindly, "she's still a kid… She may also have been lost in this world for a long time."
Priscilla gives him a glare of annoyance.
"I say you can let her off the hook. Besides, she's been so calm and brave throughout all this!" Subaru nods his head at the little girl exaggeratingly. "You should be proud!"
"Commoner standards have no worth to me." Priscilla huffed.
"Ah, apologies. It was stronger than me…" Naoko replied gently…Smiling.
"Ah! This one suits you better, auntie!" The girl commented.
"Uh?"
"This smile." She replied, chuckling, "This one is much better than the fake ones you did earlier. When someone smiles, it must be genuine. It's a lady's best attire after all!"
Naoko widened her eyes in sheer shock at the words of this girl. As she did nothing but interact with her for less than a minute, she already noticed the façade she created.
Subaru's eyes widened as well when he noticed that same smile on his mother's face. It was a warm one, filled with a tiny bit of life that brightened her face from the shadow that hung over her.
"I didn't even notice that," he says.
"You've been told to pay close attention," Priscilla hums pleasantly with a blank expression, casually accepting the scene as if she knew it was going to happen. "That little one may just bring some rest towards those harmed by your arrival into mine kingdom."
"How callus of you to name it your kingdom!" Subaru shook his head. "I wouldn't want that girl to take the burden of fixing my… Fixing this." He stopped from angering Priscilla by blaming things on himself.
"It's not on her to heal them," he sighes.
Priscilla glances at him with a small grin. "It isn't, but it's being done already."
Subaru bit his lip out of nervousness and looked at the child sleeping on the couch side. "I hope… I hope you can allow me to see her… In the future."
"Who knows," Priscilla leans backward in her seat, "This girl is a mystery even to mineself. Should I be in close contact with her nine years from now, I shall see if she would want a pet."
"I don't think she's that arrogant," he glared at her deadpanned.
Priscilla simply grinned haughtily, with a mocking twinkle in her eyes.
"Is it…" Naoko replied, fondly looking at the girl, "these are some very wise words."
"Hehe! It's all from my father! He's always good when it comes to words! I like to believe I inherited that from him!" The girl voiced with pride and glee, earning a chuckle from the lady.
"Ah… Her dad must be a good guy." Subaru couldn't help but smile wholeheartedly when his mom started chuckling at the cute girl.
Priscilla rolled her eyes in annoyance again, "Or he's a materialistic twisted person."
"Oi, you make him sound like a misogynist!" Subaru didn't know why but he took offense for the words spoken about another man. "That quote is totally valid and cute!"
Priscilla only stared at him with burning eyes of disgust.
"Anyways, now that you are already speaking to me, can you please tell me where we are?" Looking around her, the little girl asked as she observed her surroundings, "I don't remember a place matching a description such as this in either one of the 4 kingdoms."
"The kingdoms…?" Naoko questioned, glancing at her dusty clothes one more time "I…Don't know what you are talking about but…Are you lost, little girl?"
"Well…" Trying to come up with a different answer in vain, the girl gave up, "I am…"
"I see." Naoko replied with a smile, standing up as she lent the black-haired girl her hand, "shall Auntie help you then?"
"It's actually grim… You realize that this little girl might not… She might not return to Lugunica." Subaru suddenly found a phantom lump in his throat. "If I had stayed for nine years…"
He didn't continue the implication, nor did he look to see how Priscilla received his words. The baroness contained herself to stay stuck on the screen, watching every move that happened between these two. A strange ache was in his heart that he couldn't explain. He wondered if Priscilla had the same feeling of fear.
"I do suppose this little one is lucky then." Priscilla answered him in a soft tone. "She's meeting a good person from the start of her journey."
"... You're saying you trust my mom already? With your family?" Subaru widened his eyes in amazement. "This is a little bit endearing—"
"Your mother isn't a half-elf at least, so she should be world's better than what you were cursed with in those first days of your arrival." She said casually.
"Nevermind." Subaru narrowed his eyes at her and looked away.
"T-thank you…Auntie…" As she raised her hand and took the lady's hand in hers, smiling.
"Mh…" the lady warmly hummed, "And what is your name?"
"Na-" hesitating on her answer as she realized again the situation she was in, the black-haired girl cleared her throat just before going too far, "Helena. My name is Helena."
