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Prophet Destiny:
Etude for Happiness
Broad daylight brightened the sky of a nameless town. Its inhabitants were up and about, taking care of their usual daily routines. For some, this was a peaceful bliss; for others, it was a listless and mundane existence; and for an unfortunate few, it was a living nightmare.
In the local bakery, a little girl dressed in dulled brownish rags stood patiently by the counter. She had short, yet thick auburn red hair that covered her ears, and bright chestnut eyes. She appeared to hide something beneath her back.
The hearty owner in white strokes his dark-bearded chin curiously as he came face to face with the young girl.
“Ah, hello young miss! You can’t get enough of the place, eh? Well, you got something spend on you this time around, or are you going to hang around and savor the scents?” he asked.
The girl brought forth her arms, revealing a gold-filled pouch with a pleased smile.
“Nope! This time I have some for treats, Mister!” she exclaimed.
The owner took the pouch and ran a hand through the gold pieces inside.
“Whoa… that’s quite a lot you have here! I don’t know how you worked it all up, but you have more than enough to treat yourself a few times over!” he cheered.
The auburn-haired girl shook her head.
“I’m also treating my pals at the orphanage! We were given to an allowance this morning, so we decided to pool it all for something really good! They decided to send me to treat everybody!” she explained.
“Ah, such a sweet little girl, and to be trusted like this, too! Alright, since this is a group purchase, for your little friends, I’ll make it a half-off discount!”
The girl let out a cheer.
“Oh good! Now there’ll be plenty for everybody for sure!” she grinned.
The owner chuckled.
“That’s nice to here! So, any sweet in particular you want for your friends back at home?” he asked.
The little girl shook her head vigorously.
“Yep, yep! How about the cake! Some of the chocolate one would be great!” she cheered.
“Hm… chocolate, eh? Well, it’s certainly a popular taste among the little ones, these days.” The owner replied.
“Eh, ah… I don’t really know if the guys back at the orphanage want that most, but I got to try it once before… and it was soooo good! I’m hoping I can give them the chance to have that same taste I was lucky enough to try!” the bright-eyed girl explained.
The bakery owner stroke his chin curiously.
“Oh, really?”
He then let out yet another hearty laugh as he pat the little girl’s head.
“Okay, then! You’ll be glad to hear little friends will get to experience the greatest chocolate taste around! I don’t know what sort of sweet you got ahold of in your free time, but what I’m about to give you should be at least 10, no, maybe 100 times better than the rogue sweet you tried!” he boasted.
The little girl’s mouth practically watered upon hearing the bakery owner’s overwhelming confidence in his confections.
“Alright, along with that, I’ll throw in a few raspberry and apple tarts as well. After all, it wouldn’t be far if your little friends only had one taste to sample, would it? As people of the world with such a lovely thing like taste buds, it’s only appropriate that we have a chance to experience as many tastes as we can in life, am I right?” the owner added.
The little girl shook in anticipation in response. Her eyes lit up and her mouth widened even more so.
“Yay! Thank you, Mister! You’re so nice!” she exclaimed.
The owner let out another hearty laugh.
“Ah, you’re welcome, young miss! But I’m just trying to do my job of spreading sweet joy wherever I can, and I’m glad I’m doing it well.” He grinned back.
Moments later, the lone girl exited the bakery with a box full of assorted treats. She turned to face the owner inside and gave a cheerful wave before she went on her merry way.
“Goodbye, Mister! And thanks again for the sweets!” she cried.
After the door closed, she head out towards her home to deliver her bag of goodies. Eventually, she made it right outside the gate of a run down building, where a group of children in ragged peasant clothing stood by restlessly.
“Hello, guys! I’m back!” the girl cried.
One boy with short, unkempt brown hair and narrow dark eyes glanced irritably towards the incoming girl.
“Well, it’s about time!” he huffed.
The auburn-haired delivery girl scurried over to the group with much enthusiasm.
“We’re in luck! The baker decided to give us a deal and made it half-off! There should be more than enough to treat everybody!” she explain.
The boy’s eyes shifted curiously towards the bag.
“Oh, really now? Okay… what did you get us with the savings? I hope it isn’t something with nuts… it’s all hard and bitty and disgusting.” He asked.
