We go hand in hand, with me wondering what COULD I show her. I ask if there's something that sticks out in her eyes and she points towards a church.
But before we could head there, I remembered something very important.
"Um! Let's go back to the hospital first, I need to do something here!"
"Oh. Okay!" She nods and we both rush towards the hospital.
Carolyn was sorting out the medicine as always and when we arrived, she's a bit surprised to see me with Sol.
"Oh! You're that girl from before!... Um, I mean, hi Fortune! How’s it going?"
"Miss Carolyn... Can I have a day off please? I want to show Sol around the town."
She blinks for a few seconds and then she nervously smiles, regaining some of her composure "Well, if that's the reason - that's fine! You didn't really have to ask me, ehehe~."
"But you said I should arrive every day! Y--" before I could object, she shushes me and smiles now genuinely
"No-no, it's okay. You can take a day off once in a while, and well, you did mention that you have a friend - so it won't hurt to hang out with them while you still can."
"Oh, thank you." I bow and Carolyn looks at Sol "Hello there, what's your name, little one?"
"S-Sol Emerade, Miss." She barks and Carolyn giggles "You must be Fortune's friend. Treat him nicely, okay?" And Sol eagerly nods, saying that she will.
We then decided to look around the hospital for a little while, looking at every nook and cranny. Obviously we weren't allowed to touch anything, but it was fun to turn our visit into some sort of adventure.
"So you work here, right?!"
"Yup, still kind of under training. Ms. Carolyn works alone here, so she needs any sort of help around. Here I do the bandage wrapping, medicine sorting, patient treating... And so on..."
"Whoa, that's so cool... And girly."
"Hey!"
"Tee-hee-hee, Fortune, have you considered being a girl? I think you would've looked pretty cute like that."
"S-S-Shut up! I'm not a girl! I can like girly things!"
I can hear Carolyn laughing in the distance and I feel so much embarrassed now. Why she must bully me as well? I thought she was on my side...
"Hehehe, you two are bickering like a couple~ Hm... I wonder if I'll live to see the day you guys get married and have children together."
""Eh?!""
Married?! W-What is she saying???
"Y-Y-You misunderstand us, miss! I-I!... I hate him! He's way too girly!"
"Oi!"
"And children?! Bleurgh! I don't wanna~! I wanna become a scientist!"
"T-That's right! We don't like each other! She's way too annoying and lousy!"
"Hey!"
As we fight, Coralyn laughs heartily and we end up knocking some of the medicine, luckily the jar didn't break - as those were sturdy. We then were forced to put them back on the shelf; given none of us can reach the shelf, I decide to pull the chair.
"Alright, give me the jars, Sol."
"Yup! Here you go!"
"Wow, for someone who claims that they hate each other, you guys sure are cooperative~"
""S-Shut up!!""
Wishing to not go through humiliation at the hands of Carolyn, we then ditch the place to go the church.
"Man, what's wrong with this woman?! W-We're not a pair!"
"Yeah! Hmph!
... Though just saying, I think you would look quite adorable in a dress."
"Hey!"
As we are bickering with each other, we arrive at the church and begin exploring it, looking at the various depictions of the Unknowable One, Moon of the Of-What's-Past (represented by blood) and its aspects - Sun of the Ever-Morphing-Present (represented by heart) and Star of the Future-To-Come (represented by brain)
Today's the off day, so there are no people inside, besides a very surly and elderly priest.
"Hey! Kids! No running in the church!" He yells and we taunt him by blowing a raspberry as we continue to explore the church. I didn't visit church that often, come to think of it, it was Sylvie who visited it almost every week with frequency.
And one time I did visit it with her, she would repeatedly mutter something under her breath
~
"Oh, Lorde of the Night. With all your endless benevolence, please save us from the pain and suffering at once..."
~
It was boring for me at the time, so I would throw a tantrum at her, and eventually she stopped dragging me with her here. Given that people visit it more out of choice... Did she find solace in that place?
As Sol was busy looking at the murals and stained glasses, I decided to ask the priest about my sister.
"Hey old man!"
"It's "Father Cillian" you insolent brat!"
"Did you know Sylvie Fortune?"