Priscilla's eyes immediately moved to the boy who let out a slight noise of indignation. "Uh… That name shouldn't be… Wait no, I guess it can be used in Lugunica since there's been a lot of names that I recognize from my world." Subaru shook his head in self assessment.
"Tell me it's meaning." Priscilla orders him with a look of interest.
"It means 'Shining light'. It comes from an old civilization on Earth." He answers her with a bit of excitement. "I know about it because I used to call some of my favorite shining stars Helena when I was in grade school."
"Hm… That's an adequate name for her." Priscilla said just that and turned away from him.
"Oh come on!" Subaru throws his arms up. "You've gotta be more interested in the girl than that! And you even like the name too!" He points an accusing finger at her.
Priscilla continued to ignore him but hid her frown behind her fan. "Sit down and watch."
"... No need to be so serious." Subaru turns away with an annoyed glare. "Don't know if it's finally sunk that Helena is in a very crappy situation, but you gotta say something to me about it so we can get through this."
"Helena…What a beautiful name." the lady commented, "while I am not usually a fan of foreign names, this one somehow…Seems to fit you a lot."
"Hehe! Mother said the same when father came out with it!" Helena stated, looking up to the lady, "And what's yours, auntie?"
"Ah, it was that man who named her…" Priscilla scrunched her nose when the girl's father was brought up.
"He's got good taste, even my mom likes the name!" Subaru smiles brightly, feeling strangely proud.
Even Priscilla glanced at him oddly through her frown.
"Naoko." She warmly replied, "Natsuki Naoko."
And upon hearing this name, the little girl froze in place. "N-natsuki…?" Helena repeated, slowly going up to the lady and meeting her eyes.
"Helena-chan?"
"Is this…Is this why…" the little girl uttered as the realization slowly came to her mind, "auntie, where are we?!"
"Where are we?" Naoko asked with a raised eyebrow, "we are…In Japan?"
"At the east of the map?!" the little girl continued, showing her insistence.
Not knowing how to react to such questions, Naoko simply decided to go along with it for now and keep answering.
"Indeed, Japan is the furthest country at the east of the map." She told her, surprised to see her eyes grow wider.
"T-then…I am really…And you are…-"
"... This is weird…" Subaru found himself strangely uncomfortable watching this scene. "This is not a coincidence… Only way Helena would know anything about Japan is…"
"It seems that this girl's met you in Lugunica before her transport beyond the Waterfall." Priscilla continues his thoughts calmly. "'Tis why She's familiar with your name also."
"Y-Yeah… I can't believe it… I'm not dead in the future." Subaru couldn't help but chuckle at this. "And I'm going to meet your relative!" He had a huge smile at this, knowing that he might actually turn Priscilla around for them to be good enough acquaintances to the point he can meet her family.
Even though he was putting on a smile for the noblewoman, he realized that he only served to earn a heated stare from her.
"Cease this act at once and never mention your death to me again, fool!" Priscilla demolished any casuallness in her tone. Speaking with a wrath that set Subaru backward in his seat.
"H-Huh?! What's up with you—"
"If you're someone who thinks only about death, then you mustn't be around the girl." Priscilla glares at the girl to her side, moving a hand to stroke the hairs away from her face. "I won't allow it."
"...It's a joke." Subaru found himself become defensive and angry immediately. "Calm down!"
"Find humor before making such empty jokes."
"Fine, I get it. It's not funny, move on already!" Subaru all but gives up and rolls his eyes. "I don't even wonder why Helena hadn't mentioned you yet. At least I taught her something other than to treat people like doormatts."
"Does the half-elf ever muzzle your annoying snout?" Priscilla all but sighes in tiredness, as if she was treading along with a child.
Subaru took his turn to ignore her.
Before she could say another word, Naoko and Helena felt droplets of water fall on their faces and all around them. As Naoko looked up, she saw the clouds in the sky fully occupied the entire sky just like she expected, and promptly opened her umbrella under which she put the little black-haired girl with her.
"My, it is going to be heavy uh…Maybe we should go back home, for now, it would be difficult to find your parents under a tempest…" The brown-haired lady thought out loud, glancing towards the direction of her house.
