The storm clouds that had rolled in before they began the pact had long since left the sky, however, the smell of rain still lingered. Q knew he had been awake for a while now, but he couldn't bring himself to move. He was really comfortable resting on her lap and she didn't seem to mind it either. Mikiyu-Mi's angular ears were now freed from her hood and her hair was lightly tossed by the wind. Mikiyu-Mi's face held a nervous expression as she watched Q.
"Hey, Mikiyu…" Mikiyu-Mi stopped playing with his hair as she cut him off. "If you would call me Miki again, I'd appreciate that."
She shifted her gaze to the side. Q thought back to the memories he just went through. Ah yeah, that is how I addressed her. I guess we were at least friends. He turned his head away from her as he was now blushing. "Miki, could we stay like this for a little bit? It feels… right."
He hadn't felt this vulnerable in a long time. Even though he currently barely knew this woman letting him lay on her lap, he couldn't bring himself to move. It was a familiar feeling. What exactly am I to her and why is she so worried about me hating her? Q was determined to know. He shifted his gaze back to Miki as words began to leave his lips, she spoke.
"You promised you wouldn't let me die, but what you did was far worse! You died! I felt your gate close. I gave you a proper burial but when I visited your grave it was dug up. I looked for your body. When I finally find you, it turns out you were alive and you forgot about me! You said you'd help carry my burden and you left me alone! I was alone for twenty years until you came along! That was the best year of my life and then you just up and leave! I've searched for nine long months and when we crossed paths again, you don't even remember me. Yeah, I said stay away from me, but I don't want to lose you again. Seeing you alive after all this time made me feel so many emotions I wasn't ready for. I never got to accept that you died Q. After your body disappeared, I always had hope… But now I'm wondering if it was a mistake to say anything to you."
Her tears came crashing down, the mana around her started to become unstable. The Miki he had been talking to gave way to a girl who had her heart broken. Q wasn't expecting this turn of events, panicking he thought to himself, I don't know how to fix this. Q's chest hurt while he helplessly watched her cry. Her words turned into incoherent babbling. "Bwaaaaaaaah!"
Q's body moved on its own accord wrapping his arms around her, pulling her in to comfort her. Gently he petted her head. Initially she started to push him away, but instead she leaned into him sobbing even harder. I can't watch this. Q's heart was banging against his chest and his stomach was constantly flopping. He couldn't put his finger on the feeling. Is this obligation I'm feeling? Fear? No… He knew it was a mixture of shared pain and his own guilt. He still couldn't remember why he felt that way. It's not because he let her die. She was obviously alive. Otherwise how could she break down as he embraced her? Did it really matter though? His heart swelled. He couldn't remember the last time he felt that way.
"Miki, thank you for working so hard to find me. I can't begin to imagine how difficult this has been for you." Sniffling Miki spoke in between hiccups, "You remember then?"
"Nah, not really. My memories haven't really come back to me, but I do remember I had feelings for you." She moved her head away from his chest to get a better view of his face. She knew he was being truthful.
"You dummy."
As Q continued to console Miki, she wouldn't stop bawling. However the tears that escaped her eyes were no longer tears of misery but relief instead. After what felt like an eternity Q stood up and extended his hand to Miki. His eyes seemed to be glowing in the limited light left by dusk.
"I may not remember much but I'd like you to come back with me to The Fool's Errand. We can talk more there and fill the others in." She accepted his hand and with a tug he pulled her up. Leaning against him, she wiped off her face.
"Yes, I think that is wise. I'm sure your friends are starting to get worried about you."
Q letting out a faint chuckle, shrugged. He knew Ganon wouldn't be the slightest bit worried about him. Eulissa on the other hand was probably freaking out. The thought of that made him smirk. It would be nice to see a concerned Eulissa for once. The two headed back to central Newhaven. As the sun set further, the streetlights powered by lumenshards grew brighter. The entire way back Miki refused to let go of his hand, worried he might disappear again. After walking in silence they finally arrived at their destination.
"We're back! Which one of you degenerates missed me?" Q shouted as he burst through the doors of The Fool's Errand. He was greeted by the collection of adventurers and town guards. Eulissa and Ganon were both still by the bar.
"Ayeee. Welcome back kid!"
"Q, you shouldn't be walking around with a pretty lady like that. You might ruin her reputation!"
"Yeah! Some of your stupidity might rub off on her!" With each jab taken at Q, his face slowly turned sour. So it's like that, huh? Finally the crowd settled and went back to their meals. The sound of plates clattering, hearty laughter and merry adventurers helped Q relax. There wasn't anything in this world Q enjoyed more than the mood at The Fool's Errand. I wish they were here to see this. Ganon approached Q clearly distraught.
"You alright bro? You were gone forever. I almost went to Emma and the guards!" Ganon froze. His head unnaturally turned as he leaned closer to the pair. His amber eyes fixated on them holding hands. He gripped his chin with his thumb and pointer finger, thus striking a marvelous thinking pose. Q, noticing this, tried to yank his hand from Miki but she held his hand even tighter as though she would break it. He swiveled his head to look back at her and began to sweat. She made direct eye contact and began pouting. This was clearly her making a silent protest to Q. He looked back at Ganon who still locked his eyes on their hands. Finally Q sighed and shrugged. He couldn't tell if Ganon was judging them or if he was just so shocked his face broke.