"Ah yes, Sylvia Fortune, what a diligent and dutiful child she was. She would always attend my sermons, listening carefully and thoroughly. She would also read the biblia itself, asking if she could borrow it, and to my surprise she would always return it in good condition. She would even assist me with maintaining the church given my poor health. I could even take her in as my disciple... Unfortunately, the holy duties must remain pure of curses - and so I can't take her in; not to mention her foul mouth and resentful mind... God bless her soul though."
"Oh... Didn't know she did all this..."
"Because you are lacking in discipline, you feather-brained fool!"
"Touche. Also, curse? What curse does she bear?"
He begins to limp over to me with the help of his cane, but before he could reach me, he falls over and that gave me an idea.
"Why don't you visit the local hospital, mister?"
"It's "Father", idiot. And, do you expect to limp all the way here? Have you gone insane?"
"Come on, the nurse will patch you up here real good. I'll lead you to her."
"Hey! The fact that your sister was helping me out, does NOT mean--"
"Come on, don't be so sour. Hey, Sol! Let's drag this geezer to the hospital!"
"Get back here? Again?"
"We'll just deliver him here and then we'll flee! That guy has a bad leg!"
"Oh dear, okie!"
"Hey! You guys shouldn't be dragging me--!!! Let me go--!!!"
We drag the priest out of the church and into the hospital. Carolyn is surprised to see us again and then gets a surprisingly rather unamused expression.
"Who is this?"
"It's Father Sicilian, you brats!"
"First of all, mister, I would appreciate it if you didn't insult the kids. Second of all, you shouldn't be dragging strangers around."
"But he's got a bad leg! Look!"
"Hmm... Indeed, that looks quite horrible... Still, it's wrong to drag strangers around! I was already hearing his screams from a mile away! Seriously, next time - don't do it unless they're in need of immediate medical treatment or if they ask you to, okay?"
"But he was refusing! What if his leg got worse!? He said he didn't wanna go because it was too far away."
"Hm... You have a point. Some people would rather not seek treatment due to how at times it can be rather inconvenient; and looking at his state, I don't think he could reach my hospital... The point still stands! I apologise Father Cillian, I suppose I should've paid a visit to the church at least once."
"No it's alright, miss... Can you please treat my leg?"
"Of course. Now, kids, apologise."
"Urgh, fine."; "M'kaaaay..."
...
""Sorry!""
"Alright, now, let me check." Carolyn leads Father Cillian inside, but not before Cillian asks a question as both of them disappear into the cabinet.
"Which day of the week it is...?"
"Oh, it's Thursday."
Thursday... Crap.
"Oi, Sol, you don't mind if we go to the flower field? There's... Something I want to do here. I'll show you the way."
"Flower field?! I wanna! I wanna!"
"... Alright, then let's go."
We leave the hospital for good this time and I lead Sol towards the spot me and Sylvie frequented during late June - because it's during that time when that flower field truly blooms with all sorts of flowers. It's still as beautiful as ever and I began collecting flowers for Sylvie.
"They're quite small and not nearly as bright." Sol pouts as she toys with them.
"Oh really?"
"Yeah, one time, me and my family went to the public garden and there were a ton of brightly coloured flowers! All so intricate and big and pretty!"
"Hmm..."
"But... I actually like how small and cute they are! I've never seen flowers growing alongside grass, I've only seen them in the pictures, so seeing them like that... It's mesmerising. And they smell nice... Like honey."
"Strangely enough, I've never seen anyone besides butterflies flying around here. Look, here they come."
Butterflies soon swarm around the flower field, dancing in the sky. It used to be my favourite sight as a kid, and come to think of it, Sylvie too was quite taken by the sight. I can't believe how much I missed those times.
And then an idea strikes me.
~
"Alright, remember this well, bucko. You chain those guys together like this."
~
"Hm? What are you doing?"
"Oh, making a flower crown."
"Ooh! I've seen those in the pictures! Can I watch you?"
"Sure."
Picking the flowers of all sorts of colours, I make a simple flower crown for Sol. Judging by her curious expression, she doesn't know it was meant for her - so I put it on her and she blinks a few times. Butterflies soon gather in too, making her even more stunning with the flower crown.
"Hee-hee... They're quite ticklish..." She blushes and I avert my eyes a bit "Yeah, they can be like that."
"I... I don't know what to say, Fortune... I feel... So light..."