"Would you like to come to my home, Helena-chan? Maybe it is not appropriate, bu-"
"Please…!" Helena answered, something akin to eagerness on her face, "I don't mind, I even think it's a good idea! We can't search under the heavy rain right?"
Upon seeing the strangely excited little girl, Naoko giggled in fondness as she gently led the way, still holding Helena's hand as she sheltered her from the rain becoming heavier and heavier.
Opening the door, she quickly brought the black-haired girl inside who was half drenched because of their last run to the house.
"Ugh…Mother won't like this…" Helena said in a worried tone as she raised her arms and looked at her dirtied dress.
"Her mother is as strict as you are, Priscilla." Subaru snorts dryly, earning a side-eye from Priscilla.
"'Tis a shameful thing for a lady to have this attire. This girl has been taught wisely and mine divine self applauds her mother for impressing such standards." Classically, she huffs haughtily.
"She's a kid," Subaru sighed for the upteenth time, "her life isn't a preparation stage for some danger that is coming. Let her enjoy some form of freedom."
"Oh?" Priscilla snorts at the wise words, unable to keep her mocking grin from breaking through her annoyance. "Foolish boy. She could easily be following her mother's words out of love and adoration. Children take their parents as role models afterall~"
"Ah… I didn't think about that." Subaru rubbed the back of his head. "That could be true… She doesn't look afraid or panicked… Just disappointed."
"Mhm." Priscilla turned away with a satisfied face. She patted the small girl on her head, enjoying the sensation of the adorable angel being safe and sound by her side.
"Don't worry about any of this." Naoko reassured her as she took off her coat, "auntie will wash your dress, for now, you need to get in the bath. I would feel bad if you would catch a cold."
"Ah, yes…" Helena nodded, following Naoko to the bathroom.
"How old are you, Helena-chan?" Naoko asked, realizing that she failed to ask that question earlier.
"I'm 5 years old." Helena promptly answered, earning a gasp from Naoko.
"5?!" She exclaimed, looking at her as she tilted her head in confusion.
"I'm not lying! I'm 5 years old!" Helena answered, pouting as if she heard what Naoko was thinking.
"I'm not saying you lied, it was just…Surprising. I never met a 5 year old that seemed so grown up inside."
Helena simply smiled as she accepted this compliment, "Father says the same often…I guess I got this from Mother though."
Naoko chuckled as she somehow expected her to mention her father once again. Truly, she seemed strongly attached to the man who raised her, not that it was a bad thing.
For Naoko, this would be an achievement for each parent.
"Her father is right," Subaru says in a gushing way. "She is so clever for a kid. Not to mention adorable as heck!"
"Apparently, the mother of this little one is the responsible parent." Priscilla seemed way too smug when saying such a fact.
"Being the one behind the smart genes doesn't really make you a responsible parent." Subaru suddenly feels the need to defend the father's manly pride from Priscilla's words.
"Hmph, don't break yourself for such an uphill cause. This man talks about his daughter's intelligence like he's been starving for compliments himself. I wouldn't be surprised if he was less intelligent than the girl herself, not just the mother." Priscilla shot Subaru down with a casual rant that forced him to sit with a hand clenching his shirt.
"Why did that hurt me?!"
After approximately half an hour where Naoko helped Helena to bathe and dry her, she went ahead and found an old pajama belonging to her son when he was much younger. Thankfully, this one fit her just right.
"Mh…" Helena looked at the clothes she wore with awe.
"I'm glad those fit you. Even though they are a bit more boyish, I hope you won't mind." Naoko told her as she looked at the clothes with a pain in her chest.
"Come… Why do you do this to yourself, mom?" Subaru held a hand to his face, trying not to fall into another pit of guilt and anger over the pain his mother was going through.
"No doubt seeing that girl in such clothing reminded her of you." Priscilla gave him another side-eye. "Don't start crying again."
"I'm not." Subaru huffs and kicks his heel against the carpet.
It didn't just remind her of her son. It reminded her of so much more. It reminded her of the time she could hold that baby in her arms when he wasn't even taller than an apple.
It simply reminded her that there was a time when she was called "mom", and how much she missed it.
But something was strange.
Usually, she would just remember it and feel sad, empty. But for some reason, this feeling was stronger, heavier than ever. The fact that she saw a child in the same clothes as her son wasn't the reason, it couldn't be. It was about Helena herself.