“Oh, no worries! I got us some fluffy cake, and he even threw in some fruit tarts to give us more to try!” The auburn haired-girl answered.
The brown-haired boy quickly took the bag an opened up. He took a square slilce of brownish cake and took a whiff.
“This stuff doesn’t smell all that bad. I guess you did pretty good.” He answered in a half-hearted tone.
The auburn-haired girl placed a hand behind her head and laughed bashfully.
“Oh, good! I’m glad you like it!” she answered.
He then took another piece and handed it to a blonde boy right next to him.
“Here. This stuff seems pretty good.” The brown-haired boy explained.
“Ah, yeah! So glad to know that flake can finally do us some good for once” the blond exclaimed.
He eagerly accepted the cake and nearly shoved it in his mouth without a second thought.
“HEY!!!! How about me?! I want a sweet, too!” a dark-haired girl whined.
“Eh, right… right. Yeesh, can’t you wait your turn? I’m trying to pass the stuff out as fast as I can.” The brown-haired bow grumbled.
“But that’s not fair! She gave you the bag, so of course you get first dibs!” the dark-haired girl complained.
The blonde boy immediately halted consuming the confection when he took a second look and sniffed it out cautiously.
“Ch-chocolate?!”
In a panic, the blond threw the cake right at the auburn-haired girl’s face and slapped the bag to the ground.
“WAAH!!! THE CAKE! IT’S RUINED!!!” the dark-haired girl cried.
“WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?! THAT STUFF MAKES ME ILL!!!” the blond boy shouted.
The auburn-haired girl started to quiver nervously.
“I-I-I’m sorry… I d-didn’t know… I thought---“
“You didn’t have to go all crazy on the food for it!” the brown-haired boy shouted back. “Now the sweets are all over the ground!”
The blond boy folded his arms in contempt.
“Well, it’s not my fault she tried to pass off tainted food to me! I bet anything, she got something to poison us all! She probably even tried to pass off a nutty food just to make you mad, too!” he insisted.
Three vicious pairs of eyes shifted toward the delivery girl.
“Say, what IS the deal with you trying to give sweets my buddy can’t eat, anyway?” the brown-haired boy demanded.
The auburn-haired girl gulped as she trembled.
“I-I-I-I-I tried chocolate once… I-I thought you g-guys would love it, too…” she explained rather meekly.
The blonde boy scoffed.
“LIES! I bet you got that kind of cake so you can have it all for yourself!” he accused.
“N-NO!” the auburn-haired girl cried as her eyes began to tear.
She picked up a grounded red-filled pastry off the ground and displayed it.
“I got pastry too… chocolate-free, see! Everyone had something to eat!” she said in her defense.
This time, the dark-haired girl knocked the felled treat from her head.
“AH!!! THAT’S NO GOOD ANYMORE, IT’S DIRTY!!!” she whined.
“And besides, all those pastry got mixed up with the chocolate cake! Whose to say some chocolate got all over everything else? I still could’ve gotten sick!” the blonde boy griped.
The auburn-haired girl’s weeping eyes stared in horror at the fallen treats she left to get for the family she hoped to finally appeal to. She then got on her knees and looked pleadingly at the children.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I didn’t know chocolate would be bad for anybody! I’ll try to get something good for everybody to enjoy next time! I promise!” she cried.
The brown-haired boy turned his head in contempt and spat.
“Feh…. I should’ve known better than to trust the freak with our savings.” He muttered.
The blond boy let out a mocking laugh.
“Ah, right! I guess THAT’S why she’s trying to make trouble for us! I guess that’s what all freaks can do in the end, huh?” he cried.
“…I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” the auburn-haired girl continued to weep weakly.
“NO YOU’RE NOT!” the blond shouted.
He then seized the distraught girl by an ear, revealing its conspicuously pointy form.
“You lying little freak! What is with these creepy ears, anyway?” the blond spat.
The young victim winced helplessly as the other children continued their hostile looks.
“Heh, riiight… I’ve been wondering about those ugly little ears of her. She DOES look freaky with them.” The dark-haired girl noted.
“I saw them in a book before… I belief they’re supposed to be the ears of elves… you know, those magical creatures that hang out in forests?” the brown-haired boy explained.