"Are you okay? We can go back to the hos--"
"No! Just... Let me sit... For a while."
"Um... Okay"
I continue picking flowers for Sylvie as Sol sits here, playing with daisies. I also collect flowers for mom and Mallow as well, trying to pick out the favourites of theirs.
"Fortune... I have a camera in my purse... Could you please take a picture... I wanna see how I look."
"Oh? Of course."
Taking the camera out of her tiny black and white purse, she gives it to me. Oof, that thing is surprisingly heavy, how is she carrying THAT in her purse? Nevertheless, I point the camera towards her and...
"Press the button on the top."
*Click*
A photo comes out of the camera and Sol takes in her hands and hides it in a purse "Sun can damage the photos. In my purse it's nice and dark~. This is actually a magical model, that is quite expensive, yet much sturdier and convenient! It'll take like 15 minutes to fully develop, no complicated process needed!"
"Wait, photos are complicated to make?"
"Yeah... My dad used to have an old regular camera - and utilised his office as a makeshift dark room - I still remember how he got so depressed when I opened the door wide open, ruining all the photos from the previous vacation. So he ultimately had to shill out for more advanced ones like these!"
She then takes the camera off my hands and takes a surprise picture of me and puts the photo and the camera in her purse.
"Hee-hee, now that's a moment that'll last a lifetime! You looked so cute with that bouquet of flowers!"
"Uh... Well... Sorry to bring your mood down, but we have to visit the cemetery. Have you been in one?"
"No?"
"Well then, then please don't get scared. It's an ordinary place at the end of the day."
Walking away from the flower field we arrive at the cemetery. It's a pretty quiet place, barely anyone visits it these days; but it's a place I know all too well.
And in spite of their gravestones being quite ordinary, I can still memorize the route to their resting places.
---
Here Rests Sylvia Fortune.
Here Rests Genevieve Fortune and Mallow Fortune.
---
"Who... Who are those people?"
"... That one is my sister, and this one was my mother with our baby sister."
"...!"
While I could've let Sol wait for me while I give my respects to my family, given what I saw when she was alone, it would be an even worse scenario. Laying down my flowers, I look at Sol, who was in stupor.
"Fortune... Your parents..."
"... Yeah..."
"I'm... I'm sorry."
"Don't be."
"Now I understand... Now I understand what you felt when you looked at that picture... I could tell... Your heart was ripping into pieces... I didn't know why it was happening... But now..."
Sol carefully takes the flowers from her flower crown and lays them down on the graves.
"May they rest in peace. In the pale moon's embrace."
To see a complete and utter stranger mourn my family like this... It's touching. Not many treated them with kindness, merely ridicule and apathy. And... I could tell she wasn't mourning BECAUSE they were my family, but because she saw them as people.
"Oh, poor child..."
"Hhm?"
I see an elderly lady who is dressed in all black as well, having a handkerchief by her side. I recognise her. She was the only resident besides me to visit Sylvie's grave so frequently and Sylvie did mention her in her diary as one of the few adults she was more positive about. I was too anxious to ask what her deal was, but I guess it's time. I want to learn more about Sylvie.
"... Do you know Sylvie Fortune?"
"Oh! You must be her little brother. I apologise that such an old lady like myself never introduced herself to you... I suppose you too needed some grieving, so I abstained. I'm Gertrude Roosevelt; I lead a small library here."
"Oh, hi, nice to meet you, madam. I'm... Just Fortune, okay?"
"Oh. I know your name. But if you insist, I suppose I can call you Fortune, my son. Who is that little lady over here? I see her for the first time here."
"That's Sol Emerade. She is... my friend. I couldn't leave her alone without supervision, so I had her tag along with me. She isn't local here, just a visitor."
"Hm. Merely a visitor, yet her heart is something that is worth a ton. I'm sure she will grow up into a fine lady. Too bad that Sylvie didn't get to do that..."
"... Sylvie brought a lot of books inside when she was alive. Were those your books?"
"Indeed, those are from my library. Calling her a bookworm would be such a disservice to such a diligent young lady; she could be called a book serpent with how much she loved the literature."
"Hm... Indeed she read a lot when we were kids! I liked it when she read the stories out for me."