Why? Why was that girl giving Naoko such an urge to let out all of her tears again? Why did she have the urge to take her in arms so much?
"Auntie?" the black-haired girl came closer as she tugged at the shirt of the lady, "to who belongs these clothes?"
Mustering enough strength to speak without choking on her tears, Naoko caressed the little girl's head as she softly spoke.
"To my son, when he had your age…"
Subaru looked away from the screen. Priscilla gave him a glance before returning back to it.
"It will get much worse should you still hold on to it." She said casually.
The boy held his tongue from replying to her.
"And...Where is he?" Helena continued, showing eagerness to obtain an answer.
"He...has yet to come home. But I believe he should soon...Come back."
Giving one last pat on the little girl's head, Naoko went behind the counter to fetch her cooking utensils.
"Please make yourself comfortable, I will prepare us some dinner and then we will begin to look for your parents."
"…Alright…" Helena said as she gazed upon her going to the kitchen.
As Naoko began to prepare dinner, Helena looked around the house a little bit, trying to find something.
"Mh?" After a few minutes, Naoko lifted her head in search of the little girl she couldn't find anywhere. "Helena?"
But the black-haired girl was nowhere to be seen. Intrigued, Naoko began to search for her, calling her multiple times, until she noticed the door of a very special room be open.
"I knew it… Of course she would end up in here." Subaru sighs and shakes his head. "You may see somethings that give out a lot about me as a person. Please remember that I'm a man who's been changed because of his experiences, Priscilla-sama."
Priscilla herself looked at the boy like he grew a second head. Where did this seriousness come from all of a sudden?
"It's my room."
With that simple statement, Priscilla's eyes were immediately glued to the screen, unable to even blink for a second.
"WHY DID YOU GET INTERESTED ALL OF A SUDDEN?!"
Widening her eyes, the brown-haired lady walked with hesitant footsteps towards the handle of the door…Before opening it, she found Helena holding a picture in her hands.
"Helena…?" Naoko called her, her voice choking in worry as she noticed the tears in the little girl's eyes. What happened to her? Why was she holding this picture?
"I-Is this…" Helena raised her eyes filled with tears to her, stuttering in her words.
"…He is my son." Naoko sighed in pity, not being able to fight her tears coming. Though, she wondered what led Helena to share her sadness.
Naoko knelt as she tried to soothe the crying girl. She didn't know why she was crying, but she couldn't bear to see her in this state.
Helena jumped in her arms, clenching onto the woman's clothes harder than ever as she couldn't stop her tears. Both felt each other's warmth, both felt the comfort of being in this embrace, enough for Naoko to not be able to hold herself back anymore and cry as well.
"Why… Why is Helena crying?" Subaru grimaced and wanted to look away from the sight of his mother's heart wrenching grief. He'd expected this and even imagined it a hundred times through his first week in Lugunica. Of course his parents would cry for him, they probably never stopped since he disappeared.
Watching it was a lot harder than imagining how it would go, he's starting to learn. But the question lingered on his mind.
"She's… crying over me? Did I get close to her to such a degree in the future?"
Priscilla couldn't note down the hesitation and slight emotion in his voice, even though she said she would keep a focus on such things. She was busy observing the girl's behavior with a look of trepidation.
"This girl…" She glares, "She's impossible."
"What… does that mean?" Subaru questions, unable to understand what she suddenly figured out.
"Watch and you'll understand why she's so affected by the picture of her family." The baroness said with a poison laced tone. Clearly she wasn't pleased with what she was realizing.
Something that Subaru wished to understand because he had no idea what was going on. "Family?! What… You saying I adopted her with Emilia-tan or something?"
At this Priscilla shot her hand to slap him on the back of his head.
"OW!"
She had a glare that burned whatever protest Subaru to the abuse straight out of his mouth. He looked worriedly at her as she leaned backward and huffed away from him.
"It was just a theory…" Subaru looked up at the screen again. Still rubbing his head from the stringent pain from the strong slap. Even though the baroness put some unnecessary strength in her abuse, Subaru felt like he deserved it somehow for what he said.
Still, the question remained in his head. Why was the little one crying about him?