“What?! Elves? Those guys? Aren’t they supposed to be all powerful and high-class or something? What’s she doing with us when she could be hanging out in fairy land with all the other of her kind? Is this some sort of trick so she could leech off of us?” the blond boy shouted.
The brown-haired boy rain his hand through the frightened girl’s hair.
“No, no… can’t you see? This girl’s like some mutt. She doesn’t have the enchanted charms of a high-class elf, nor is she as wild like a wood-elf… good riddance.
Nah, I’d have to say she’s some kind of half-breed. It makes sense, though. Any other high-class elf wouldn’t think twice of loosing their baby girl and pampering her like some sort of princess. This one must’ve been abandoned because of her freakishness.” The brown-haired boy smirked.
“A mutt, huh? I can’t believe our home is making room for freak trash like this. The place is crowded enough even without her…” the blond boy complained.
He then looked towards the dark-haired girl.
“Say, how about you hold onto her for a minute? I don’t think we’ve given her a proper punishment yet for the poisoned food.”
The dark-haired girl smiled back devilishly and gave a nod. She then grabbed the helpless Halfling by the arms and gazed at her viciously.
“You deserve this for keeping me from my treats, you know.” She hissed.
The blond boy took a number of paces and searched the ground. Soon enough, he spotted a foot-length stick and picked it up promptly. He then walked back, with their personal captive looking at the new tool in horror.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry!” she cried again.
The blond boy then went behind her and raised the stick high in the air. The auburn-haired girl started scrambling in fear, but then the brown-haired boy stomped behind the knees, weakening her legs. The blond then swiftly brought the stick down on her back.
“AAAHHH!!!”
“THIS IS FOR TRYING TO POSION ME!!!”
“IYAAH!!!”
“AND TRYING TO HOARD ALL THE SWEETS FOR YOURSELF!!!”
“KIYAAAH!!!!”
“YOU LITTLE FREAK!!!”
“AAAAAAHHHH!!!”
The pointy-eared girl continued to cry from pain as the girl in front of her laughed and jeered. At the same time, the brown-haired boy simply looked away without a hint of sympathy.
For awhile, the blond continued delivering hit after hit from his hardy stick without restraint, and it continued without cease.
“Um… excuse me.” A soft voice called out.
The three children looked away to face the source of the voice, but the lone girl was restrained to get a decent glance.
“What do you want? We’re a little busy.” The brown-haired boy cried angrily.
“If you will… could you maybe stop what you’re doing?” the mysterious voice asked gently.
“Mind your own business…” the brown-haired boy scoffed.
“Yeah! Lay off! She deserved it!” the dark-haired girl cried.
“You don’t even know what’s going on, do you? This is a punishment for a bad thing she did!” the blond defend.
“Ah, is that so?” the soft voice uttered.
The three children noticed their interloper take a step forward.
“If I may ask, isn’t it more appropriate to place the punishment in grown-up hands? I always assumed it was their responsibility for that sort of thing.” The soft voice suggested.
The blond boy dropped both arms and took a few steps for the stranger.
“And what’s wrong with punishing her ourselves? What she did, she did to us!” the blond bark.
The mysterious stranger took in a deep breath.
“Pardon my rudeness, then.” The soft voice answered.
“That’s much better.” The blond boy replied with a stern look and a nod.
The three children started to loosen up and resume their trail. The blond boy headed back with stick in hand, anticipating the further punishment he sought to deliver, but then the stick glowed with an eerie light, and shattered into many pieces, causing him to leap back.
“Let me be clearer this time: please let her go.” The mysterious voice announced in a stern tone.
The children were startled by this sudden feat, and were thrown in a state of panic. The dark-haired girl grew more determined to hold onto her prey, but then a similar eerie light forced her hands to slowly remove her grasp.
“Ah! Ahh!!! I… C-Can’t move!” she screamed.
The auburn-haired girl fell to the ground while the other children stared at the stranger with frightened eyes.
“Might I suggest you leave before this must be taken further? You may be harmed in the process…” the voice threatened.
“Help me!!! Help me!!!” the dark-haired girl cried as she remained frozen in her position.