"Oh, she gushed a lot about you. Truly, such a gentle soul was snuffed away in a cruel manner..."
"Cruel?..." Sol turns around. Crap.
"... It's better that you don't know, Sol." I mutter and she turns back to the grave, completely stupefied.
"... Is it your first time with... You know... Dead people...?" I ask and she nods, not daring to utter any word. That explains why she reacted the way she did.
"Sorry... I'm sorry... It's just..."
"It's alright. I might mourn their deaths, but I still have a life to take care of. I can't afford myself to dwell on it. Still... The fact that you care... I'm glad. Not many people mourn them, not even my father mourns them."
"Not... Even him?"
"Indeed, I haven't seen Matthew visiting his wife even once." Gertrude nods "You poor souls. Having to face such cruel reality like that at such a young age..."
"... I got used to it. Sol though... I'm sorry, I should've been more careful."
"... It's alright Fortune... Now I feel like I know you... A little bit better." She smiles gently, yet it was undeniable that it masked the strong sense of melancholy and sadness behind it.
"I have a flask with me. Do you want to drink some water, young lady?" Gertrude offers and Sol declines "No, thank you. I'll be alright, truly."
I pull Sol closer, offering some comfort "It's alright. It's on me for not being tactful. Should've visited their graves after our trip... Let's go somewhere more private to collect out spirits, alright?"
We wave our goodbyes to Gertrude and we go to our final destination for today - the river. It's the place I found myself this time, and before Sol barged into my life, I spent my time here, it's a meditation place of sorts.
We sit down on a log and Sol, remembering something, pulls out the photographs. "Look Fortune, we look so cute here! Your photo looks particularly stunning, with me having butterflies in my hair. I bet you could become a decent photographer."
"I don't look half bad either. You certainly know how to manage this thing, with you catching me with a surprise and all."
"Hee-hee... Those bouquets... You were quite careful with picking those flowers, aren't you?"
"Well... It's just my wild guesses and all. For Sylvie, she liked irises a whole lot; so that was easy. Mom on the other hand... I think she liked lavenders. Mallow, given her namesake, I made a bundle of malvas, as she too deserves flowers. Mallow... Was very-very young when she died. And my mom was always so... Distant. I get the feeling she secretly loathed us for existing and ruining her life as well..."
"You mentioned that you have a dad. How... Is he?"
"He's awful. He keeps beating me for the smallest of things! And he did not good things to Sylvie as well. I remember her crying after managing to return to our room in a middle of the night, and she would push me away as well, saying I shouldn't touch her. At first I was confused why she was particularly violent that day, but now... I understand. So I didn't embrace her that much when they started... Doing... Things. She would embrace me though."
"... That's awful. To live with a person who doesn't value you... Also, what are those "things" you are talking about?"
"... You better not know. Well, at the very least - remember those men who lead you out of the village? It's that."
Sol looks down on the river, putting the now developed photos back in her purse. "... What exactly happened to your family? I mean, if you don't want to talk about it, w-we can drop it!"
"... No. I think... I wanted to tell SOMEONE about this for the longest time. But... Are you ready though? The details... Are not pretty."
"... I'll be fine."
I told her almost everything that I could tell her. I told her about Sylvie's disappearance and ultimate gruesome demise. I told her about my mother, how she was cutting herself and how she ultimately committed suicide with our baby sister in hand. I couldn't tell her about her Daemon that has all of us dancing atop of his palm, but I think it's enough for her to understand... Everything.
After hearing all of this, Sol laid her head on my shoulder and her hand wrapped around me. "... Now I can see why you are such a resilient person. You went through so many awful things, heck, you are still going through them in fact. And given that we will eventually depart... I don't want you to go back to square one!"
She then looks up at me "I want you to become a part of my life. I don't want to leave you alone in the darkness. Will you... Let me?"
"... If it's you, then it's okay. I can welcome you." I blush, now wrapping my arms around her.
"... I want to cherish our moments together as much as possible. To be frank, I never thought I would get attached to someone this closely. I thought you would be merely a friend, but now... I'm not so sure. One thing I do know... Is that I like you... N-Not like that obviously!"
"Obviously."
"Thank you Fortune for making this the best vacation ever, even if there are hiccups. I... I miss my home less now."
"Surely you don't mean you WANT to be in that village."
