A Fool's Errand - Vernal 36th, 4364; Morning, 07:43 (1.00)

Sixthday, Vernal 36th, 3–…4,364; Morning, 07:43 [3248521154]

"Do you have everything you need? Textbooks? Homework? Pencils? What about your lunch? Your favorite juice box was in the--"

"Mooommmmm! I know how to get ready for school. I'm already eight years old, you know?" It was a classic scene. A mother fretting over her child walking to school with her friends. A daughter declaring her independence quite early, cheeks puffed in annoyance.

"I-I know..." her mother stuttered, twiddling her fingers nervously. "It's just... it's your first time walking to school without me. And I know you remember where to turn left at--"

"Linx Street, I remember." She rolled her eyes at her mother's behavior, a little peeved, but still answering nonetheless.

"Y-yes. And I know that the street is safe. Everything should be fine, but..." She had trouble finding the words, trying to express how much she loved her daughter, how much she wanted to keep her safe. Her life had been full of misfortunes. Her former husband was a cheating dirtbag, while her son had passed away soon after birth. Her daughter was all she had left, so she couldn't help but feel anxious. However...

"Come on mom, I'll be fine. After all, I'm Ruya Ainsley! Daughter of the greatest mage!" she exclaimed, pointing one finger towards the sky. It wasn't true, of course. Ruya's mother was a bit below average when it came to spellcraft. Just a little white lie to give her child some strength. But in that strange role reversal, it gave her a hint of solace instead, draining the tension that had built up in her body.

"Pfft."

"Shh Suzu! Can't you see they're having a loving moment."

"You're not holding back either Marie!"

Ruya's friends stood near the edge of the driveway, struggling to hold back their laughter. Seeing that, Ruya's mother let out a giggle of her own.

"M-mom!" Ruya yelled, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"Of course you are sweetie," she leaned down, placing a kiss on Ruya's forehead. "Have a fun time at school. I love you."

"Suzu and Marie are right there!"

"And?" the mother sassily grinned. "What about mine?"

"Urgh. Love you too, mom," Ruya grumbled, returning with a peck on the cheek. "See you later!" Waving backwards, she quickly rushed towards where her friends were still laughing, one of them even stumbling across the sidewalk.

"'I'm Ruya Ainsley, daughter of the greatest mage!' That pose was hilarious," Suzu heaved, mocking Ruya with her own cutesy pose. She was a rather rude child, but a rudely honest one. She never held back on what she felt, always matching others with a feverous intensity. Though, she could only get away with it as one of the four Madonnas at BAL Elementary, not that any of them knew what 'Madonna' meant. It was just a word they all liked.

"Come on, Suzu~ I thought it was super cute. And that kiss at the end? Absolutely beautiful," Marie gushed through dreamy eyes, clasping her hands like a young maiden in love. She was also one of the four Madonnas, though her looks leaned more towards the cute side compared to Suzu's roughness. However, she had a bad tendency to romanticize everything. Love between a couple? Between a mother and daughter? It was all the same in her mind, and it was absolutely priceless.

"You two..." Ruya sighed, knowing this would happen. She was well aware of her friends' proclivities, though she chose to ignore her own. "What about Belle?"

"She came down with a cold apparently, so she's staying home today," Suzu promptly responded, finally managing to calm down.

"Oh great..." Ruya muttered. Anabelle, or Belle as her friends called her, was the last of the four Madonnas, and also the most normal of the group, at least compared to the other three troublemakers. "I mean, I hope she feels better."

"Eek! What a cute bond!"

"I'm not sure cute is right word, given that tongue click."

"...let's just get going already." Ruya decided to ignore them.

"Sure sure." "Okay~"

BAL Elementary was quite close to Ruya's home -- a brief ten minute walk, turning left at Linx Street. It was a rather peaceful one too. Flowers dotted the lawns of nearby houses. Birds chirped in song as the breeze danced along. Some other kids walked in the same direction, chatting with their friends, sometimes sneaking a glance at the Madonnas. They were exceptionally beautiful. And as for what these beauties were doing...

"Did you get to take a look at the two suns? They were like two stars dancing through the sky! It was so sad having to watch them part," Marie raved with a sorrowful look upwards. The Winter sun Gerluzon had already swapped places with the Vernal sun Calidis, indicating that spring was in full swing. In fact, it was a bit warmer, though the kids still wore long sleeves to keep themselves from getting sick.

"But they are two stars circling around each other?" Suzu tilted her head in confusion. "That's literally what a sun is."

"Wait, really?!?"

"Obviously. Right Ruya?"

"Yeah, they taught us that last year. Don't you remember?"

"Um..." Marie averted her eyes.

"Marie..." Ruya pinched her nose. "Didn't your dad tell you to keep your grades up? Or else--"

"Ap bap bap! You don't need to remind me!" she huffed. "And I am! But how do you expect me to remember something from a year ago?!? Especially something that doesn't affect my grades anymore."

"You really are stupid," Suzu shrugged her shoulders. Marie was a lost cause in her mind.

"That's not the point..." Ruya let out another sigh, yet she couldn't stop a small smile from appearing on her lips. Sure, she felt exasperated, but it still made her happy for some reason. That was simply how close they were as friends.

"There's that smile," Suzu beamed.

"Huh?"

"You can't hide it~ The boys are definitely swooning at the sight. See, look over... oh." Marie stopped, glancing back and forth.

"Hmm? What's up Marie?"

"I think we turned down the wrong street."

"Did we?" Suzu looked around too. "Ah yeah, we definitely did. We were too busy staring at Ruya's smile."

"H-hey! Don't blame me for all this!"

"But you weren't paying attention either," Suzu needled.

"W-well! It's not like we're lost anyway. Let's just go back and--"

"Oh? How peculiar. I didn't expect to see three girls today."