The two boys stared at their paralyzed friend, then looked back at the stranger. After a few seconds, the pair swiftly turned away a ran.
“IT’S A WITCH!!! A WITCH!!!” they cried together.
Suddenly, the dark-haired girl was released from her binding and ran after the terrified boys.
“W-wait!! Don’t leave me alone!!!” she cried.
The remaining girl rose her head, desperate to see the stranger that sudden took action. Unfortunately, a glare from the sun made it nearly impossible to get a clear look. But an overwhelming terror enveloped all her senses from what transpired. Despite the hindrances, she managed to get an image of her would-be savior.
What she witnessed appeared to be a glowing apparition bathed in a disturbing light.
“Hello? Hello?” it cried aloud.
The auburn-haired girl shook wildly as the figure approached.
“Hey! Are you alright, now?” it asked.
The closer the glowing phantom came, the more intense the girl’s fear grew.
Finally, as it came within direct view, the girl looked up towards its face caught sight of two unearthly shines.
With little energy she had left, the girl couldn’t let out a cry, or even a whimper. Instead, her eyes looked on in deep shock for one terrifying moment before she collapsed on the spot.
“Miss? Miss?!” the voice cried in concern.
Immediately, a small, feminine figure knelt down beside the unconscious body and carefully observed it.
“…oh my gosh…”
----
Er, I'm sorry for it getting a little extreme, but this part leads into the second half, where the girl yet to be named Reina and the mysterious figure start to talk about this disturbing event. I'm... not sure it's appropriate to hope you "Enjoyed" it, but... I at least hope you liked the writing thus far.
Time passed, and a light gleamed on the fallen girl.
She slowly opened her eyes, and realized she was inside an unfamiliar building. Her back felt unusually comfortable and cushioned until she felt around and realized she was in a warm bed.
“This isn’t good… she was so pale when she collapsed like. I hope she gets better, soon… I didn’t mean to…”
The auburn-haired girl rose her head slightly. Right by her bed, she caught side of a figure whose face was shrouded in shadow. It appeared to be wearing a white peasant dress with puffed white sleeves.
“Why can’t I make out her face?”
The girl squinted a bit, only to catch a hint of pale blonde hair.
Suddenly, the figure turned towards her and seemed to catch a direct glimpse of her bed-ridden acquaintance.
“Oh, you’re finally awake! Thank goodness…” the mysterious girl said with a sigh of relief.
The auburn-haired half-elf fell back onto the bed and cowered underneath the sheets. She immediately recalled the voice and vague form of the entity that scared away her orphan siblings.
The mysterious girl slowly stretched her hand out, but the half-elf further withdrew. She then swiftly brought back her hand and inched away.
“…Not again… I’ve frightened someone again… “ the mysterious girl uttered quietly.
She then placed her hands gently on her lap.
“….But what could I have done instead? I couldn’t just left her like that… but… that was still too presumptuous of me, wasn’t it? I…”
The cautious half-elf slowly came out of hiding.
“…h-hi…” she stuttered.
The mysterious girl suddenly turned to glance over at her bed-ridden guest.
“…hello…” she uttered back gently.
For a while, the two exchanged awkward glances in silence.
Eventually, the half-elf averted her eyes ever so slightly to further observe her surroundings.
“Where…. Am I?” she asked slowly.
The shrouded girl lowered her head.
“We’re at an Inn… where my family is staying for the day. This is my room.” She explained.
The burdened half-elf gave a few slow nods, and then gradually leaned forward. Curiously, she flexed her joints repeatedly, then felt her back. Suddenly, she recalled the brutal torture before she passed out and the pain that resulted. Oddly enough, she felt relatively unharmed and quite refreshed.
“I’m… all better?” the half-elf uttered to herself.
“Right…I used a special ability of mine to heal your wounds. For the most part, you should be okay, but you still might have to take it easily. Unfortunately, my healing cannot bring you up to full stamina so easily.” The mystery girl explained.
The half-elf gawked at her unknown acquaintance dubiously.
“So… you did this? You made me all better?” she asked.
The mysterious girl nodded.
