Princess Ceci immediately rushed to the whimpering wolf and draped her arms around Kiera in comfort. "I'm sorry baby." She nudged her face into soft white fur and muttered her apologies. Kiera rested her giant head on the princess's shoulder and tried to muffle her cries. Princess Ceci released her summon; Kiera disappeared in a twinkling glitter of light.
She then veered around, anger dancing dangerously in those ruby eyes. Gold sparkles crackled all around her vermillion hair, "He who dares hurt my child, show yourself to me at once, and face your punishment!"
But what kind of fool would reveal themselves to a riled Princess Ceci? She stomped her feet, little cracks ripped through the paved road beneath her feet. Flames licked her heels. But no matter how much she fumed. No matter how much she shouted, not a soul responded.
"Come out, you coward!" She raised her palm, glowing with the threat of magic.
Finally, a familiar voice echoed in the air that seemed to come from all directions, "I wouldn't do that now, Your Highness." It came with a low chuckle. It was a seasoned voice, one of a man past the years of his prime. She knew this voice and knew the owner of that Colored-Dream that attacked her precious Kiera much too well.
"June! Don't think I will let your transgressions past!" She unleashed the power in her palm. A powerful surge of flames erupted and fanned out a terrifying pulse around her. The nearby buildings trembled and shook. The poor little bakery behind her crumpled to the ground. A cloud of debris enveloped her but Princess Ceci didn't care. She pushed out another pulse of fire, weaker this time, only to dissipate the dust.
"There's no need to throw a tantrum for a thing as trivial as this. Has your father not taught you well?" The voice was gentle in the way that both scolded and mocked which only made the Princess's anger bloom brighter.
She shouted and stomped her feet this time, and the whole road became lined with glowing red cracks. The entire city was trembling and yet no citizen could be heard crying in alarm. They were oddly calm…except maybe one. The brooch on Princess Ceci's chest was beeping aggressively and she almost didn't accept March's call.
Maybe she shouldn't have, because the words she hissed at him were angry and rude, "What do you want?"
"Princess? Are you okay? The entire city is shaking and I can see that you've doubled your enchantments."
"He's here!" She roared at him, "That bastard is here!"
She raised her hand again and more fire raged. An energy force even more powerful was sent out. A large boom resounded over the sky and builds crumpled to the ground, one by one.
"What!? I can't hear you!" March shouted over the brooch, "Who's there? Hey, Princess!"
She was angry! She was so so angry! "It's June!" She shouted, "That bastard June is here! Why won't he die!? He never stays dead, does he? I hate him so much!"
"What? Shit-" The line went dead. Princess Ceci cut him off. She didn't want to hear March's leveled voice, didn't want to bear his questions nor his reasons. Instead, she unleashed her rage upon the city in merciless waves until she stood in a circle of destruction and debris. Proud buildings were reduced to nothing but a large heap of rubble. Flickers of fire blazed upon the ravaged land.
June did this to her. June never failed to make her see red. He was a man she hated more than anything in the world and he was a man that she despised more than the leader of Kaleidoscope. In her eyes, he might as well have been the mastermind behind all the wrongs in the world!
How dare he show himself to her and expect nothing but destruction!? How dare he!?
Princess Ceci's breaths came out in heavy rasps. And it was only the cries of a young child that snapped her out of her stupor. She looked around and saw the horror of her own rage. All the buildings around her were flattened. The ground as well became distorted and uneven, long jagged cracks parted each section. She stepped over the remnants of a wooden beam and made her way to the sound.
It was coming from below the tiles of a collapsed rooftop. She flicked her wrist and summoned a giant eagle that she ordered to lift up the fallen roof.
Underneath, tucked within a nest of rubble, was a young girl covered in scrapes and bruises. She cried and cried for her mommy and her daddy but they were nowhere to be found.
"...Come here." Princess Ceci knelt down and opened her arms for an embrace. She forced the rage within her to quell and put on a soft, comforting smile. The girl sniffled and looked at the Princess through lashed matted with tears. And when she saw Princess Ceci's beautiful and dazzling appearance, the child cried even harder, her little body trembling like a leaf.
Princess Ceci was at a loss. This little girl…couldn't be Kaleidoscope, could she? No, no there was no way, she was much too young. "Fami," the princess addressed the giant eagle, "You're scaring her."
Fami bowed her head, as though apologetic. She put down the roof she was holding up and disappeared in a veil of glowing lights. Princess Ceci looked back at the child and tried with a gentle, placating tone, "It's okay dear, everything will be alright. Please don't cry."
But the child still kept crying and would stop even with Fami gone. The princess felt sorry and lost. She wrecked her mind in search of words, "Please come here. I'll find your parents for you, I swear. Okay? So don't be sad anymore. If you're hurt I can make your pain go away as well!" She chirped at the girl.
And though the girl kept crying, her sobs were softer now, so Princess Ceci took this as a sign of encouragement. She slid off her red jacket and draped it over the little girl's shoulders. Teary brown eyes trembled as they looked upon her. The Princess smiled. She took a finger and pressed it against the girl's little button nose. "Pain, pain go away," she singsonged.
An ember glow surrounded them and soon the girl's scrapes and bruises disappeared. She blinked at the princess with wonder and awe dancing is her big doe eyes.
Ceci giggled then offered the girl her hand. This time, the child took it readily.
Somewhere in the distance, June was leaning against the stubborn stone walls of an old church that refused to crumble even in the wake of destruction. He was an older man, with age lining his face in a way that showed he was a person that spent most of his life smiling. He wasn't that tall and had a soothing presence, like a gentle father figure or a teacher. His peppered hair was shoulder length and tied back in a low ponytail. There was a little scar on the right side of his chin that was outlined by the gray stubble that grew around it.
A young man was standing next to this older man and couldn't stop pushing his glasses up his nose bridge over and over again. He was probably a little nervous having witnessed the terrifying and terrible might of the Sorceress Princess. "Is it really okay to leave her like that? I seriously thought we were going to die back there…"
June's laughter was deep and hearty as he placed a reassuring hand on the young man's shoulder, "Don't worry Hugo, this old man can't die yet. After all, I still have an important plot point to fulfill."
Hugo glared at him with confusion in his eyes but the older man only smirked, "It's called plot armor, son. You'll come to understand it one day, should you survive long enough."