"So, yeah, Ganon we talked a bit."
Right on cue Ganon burst out laughing. Holding his sides he started pointing at the two awkwardly standing before him. He began shouting at the patrons.
"HAHAHA! Eulissa, you won't believe this! I was worried for nothing! Turns out instead of being in trouble he found a girl that would actually give him the time of day!"
He danced away boasting and laughing. The two of them stood there horrified from embarrassment. Eulissa was giving Miki the death stare while cleaning a glass behind the bar. A dish tumbled off the counter onto the ground unnoticed. Her half-brother Euron was watching his half-sister from the side of his eyes from the kitchen. Q finally noticed Eulissa's glare and decided he might as well deal with this now. He knew Eulissa must have been worried sick for his safety. He turned back to Miki and pointed to the barstools.
"You hungry? Euron makes some mean grub."
Mikiyu nodded but didn't speak. Q wasn't too sure what to say to her but he'd figure that out along the way. They walked over to the bar and Miki finally released him from her grasp. Finally! He thought his hand would be crippled if she continued holding it. The throbbing sensation from her deathgrip was nothing short of impressive. Just how strong is this chick? Amused he figured it best to keep that comment to himself to prevent further injury. As they took their seats, he noticed her eyes light up. She was staring at the blade hanging behind the counter above the drinks.
"I know that energy! That's Koko!"
"Wait what? Who is Koko?"
Her eyes pierced through Q annoyed, she thought for a moment and then sighed. She was still upset, but she was trying to be understanding since he still had holes in his memory. A moment later she spoke, her voice smooth like a sugarmelon.
"Koko is a fledgling Ennobled. She made a pact with you over a year ago. I can understand forgetting me but forgetting someone literally tied to your soul is…well, it's a new level of stupidity."
"Ouch. But isn't soul tethering impossible? Last I heard all practitioners of that style of pact magic have long since passed away."
Miki nodded and shrugged. She lowered her head examining the mahogany bar. Its high craftsmanship became quickly apparent. Even though this tavern was always busy it didn't have a single scratch or ding on it. She folded her hands in her lap before she looked back at the blade. Her face wore a regretful expression as she spoke.
"Of course that's the most common practice here in Leroy's Cradle. Communication, conditional and power pacts are the easiest to pull off." Eulissa walked over to take their order briefly interrupting their conversation. After they picked their meals, she delivered the list to Euron.
"But the thing is, where I'm from, the practice of soul pacts is handed down through royalty. Of course outsiders wouldn't know this fact."
Eulissa, eavesdropping on the conversation, came back over with drinks and some blast shrimp as appetizers. She sat down across from them, surprising Q, making him jump. Miki, unaffected, picked up her utensils ready to dig in. "Thank you for this blessing!" Eulissa nodded and addressed Q. "It's also a very dangerous pact, dumbass. If this is true, you could unknowingly break the pact since you can't seem to remember fuck. As you should know, breaking pact conditions can close your gate."
"See! I told you Miki! Eulissa would be worried about me! Also, just a heads up Eulissa, you meant to say 'can't remember shit'." Eulissa scowled, giving Q the finger.
"Tch. I wasn't worried. That big buffoon over there was a mess." She pointed towards Ganon with her thumb, grinning. Leaning back she got a coy look on her face. Ganon flinched at the mention of his name. Peering over his shoulder, he started to listen as well.
"I, however, didn't want to lose my top paying customer. Euron would be sad if he couldn't whip up his Euron Special every single night for Ganon."
Q pooled himself into the bar. Weeping, he whined at Eulissa, "Awww. Eulissa, that's so mean! I have feelings too ya know?"
"Facts don't care about your feelings, Q." At this point Q was pancaked into the bar. He had dealt with too many emotions today to withstand Eulissa's verbal barrage. Miki took the first bite of her food, and squealed loudly.
"OH MY! This is delectable!"
Euron, still in the kitchen, let out a victory cry. Eulissa smiled because she knew how much work her brother put into his cooking. She also knew how much he loved being praised. Jokingly she told Miki, "Hey now. If you don't contain your excitement my brother will probably ask you for your hand in marriage!"
"Please ignore her…" Euron shouted from the back, throwing his towel at Eullisa, "...she is just poking fun because she hasn't fully, uh, developed yet!"
Eulissa's smile gave way to a wave of blushes. She stood up quietly, excused herself then charged to the kitchen. Unfortunately for her she tripped over one of the dishes that fell off the bar earlier. Now face first and rump up on the ground, she shrieked. Embarrassed by this turn of events she jumped up again and bolted off.
"I don't think I've ever seen someone that short move that fast."
I can't believe she left that dish there and then forgot about it. He wondered to himself if he could somehow harness that kind of speed boost for himself later. Miki disappointedly asked. "Have I done something to offend her?"