“I tended to you all the while you were unconscious. For the most part, you were fine, but you were so out cold, I began to worry… I was starting to think you took on an illness after the whole ordeal, but I see the color and heat returned to your body just fine. I guess… you were just… frightened.” She answered.
Suddenly, the young hostess started shaking with a fist clenched tightly by her chest.
The half-elf could barely make out an expression suggesting regret. In realization of this, she solemnly bowed her head.
“I’m sorry… you were just trying to be nice all this time, weren’t you?” she said in apology.
“Oh, no! it’s alright! This has already happened once to me before, so I understand…” the mysterious girl replied.
“You’ve… scared someone before?” the half-elf asked loosely.
Her caretaker held her tongue momentarily upon hearing this. After a few seconds, she opened her mouth again, but was immediately cut off.
“Oh, right. No, that wasn’t nice of me to ask. Please forgive me.” The nervous half-elf said with a gulp.
“I suppose… I was asking for it that time…” the mystery girl replied reluctantly.
The half-elf girl looked up and noticed a small smile form from her caretaker’s face.
“Um… em… th-thank you…. For helping me.” She finally got out.
“It’s alright… I was just acting upon my own impulses.” The mysterious girl confessed.
The half-elf then thought back to the incident of eerie lights that took place earlier.
“That voice from back then… it was her’s, I’m sure of it. But then, does that also mean she was the one who really caused that panic, too?” she thought.
She attempted to inquire about the incident prior to her collapse, but she was immediately cut off.
“Well, I believe it would be best if you stay here for the time being, then. I doubt it will be safe for you out there with those violent children out there.” the mysterious girl suggested.
She then turned her head and let out a long sigh.
“It’s too cruel… that misfortune would lead people, especially children to become that way… resorting to such things for whatever reason they think is necessary. The thought of anyone becoming so twisted alone is scary... I truly hope this sort of taint isn’t more infectious in growth for the sake of so many… especially him…” she uttered to herself.
The commentary seemed to struck a nerve with the half-elf urchin, along with a curiosity.
“Wait… does she think---?“
“In any case, if you have any family to speak of, could you tell me where they reside? I’d at least like to let them know you’re okay in case you end up spending the night.” The caretaker explained.
“Those guys were my family…” the half-elf confessed.
“What?”
The mystery girl nearly fell back hearing this.
“The way they were treating me… it’s nothing out of the ordinary whenever they get upset with me. It’s even worse when it seems to them I’m making a fuss over it. Otherwise, they just laugh and stare at me… like the strange pointy-eared freak I am. Right now I just try to be nice to them and hope they’ll be okay with me eventually…” the half-elf confessed.
“R-really? So that’s why there were a few scars and scrapes harder to heal then others… oh… my…”
The mysterious girl sounded faint, but she recovered quickly enough.
“But that sort of treatment surely can’t be condoned by your guardian… they’re doing this to you in secret?” she asked.
“Sort of… the grown-ups that look after us don’t really pay attention to these sort of things between us children. I tried telling them once, but they thought I made it up because no one else agreed with me. And once everybody finds out, they get mad at me for being a tattle-tale.” The half-elf explained.
“That’s… like there’s no way out…” the mysterious girl answered dreadfully.
The distraught half-elf nodded.
“It’s… all because I’m a pointy-haired freak… and now I know I’m a “mutt”… a “half-breed”… whatever those are… it’s all the same, isn’t it? It still makes me something disgusting, right?” she said while hear eyes swelled.
“Don’t say that…” the mysterious girl uttered solemnly.
Her body started trembling. She then clutched her head.
“This is wrong… all of it is all too wrong… so much history has already taken place to stop this. I learned it myself… we’ve all worked together in the past so many times to preserve what is precious to us… and now we’re all working hard to retain that unity we’ve found. I’ve seen it… the many beings of this world, all happy together in one place, and yet in this one little town, children my age ganged up on a half-elf for their own pleasure…. why…?”
The girl’s trembling intensified. She started folding her arms as if she had caught a chill. The half-elf wasn’t quite sure, but she could’ve sworn she noticed a hint of horror in the girl’s face.
“Uh… Miss…”
“Don’t you dare say your life is worthless!” the mysterious girl suddenly cried.
The half-elf nearly fell back in bed from surprise, but she was swiftly caught by her caretaker’s soft grasp.
