it's been two days since I met that stranger... I didn't tell big sis about it because I thought she'd get mad at me. I told them that I'm going out alone, I'm surprised they allowed me...
now... where is he?... I don't think he'll be here but... I'm just curious... who was he really?
I sit down in the place where I met him, just outside the large building where big sis bought me some chocolates... it's quite boring just being outside so I bought something... that looks like the chocolate that I bought
「-------」
I don't understand what they're saying but I could just hand them money right?
「---... !! ---- ----」
she gave me candy too... I bought the chocolate that I drank yesterday and a couple of bonuses too...
everyone looks friendly when you look at them from a distance... there's a few fighting in the distance but it looked like they were training like the soldiers, mommy and daddy commands...
"so big sis was talking about this... no one looks dangerous..."
I walk around the park and found myself in front of the large building last time I got lost...
"I wonder if I can enter here..."
so I did... I entered and I got greeted pretty warmly.... even if I'm not one of them nor do I understand them... the greeting the people in the back of the table is quite warm... it's like they don't show any hostilities...
「----...」
「... ---... --」
I still don't understand them... but it doesn't seem to harm me... it's just whispering but it feels... uncomfortable...
I walk to the lady in the back of the desk... she's telling me something but I don't understand...
"I... don't understand you..."
I know she doesn't understand but she took something that looks like it can be drawn... sh draws something in the paper with quite pride...
"it's like... aunt Rin..."
she finished her drawing and she drew a diagram of some sort... I get the picture of lost... so she's telling me if I'm lost? I shake my head and she smiles... quite... warmly, like mommy's smile...
she's telling me something again... but slowly... it's... like a name...
「P.H.I.L.I.A. ----?」
it's like... she's telling me a word... is it?
"...Philia..." I say it to him and she took a smile of joy and the other people were surprised...
she says the word again but pointing at herself... so... it's a name?...
"Phil-...ia... Philia?"
she nods her head and then points to me... is she asking for my name?...
I utter my name silently... I don't know if they'll understand... "... Osiria..."
「Osiria----- ---- Philia---- -----」
I... only understood the names... but... it looks like a handshake... I hold her hands but she holds it longer then I thought...
「----... -----!」
ouch! that... hurts...
「!!--- ---.. -----」
she's bowing her head... no... it's not her fault... I'm... fragile in the first place...
a couple of people dashed to where we were and immediately took care of my hand... even shouting to the lady I was with lightly...
it's... they're nice...
a person entered the building... it's... that guy! I walk towards him-
"you... who are you?..."
"ehh-? ahh... did I not say my name last time we met? sorry, I'm Phaedra just call me Fei"
Fei... it's a girl's name... but... it suits him... somehow...
-----------------
"you know her? sir? no-no, better yet, you can understand her!?"
"well, I was the same as them until I got reincarnated here, quite a surprise I might say, is she lost?"
"it doesn't seem like it... we were just having fun learning about her...
"until some person injured her. honestly, I know she's cute but lay it low, she's not a dog"
ahh... so they were arguing about that... well, I wouldn't say that she's not wrong
"so? did you have any request sir?"
"ahh, not today. I was just curious about some rumors of a child walking about in the area"
rumors spread fast here huh...
"Is that so... well then, please take care of that child for us please? no one in this server are bad guys and it's unlikely for her to get bullied or kidnapped since everyone in this place are quite righteous in their own but it's still better if she has someone looking out for her"
"well... I was curious about herr in the first place too. I'll be taking care of her from here on then"
"yes, thank you for your cooperation, thank you, sir Fei"
I walk out the building holding her hand and but... it seems like she doesn't want to
"are you lost? why are you out without a guardian?"
"I was searching for you... I didn't know your name and I was going to ask if you have any stories about my parent's creator..."
"ahh... so you know that you're adopted?"
she nods, she's quite strong
"I wasn't born held by their hands... when I came to, I was alone... I didn't know who my parents was... alone in the middle of nowhere... until some people found me and took me to be a slave... but they were nice... until the time where the fallen attacked my owner's mansion and died... the parents that adopted me right now took me after seeing me and here I am right now..."
that's... quite the harsh story for a child...
"well, why don't we sit down for a second? I'll tell you a story of your parents from a long time ago, want to hear it?"
she nods her head
"alright then. it all started in a dark day-"
-----------------
-40 years ago-
in a dense forest on a dark night
"*cough* ... sorry... Naoya..."
damn it... if only I was faster...
"you don't have to apologize, Mei will be arriving soon for medical back up, just hang in there"
I caress her forehead to assure her... it's... hot...
"just... sleep... you don't need to push yourself..."
. . .
. .
.
her coughing is getting much worse and Mei still hasn't arrived...
"c'mon Mei... where are you when we need you now..."
our comms broke in the middle of fighting the ancient curse dragon Fronvel... and now that we don't have a way of contacting Mei... we might have to wait for a long time... I... can't maintain my blood flow any longer if we keep waiting here vulnerable...
------------
"Damn it you! just die!"
blood splatter could be heard everywhere. groans and screams of monsters. nothing else was audible, not a single one...
"that's... the last of them..."
I look into Liliya who was unconsciously creating not whit but red and blue petals... darker than it could ever be...