"Wha? No! Not like that. It's just!... Um... Fortune. Is this area truly private?"
"Why do you ask?"
"... I want you to keep it a secret, alright?! Pinky promise?"
"Sure."
"Um... Well... Remember the whole ginger thing that you mentioned?"
"I didn't mean to offend you, princess."
"Hey! First of all, I'm not offended (but it was still rude)! Second of all... Um... I think you suspected something which, um, prompted you to say this..."
"Ah yeah, the rest of your family were brunettes. And you looked rather... Distinct from all of them. I didn't really want to jump to conclusions though."
"..."
"... Wait, are you?..."
"Yeah... I... I didn't know what to think about it at the time. I found this out by accident as well - I shouldn't have even heard that information!
Basically, I woke up in the middle of the night because my throat was very sore.
I wanted to go grab a glass of water. I did that before. But... I've overheard my parents arguing with each other."
~
"Oswald! We've been over this! She's adopted! She's a nobody to us! How come you prioritise her over our own daughter?! You know she needs your love too!"
"You misunderstand me, Hesta! She has a great potential as a standalone magician! I couldn't just let her have a miserable life out there! Besides, she was a baby when we adopted her! Surely those 7 years meant something to you!"
"There's no "we"! You manipulated me! Used my maternal love for our Veronia so I could accept that thing!"
"It was merely a coincidence!!"
~
"It was a terrible fight and I was scared to even show up. After that, everything seemed to go back to normal, but... I think I understood now why my mom... Didn't like me all that much."
"Oh... That's terrible. But, what about your true parents?"
"... That's the thing. I don't know what happened to them. Papa still treated me like I was his very own. And even when I tried to bring it up, he would reassure me I was their child. I... I don't think it matters anymore. If they abandoned me, then I'm glad I'm with my current family now. Sure my mom still dislikes me, but I have Veronia and Oswald! And they love me very much. Heck, even my mom isn't as hostile to me anymore! She just finds me annoying, honestly."
"..."
So Sol wasn't born into a life of nobility. She was most likely abandoned very early on. It's... Terrifying to think about it. Just leaving your child to the throes of fate?... In a sense, I'm thankful that she got to live the life she has now. She got to know all the good things in life, the things I never got to experience. I've got to thank the stars for that.
"I'm so happy that I got to meet you."
"Me too."
And now we just stare into the river as it flows. It's a peaceful moment. And having someone by my side... It elevates the feeling. I'm so thankful that Sol crossed with me. I think... My life became much more colourful with her.
"... Will you let me become a part of your life then, Sol?"
"Huh?"
"I... I wanna know a lot about you. Your dreams, ambitions... I want to know it all, you know?"
"... That's sweet. But maybe another time. We still depart after all and I'll be busy with my studies. But I promise you that we'll meet again sometime and become a part of our lives for real. I promise I will!"
"Then I can't wait for that moment to strike."
"Pinky promise?"
"Yeah."
Holding our pinkies together, we promise each other to meet again and after that, we just sit here for a couple of hours, chatting about everything and nothing. She might be a bit of a tease, but she has a great heart. And with her, out of everyone else in my life, I feel truly safe - like I truly matter.
It soon gets dark and we both rush towards the village as we didn't want to get into trouble. We arrived at the inn where Oswald was worried sick about us.
"Where have you two been?!"
"Just sight seeing, that's all." Sol lies and Oswald sighs
"Don't scare me like that! Geez. Also, what's this flower crown that you're wearing?"
"Fortune made it for me! It looks cute right?!"
"Beautiful - sure, but... Oh god, mom is gonna kill us. Look at your clothes! You got them quite dirty!"
"Oh really? Didn't notice it."
"Sigh... Well, kids are kids after all, but please - be careful next time."
"Okaay!"
"So, is it all for today? I'm kind of exhausted right now." I chime in
"Oh yeah! Thanks for keeping my daughter company, even if it's pretty late. You are a true friend."
"Don't sweat it."
After bidding them goodbye, I return to my house. I can hear my dad and that bastard discussing something in their room, so I quickly sneak into my room and lock it tightly.
I also find that the board is missing... Crap.
Well, I'm beat anyway. It's about time I go back to sleep. Don't wanna hear those bastards and their disgusting schemes ever again.