“I can’t allow it… never…” the mysterious girl barely uttered.
The half-elf felt an odd mix of warmth and sorrow in her embrace. A few tears ended up landing on her lap. She looked long and hard at the watery orbs that shone on her caretaker’s shaded face.
“… Did something happen to you before?” the half-elf asked reluctantly.
The mysterious girl paused for a moment, then backed off slightly and bowed her head.
“I’m sorry… I’d rather not talk about it… i-it’s…. too…”
The half-elf nodded.
“I understand...” she answered sympathetically.
She then moved in a little closer and smiled.
“This is the first time someone’s ever held me like this before. is this what it’s like to have a sister that cares for you?”
For awhile, the young half-elf remained in relieved silence as she accepted the mysterious girl’s embrace. Eventually, previous curiosities came to her once more.
“Um… that magic that drove away the others earlier. Was that you doing it?” she asked suddenly.
Again, the mysterious girl loosened her grip and backed off.
“Er, no… that wasn’t magic. Actually, it’s a mental power I possess. I’m a psychic, you see.” She explained.
“A psychic?”
The mysterious girl nodded.
“I can influence and sense things from afar… I can even read minds, and observe the future… or at least part of what I’m allowed to see.”
The half-elf looked at the self-proclaimed psychic as she then turned her head and breathed a sigh of relief.
“I’m glad I didn’t have resort to more drastic measures in that whole thing… I swore not to hurt anyone earlier on, and I shutter to think what would have had to happen if they didn’t leave.”
“You weren’t going to hurt them after all? But… didn’t you tell them harm would come there way if they didn’t leave?” the half-elf asked.
“Oh, that is what I told them. But truthfully, I never said I would be the cause of their harm. I suppose it worked out for the best not telling them I was a pacifist, didn’t it?” the mysterious girl replied with a grin.
The half-elf glared at her acquaintance in utter disbelief until she started giggling. Soon enough, both were caught in a personal laughing fit.
“Oh, my… come to think of it, I never did introduce myself properly, did I?” the mysterious girl realized. “I’m sorry. Anyway, my name is --------, it’s my pleasure to meet you.
“What? Her name? How did I miss it? I have to ask her!” the half-elf thought.
Oddly enough, her mind did not quite register with the rest of her body as she opened up her mouth.
“I-I’m sorry, but… I don’t have a name of my own. No one bothered to name me yet.” She said shamefully.
“It’s alright… I’m sure you’ll be given a name you’ll appreciate someday.” The mystery girl replied.
“No! HER name! I want to know your name!” the half-elf thought desperately.
However, her troubled thoughts faded out immediately.
“…you said earlier you can see the future, right?” she said aloud.
“Yes, but I’m not omniscient. I cannot see most fates completely, but why?” the young psychic asked.
“Can you… maybe give me a reading? I just want to know what hope I have to look forward to in the future if you can tell me.” The half-elf asked.
The psychic girl tilted her head slightly, and then nodded.
“I’ll see what I can do.” She said with a smile.
She then drew in a deep breath and appeared to be in deep concentration.
“How interesting…” she uttered softly.
“What? What is it?” the unnamed half-elf cried.
“I see a well-meaning family coming… a father, his wife, and their daughter… she appears older than you…” the girl psychic proclaimed.
“An older sister?” the half-elf repeated. She sounded half excited, yet half afraid.
“And then there is a school deep in the mountains… you look like you’re having fun with the magic arts there...” the psychic continued.
“A magic academy? Will I be a good magic user?” the half-elf cried.
“You appear very gifted and quite powerful, actually.” The clairvoyant girl replied.
The hopeful half-elf then looked upward in anticipation.
“I… I can’t believe it. Me? A powerful mage? But I thought magic-types are born knowing how to release it! I guess this magic stuff is more complicated if you have to learn it first…” she thought to herself excitedly.
“However, you will run into someone who will challenge your power. This someone will become a great friend of yours. You may actually grow more powerful in time thanks to her.” The psychic girl added.
The last comment perked up the curious half-elf’s ears.
“Another friend?” she thought with great hope.
“So, I’ll be able to become very strong with magic, and make some friends at school in the future?!” she exclaimed.