I touch her forehead but she wasn't getting any better...
"don't worry.... everything will be fine..."
the poison... if only...
. . .
. .
.
her breathing is getting coarse... it's been 2 hours and Mei still hasn't arrived...
!! "who goes there!?"
a... monster?- I point my sword at him but... "Gah-! shit... not now..." my blood's... no...
"shit... if I can't use that then-" I take Liliya's great Jade sword and aim it at the monster
"step away from the girl"
. . .
. .
.
I'm... Panting heavily but that's not enough to let her die like this...
"step back... I'm warning you..."
it does what I tell it... good...
I... don't have enough energy to fight... just... step away from her...
gah-... I'm... losing consciousness...
"no... Liliya..."
- - -
"huh?... what..."
my... arm's tended... who-
"you- gah-..."
that's... the monster... no, I can't let it...
"step away from her! I'm warning you!"
damn it... if only-
the monster's tending to Liliya... what... is it doing?
"a-... what are..."
I take a closer inspection of it... it's an Albino Ursa... not only that... it also has a companion...
"a...- an Ethereal butterfly..."
I finally gain control of my body... barely making normal movements, I walk to Liliya's side
"thank... you... but... why?"
the Ursa doesn't reply... more rather, the butterfly gives me some flowers
"these are... Lightning flowers... the rarest breed... how-"
monsters! more of them!
"damn it- come at me you bastards!"
I take the jade sword again but... I can't... it's... too heavy...
with a deafening roar, the Ursa screeched scaring the monsters...
"thank you... once again..."
I can't... move anymore...
I collapse in the soft grass unconscious... if that Ursa is kind enough to protect us... then I can rest assured...
. . .
. .
.
"Na-... ..-ya... Naoy-... NAOYA! wake up for fuck sake!"
with a deafening shout... I wake up in a cave...
"haahh... you're awake... thank goodness"
"L-Liliya!? you're fine!?"
"yeah... thankfully the poison finally subsided... glad it wasn't as lethal as I thought... how about you? when I came to, you were unconscious... I was worried you know"
"I was... protecting you... until an albino came and tended to us..."
"albino? you're kidding right?"
"huh? it's true... I don't have any reason to lie"
"true... I wouldn't imagine you lying anyway... you were probably hallucinating... did you eat something weird?"
why... she doesn't believe me?
we walk back to our outpost explaining how we were still alive and about that albino Ursa and...
Albino Ursas weren't supposed to exist... if they did, they would've died from over absorbing Ether... let alone an Ethereal butterfly... that was the first time she ever heard such a thing...
. . .
. .
.
after we came back, Mei apologized even bowing even lower than she'd usually do. Mei leaving us to die was something inexcusable so I asked her why she didn't do anything
"I... was inspecting a new form of race... I heard your calls too late so I was about to dispatch myself but... thankfully you're all alright. if you can find it in your hearts to forgive me... please..."
I... haven't seen Mei like this... this is the first time she has ever apologized for this deeply... Liliya was annoyed but, she let it slide and we were back to our usual.
-------------
. . .
"why... so abrupt? I didn't get most of it..."
"that's to be expected, I didn't give any meaning to it, everything I said was half fiction"
Osiria was shocked... she's quite easy to annoy huh... well, she is a child
"Osiria, not every story has a meaning, nor does it have to be a good one, a simple story can create someone's day while others might disappoint. if an ending was too abrupt or there was a cliffhanger that no one wants, why don't you change it? make it your own? change it however you want in your own setting. who knows? maybe you could please a couple of people?"
I pat her head and stand with her hand.
"Yosh, why don't we take a visit to someplace? it's a special place that only people I want can enter"
she nods her head slightly and I transformed the world around us into a familiar setting
she's... in awe, quite so, this would be a surprise for most people
"this... is Laplace?"
"yes, the old world to be exact"
we're in a hill with a pink tree just to the side, the usual.
"this... that-... that's mommy!"
"you are correct but does something look different?"
she walks towards a bit but we get spotted, the young girl immediately aimed her sword at us without hesitation
"who are you lot!? leave this place, you have no business here!"
"relax relax, we'll leave the moment we're done here, are you fine with that?"
she's not having it... well, they're as normal as it gets
"state your reasons here, both of you"
"fine, we'll leave, come Osiria"
we walk to the back street where the forest is, Osiria look like she made an accident
"wait... does this mean we changed the past!? what will happen to me!?"
"haha, while some other people will think of that, there's not much reason to worry, this is my pocket world, just a place where it's its own place, nothing will change, everything is static"
she seems relieved, sighing in relief, she asks me-
"then... can we watch on what my parents look like when they were children?"
"of course, there's no harm in that. but, we'll have to continue everything next time we meet"
the world fades back to where we were and time slowly resumes
"mm... not fair..."
haha... giving me light punches won't help.
"oh! I know, why don't you keep this?"
I hand her something from the pocket world-
"it's-"
"a butterfly, cute right? she won't run away or travel alone, she'll always be on your side. just tap on her and I'll be beside you a moment later"
such a cute child...
----------------------
ah-... he left...
"he's weird... but... I got to see my mommy when she was a child... that... was nice..."
this butterfly... the body and white silver wings is... beautiful...
"can't wait to show this to big bro and big sis