It was an odd feeling. She didn't know why she was crying, she didn't know why she felt so good, so appeased...Like somehow, she felt that she knew why, while still being clueless. As they slowly let go of one another, Naoko held her hand on the black-haired's girls cheek, slowly stroking her hair at the same time in an attempt to soothe her...And suddenly...The black-haired girl began to smile.
She was smiling, as she laughed, and cried. She tried to wipe her tears away, but she couldn't stop them.
"Natsuki…" Helena said as she looked up to the woman, "Subaru Natsuki…" And Naoko froze in place. Her eyes wide and her breath taken away, her hands began to shake as she heard that little girl pronounce the name of her son like that...Before Helena stepped a bit back, wiping her tears with her finger as she held the photo with the black-haired boy in evidence to the woman, smiling with brightness.
"My name… She really does know me then." Subaru whispers, now able to lower his hand from his head as the pain disappeared. "But why am I so close to her? In what way?"
"You'll see. Just let it play." Priscilla says.
"I guess...I have to do it all over again," Helena said as she bowed her head a bit.
"My name is Helena Natsuki."
Subaru's eyes widened and his entire body went rigid out of shock. He couldn't help but want to whiplash his head towards his own Helena in the room but the confusion overflowed his rational to move any part of his body.
And as she raised her head, she met with Naoko's twinkling eyes. Who only needed a split of a second to understand herself who she was.
"It is my pleasure to finally meet you...Grandmother."
The little girl's final statement before Naoko was gasping and sobbing in her hand, the stream of tears now appearing to be a waterfall gracing her cheeks. The old woman's heart never felt more alive as it beat against her very soul from a myriad of confusing emotions.
Helena remained beaming with a smile, holding the picture of Subaru to her chest dearly.
Naoko's tongue had been filled with so many questions that no one can answer for nine years. For nine years she held on to these heart aching inquiries.
But at this moment, out of all of them, only one seemed to shine through and break out of the decade-old dam placed on her soul.
"P-Please... "she begged the little one with her heart breaking, "tell me he's alive and well… Please! "
As the mother looked at her unmistakable young granddaughter, Helena's eyes twinkled in happiness as her little lips parted to provide an answer for this age-old question.
Before another voice broke into the room, "Naoko, dear, who's this?"
Helena and the broken-down Naoko looked back to find a confused, worried looking Kenichi, standing at the doorway. It took him a simple second of observation to notice the sight of Helena with his son's picture in her grasp.
His jaw fell as Helena giggled happily.
There was a thud as Subaru immediately jump out of the couch and away from the two girls with him in the room.
"N-No way…" He blurted in a hurry as he stood up. His eyes moved toward the sleeping five-year-old. "She just said…"
"And it is correct." Priscilla's tone was indifferent. No emotion could be dispelled from it which caused him more agitation. "This girl is our child."
Subaru had a look of pure amazement. "You didn't even stutter or change tones." He gripped his hairs, looking frantic and confused out of his sanity. "When will you give a real reaction to this girl and her entire existence! This should make you wanna kill me!"
"A goddess isn't so volatile," Priscilla condemns, unimpressed. "Killing you doesn't serve me any satisfaction. Learning more about her does."
"That's not even possible. She's not possible. We can't hav– ah." Subaru yammered a small comment but stopped himself.
Priscilla fixated her eyes on him. Watched his gaze fall back to the little girl.
"Her black hair… Her name…" Subaru's eyes soften and his mouth quivers. "The way she curiously stumbles into trouble—"
"The father she keeps mentioning in tasteless light." Priscila adds uninvitedly.
"..."
Subaru looked at the girl with mixed feelings dancing on his face. Confusion led to disappointment, happiness that he was such a good part of the girl's life led to complete heartwrench at the thought of what she must be going through all alone.
Seeing the web of complex emotions and revelations overwhelm him, Priscilla decides it was time for her to stop taking the back seat to watch his reaction.
"Come," she stood up and hit him on the forehead with her fan. "Sit."
"..."
He obediently took his seat on the couch, still looking at the peaceful angel with a stunned face.
"Now. Let us talk about this little one."
To be continued in 3A…
Thank you to Twisted, Pidgie, and fucking Senku. We made it boys.
I'm happy with how this turned out. I'm hoping that this new formula sticks the landing and gets you all to enjoy this new story. 2B coming soon!