“It depends. What do you consider strength?” the mysterious psychic asked.
The half-elf looked perplexed.
“Huh?”
“What do you think strength is? I guess it’s a strange question, but I’ve been wondering about it myself for a long time.” The psychic clarified.
“Strength is supposed to be power, right? So the one who holds more power in whatever will be the stronger person? I guess this means right now I’m weak by allowing myself to get picked on, huh?” the half-elf replied.
Suddenly, the girl wore a warm, nostalgic smile.
“Yes, that’s one definition, but I believe other people have see strength differently.
As early as I can remember, a dear friend had told me I was “strongest person” he has ever known.” “I never quite got what he meant back then, but I think I’m beginning to understand…” she continued softly.
“Really?” the half-elf said aloud. “Well, you were pretty strong back there, standing up to my orphan family like that.”
“Thank you…” the psychic girl answered. “But I think I want to get to know the kind of strength my friend spoke to me about. By the way he put it, I don’t think it’s a typical kind of strength, but he did see it as something special about me…”
Suddenly, part of the mysterious girl’s head became more visible, revealing a white lily right by the portion of hair she stroked.
“Well, I don’t know what he meant, but I think he’s right about you in a way.” The half-elf girl replied. “I mean, you did stand up to them for me. You were scary back then, but it was because you were acting a little tough. To be honest, I was a little impressed, too.” The half-elf confessed.
“I see…” the mysterious girl grinned. “But I think I want to think over the sort of strength my friend spoke about. I don’t think it was an intimidating strength that he spoke of, and that interests me…”
The young half-elf leaned her body to the side and gazed curiosity.
“So… what kind of person was this friend of yours, anyway?” she asked.
The mysterious psychic’s hand maneuvered closer to the white flower adorning her hair.
“He’s a very kind person…” She answered warmly.
The half-elf nodded vigorously and gave a bright smile.
“Then he must be a really good friend, huh?” she chirped.
“Yes, he is…” the young psychic replied with a nod.
For a minute, she stared off in empty space, caught up in a daze.
“Say, I don’t know if you caught in my vision, but would you mind telling me my name?” the half-elf asked suddenly.
The psychic immediately returned to reality.
“Wh-what? Your name?” she asked.
The half-elf nodded.
“Like I said, I don’t have a name right now… but if I’m going to have a family later on, they’ll name me, right? I want to know my name… I want to know who I am.” She explained.
“Oh, yes… I actually caught a hold of your name during the vision, but it’s something you’ll eventually receive if you can wait a year, when your family will finally come for you.” The psychic explained.
“A year…?” the half-elf uttered with choked excitement.
“Yes, all that I have foreseen will begin to run its course for you that soon…er, if you consider a year a bearable amount of time to wait.” The psychic answered. “I’m sorry to say this, but my family is travelling the world, so I cannot aid you during that time of wait while your orphan siblings might harass you once they find you you’re alright.”
“Then you have to tell me now!” the half-elf exclaimed, “I always wanted a name I’d love… and maybe knowing that will be enough to keep me going through the year.”
The psychic nodded back.
“Okay, if you insist, then I will tell you.” She answered back.
Just when she opened her mouth to speak the half-elf’ destined name, a strange sensation overwhelmed the eager girl.
“Reina…” a young woman’s voice echoed in her mind.
“That name… is it mine? It does sound familiar to me, somehow…” the half-elf thought.
Everything around was gradually being enveloped by darkness.
“Reina…?” the young woman’s voice echoed again.
The psychic’s mouth appeared to move in sync with the ethereal voice before her entire form faded.
“Yes? Is that it?” the half-elf thought to herself.
Suddenly, she was surrounded by endless darkness until all that remained was her acquaintance’s white lily.
“Reina?” the same voice echoed once more, nearly booming in her mind this time.
In an instant, her entire world felt as if it rocked back and forth. In response, she closed her eyes and reopened them to find herself camping in the calm wilderness on a cool, sunny day. She then took a brief look at herself and noticed she was in a cream-colored garment with long, sagging sleeves.
A few scattered trees lodged in a rocky floor made up her environment. Finally, her eyes met with an older, pointy-eared elf girl with long blonde hair and earnest sapphire eyes. She wore an ornate white short-sleeved robe adorned with ruby embroidery.