Trying to hold in his laughter, Q placed his hand on Miki's shoulder. Trying not to be disrespectful, he started to explain, "No Miki. She just wants your…" his gaze shifted down to her chest and back up. "....Ahem. Your blessings, if you catch my drift."
Confused, Miki tilted her head to look at her plate. "I gladly would share with Eulissa if she asked. If she's that hungry maybe I should go bring her some shrimp."
Her innocence was unbelievable. Turning away, Q tried to keep his composure. He had to bite his tongue to stop himself from laughing out loud. Even if I had my memories, there is no way I would handle this right. Q waved his hand to dismiss the issue.
"Ahaha, nevermind that, Euron will fix her something later. That aside, could you tell me more about Koko? You also mentioned something about royalty. I'd like to hear more about that."
Miki dropped her fist into her palm as her face grew more excited. Damn! She is seriously cute when she gets going. Q thinking about some of the faces she had made so far made him blush. "I forgot about that! Food always distracts me."
Snorting, Q rolled his eyes. "It's good but it's not that good." Joking, Q poked Miki's cheek smiling, "I already have one of those. I'm not too sure if I want another."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"This big oaf over here," said Q motioning towards Ganon. "Nothing motivates that man quite like food does." Q knew well that Ganon grew up hungry much of the time. He also knows how much food it takes to keep someone of Ganon's size and shape maintained properly. However Q wanted some answers and became laser focused on Miki.
"Anyways, you have my attention."
Mikiyu started to swing her legs from the stool back and forth. Then she turned her body to face Q putting her pointer finger on his lips. "Shhhhh. I think we best save the Koko conversation for another time."
"Another time?"
"Yes I think it would be wise to have this conversation in Terminus."
"That is an unremarkably convenient thing to say. I'm actually going with Ganon to Terminus tomorrow. Originally we were supposed to go today but you happened instead. If it's cool with Ganon, would you like to come with us tomorrow instead?"
"Of course I'd go anywhere with you, darling." Miki's voice danced over each syllable as the words left her lips. Q could tell this was her way of teasing him and it was definitely effective. Her eyes were intent on capturing every moment of him squirming in place. Q's ears became very hot in a matter of seconds. The more he thought about them, the warmer they got. Miki leaned forward to whisper in Q's ear.
"I can answer your question about royalty tonight." Miki raised Q's head slightly and began to lean in for a kiss. Stopping just short to make sure he was on board with it. Q's heart was thumping so fast it could be mistaken for a bassline. Oh no, is she going to kiss me? Does my breath smell? Is this technically my first kiss with her since I don't know if we have before? Wait, why am I letting her kiss me? What if… Q realized Miki was still barely hovering her lips away from his. She grinned the shit eatingest grin you have ever seen before speaking softly.
"I was the Princess of Zetshu's Cradle and you were my Prince to be." Miki leaned back with a smug look on her face. She answered Q's question and got what she wanted. I truly did miss this. All that time searching was worth it, Miki thought, but deep down she still felt regret. How long before peril befalls him again because of me? Miki cleared her mind of all negative thoughts. Let's just see how he feels. Miki spoke again, this time her voice was much more serious.
"Like I said, I am willing to go with you to Terminus. Once there we can discuss Koko more. I want to make one thing absolutely clear. I want you to be with me to carry my burden, that will never change. That being the case, will you let me stay with you? However, do keep in mind you never would have died if it weren't for me."
Q sat in silence, pondering everything Miki just said. His face was completely unreadable. The sound of the tavern door opening and closing echoed in the background as patrons began to clear out. Ganon began helping Eulissa and Euron with the nightly cleaning as they transitioned from guildhall to inn. Eullissa activated one of the lumenshards on the wall to dim the lights. This created a more lax atmosphere for everyone left in the building. Finally, after many minutes Q spoke.
"We were engaged?!
Now Miki was too stunned to speak. She opened her mouth to speak then closed it. Repeating this process a few times until she was able to work out what to say. "Seriously? That is all you have to comment on?"
You could hear Ganon chuckling in the background while he was activating some green lumenshards embedded in tables. As he did each one created a subtle glow before eating away at any grime and garbage on the surface.
Q answered Miki earnestly, "Well, yeah? I mean I'm not dead now. So the whole me dying thing isn't an issue. Even as things stand with or without my memories I'm happy. I can't help but shake the feeling I need you around. So the only thing that really caught me off guard was being engaged. Sorry, I wasn't trying to mock you or anything."
"In that case I will be staying with you moving forward then."
"Yeah, I'm sure Eulissa has a long term room here you can use."
Miki mumbled under her breath as she got up to go talk to Eulissa. "Seperate rooms are unnecessary."
Shortly after, everyone was finishing their duties as Miki spoke alone with Eulissa. One by one everyone retired to their rooms.
***
Keep in mind some of my formatting did not transfer from the original document to WebNovel. So it doesn't represent the final product.
Thank you for reading this chapter of my Light Novel "Alldust: Chronos!" you can find the full version for purchase on Amazon by searching its name or Eon Tempest. I will upload chapters of my work from time to time but I'd appreciate you supporting my work with a review! Thank you!