“Rose?” the half-elf muttered tiredly while rubbing her eyes.
“Wow, Reina! You were sleeping deeply just a moment ago… what were you dreaming about that made this time so special, anyway?” the young lady named Rose asked.
“It was a memory from long ago, actually…” Reina replied.
“Was it a good memory?” Rose asked.
“...Kind of…” Reina answered reluctantly.
Her companion gave her a brief look of concern before she shrugged it off.
“Alright, if you say so. I just hope you don’t have any sleeping troubles in the future.” She responded.
Rose then picked herself off the ground. She then took a few paces towards a cliff and looked off into the distance.
“Well, I’d say we’re making good progress so far! I couldn’t tell in the darkness, but we’ve made it pretty close to the city of Sorel!” she cried.
“Really?!” Reina exclaimed.
Immediately, she leapt out of her sleeping spot to join Rose in her sightseeing.
“Where?”
“It’s just right over there. See where the big tower is?” Rose said while pointing out a structure taller than its surrounding area.
“That’s Sorel?” Reina asked.
Rose nodded.
“Yep! If your leads are right, we should be able to catch up with your old friend in no time! We just have to find a good trail leading out of these mountains, and then take the road leading straight there.” she explained.
Upon hearing this, Reina threw her arms in the air and leapt about in a burst of energy.
“Yay! Finally!” she cried.
Suddenly, a devious glint shone in the eager half-elf’s eyes.
“That Kali… I owe her so much from the last fight! How dare it end in a stupid draw? No! This time there will be a winner, and it’ll be me! TAKE THAT, STUPID KALI!”
Her body trembled in anticipation of her desired confrontation with a clutched fist, while Rose looked on in confusion.
“Ah, uh… we are meeting an old friend of yours, right? I don’t know if I’m getting the right impression, but I’m sensing some… bloodlust from you or something.” Rose said reluctantly.
Immediately, Reina turned around with appropriate posture and an innocent grin.
“Oh, she is a friend! I just haven’t seen her for awhile, you know?” she answered in a cutesy tone.
“Em… alright…” Rose answered.
She then turned back and scouted the surrounding area for a bit until something caught her eye.
“Huh… this is an interesting surprise.” Rose said to herself.
Reina quickly rushed over to her companion’s side.
“What? What is it?” Reina asked.
“With the chilly climate of this place, I didn’t expect this sort of flower to even exist in this kind of place! I guess the mountain decided to be especially generous to its plant life.” Rose proclaimed as he showed off a white flower growing in a patch of grass.
Reina’s eyes widened when she saw the surviving flower for herself.
“... A white lily?” she uttered quietly.
Suddenly, her mind recalled the face of the girl that had helped her in the best. The gentle psychic’s prism-like eyes gazed back tenderly as she wore a kindly smile.
“Reina? Did you say something?” Rose asked curiously.
The dazed half-elf quickly turned her head?
“What? Oh… I was just remembering something, that’s all.” Reina chirped while she held her had bashfully.
“Oh, okay. Anyway, the white lily… such a beautiful flower, isn’t it?” Rose said in awe.
“Yes… yes it is.” Reina in agreement.
After observing the thriving wonder for a few moments, Rose turned back towards the camp.
“We might as well pack up now. As great as the atmosphere is, it would be really bad to get caught in bad weather around this place.” She said with a sigh. “Let’s get our things.”
“Right.” Reina replied with a nod.
As Rose begun packing up, Reina gazed upon the flower fondly one last time.
“Well, it’s been five years, and my life has changed as you said. With all that time, I think I’ve finally found what strength is for me. After living under those harsh kids at the orphanage, I decided never to give in as I once did so easily. I already lived long enough to gain this good life of mine, and I’m not going to give it all up. I hope you don’t mind my reasoning, Miss Yula…”
Reina then gave a quick nod before turning back to pack up her own things.
“Coming, Rose!!!”
And so, the travelling pair made preparations for the journey ahead, with hopes and dreams of the future held tightly in their hearts…
 Chicken Yuki · Tue Nov 13, 2007 @ 11:23pm · 0 Comments |
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