XXIV - A Dark Past She Shouldn't Remember

The sun rising from the gates of Asahi Academy, Charlotte leaned against the massive doorframe, armored on her Lancelot II's instead of using her old, dusty common armor anymore.

She let out a breath, the fur on her armor dancing between her shoulders from the wind, her long brown hair flowing behind her, waiting for someone.

"Hey, Charlotte!"

A familiar voice caught Charlotte's ear, shifting her attention from the clear sky above towards the two familiar figures in the hallway.

Louie and Sammy were here, waving both of their hands, their long skirts fluttering from the wind outside.

"Yo, Charlotte!" Louie greeted, waving her hand as she approached Charlotte. 

"Cool armor, huh?"

"—I y-yeah…" Charlotte responded, rubbing the back of her neck, the other hand held her armor on her side.

"—H-H-How did you get that?! That's absolutely awesome!" Sammy exclaimed, her eyes darting between the gold-and-silver plates and then the helmet in excitement.

Charlotte blushed faintly, offering her a sheepish grin.

"I-I found this, by myself." she admitted, though she was lying, but her friends were obviously unaware.

Sammy tapped the shoulder plate with her finger, a question look forming on her face as she kept examining the texture, even slight scratches.

Charlotte stared at her with a confused look on her face, tilted her head and asked her.

"H-Huh, Sammy?"

"Hm?"

"W-w-what are you doing? You seemed… Curious?"

"Ah, I expected, I thought it was made out of cheap metal." Sammy explains, resting her hand on her chin in question.

She tapped her finger once again with a sharp—

Tink!

And another.

Tink! Tink!

"Impressive…"

"Ugh, Sammy. You've examined Charlotte's new armor, aren't you?" Louie sighed, she couldn't help but curiosity piqued her.

"I'd realized, Charlotte, you're armor was made by real natural materials—"

"How rude, chatting without me?"

A soft, regal calm voice interrupts Sammy's explanation, the trio shift their attention toward the source.

Standing there, a long dark-blue hair—with crimson streaks tied into a low ponytail fluttered behind her. None other than Aurora, crossed her arms over her chest, wearing a pout on her face.

"Hmph! How could you gossip without me?! How blasphemy!"

Louie and Sammy took a step back away, aware of the regal Bakeneko woman in front of them, as they respected their moment between the arrogant Aurora and the Lancelot II—er Charlotte, who'd embraced to reveal herself instead disguised as the silent paladin.

"A-Ah, P-P-Princess, what are you doing?" Charlotte asked, her face flushed faintly.

"Oh, nothing." Aurora said, fanning herself, as the feather-shaped blades became harmless, just a common feather.

"I must say you're already wearing your armor."

"Y-yeah, you told me to."

Aurora's face turned bright pink, immediately turning on her heel, hiding her faint flush face.

Tch! Why do I feel her aura getting powerful? Wearing Lancelot II's armor? she thought to herself, glanced a bit over her shoulder.

Standing there, Charlotte is dusting some dust away from her helmet using her gauntleted hand, so that she must keep it clean and shiny for another mission on this day.

"Hey, you two!"

"!?"

A familiar voice interrupted their peace, Aria, Quincy and Sarah arrived late, breathing heavily as they spent searching for them.

Aurora's regal confidence return, snapped her fan shut with a sharp—

Clack!

Her gaze narrowed in interest as her friends and Aria arrived, and said softly.

"So…" she said softly, her gaze darting between them. "What's the news, girls?"

"I-It's not a good news, Aura—" Sarah started, her voice already unsteady as her dark purple eyes darted between the heavy gust of wind, causing their hair and skirts whipping sideways, swallowing the rest of their sentence.

Aurora flattened her ears instantly against her sides, the force of it couldn't stop From the magical barrier created by Professor Zamora, shielding his students from the sudden gust of breeze.

Charlotte raised her shield from the debris, its gold trim and metal catching the sunlight despite the weather seemed normal, except the breeze. Her other hand clasped on hers, just a support gesture, afraid to let her go.

Aurora gave a gentle squeeze on the Paladin's, who'd protected her every single adventure they faced, didn't glanced up, staring at the strong gust of wind that drew a small cut on her cheek.

She let out a sharp wince, her fan slipped from her hand as she placed it on her face. This wind isn't the ordinary wind they felt before.

"Ah—!?"

Charlotte snapped her head at her, her brown-golden eyes widened in horror, remaining shielding her and the rest of their party.

"Aurora—!"

Aurora collapsed on her knees, her expression suddenly changed into something vulnerable? Her arrogance vanished, replaced something… just like her original personality? Before poverty hit her innocence, the memory that she shouldn't remember anymore.

Charlotte dropped her shield instantly after her, caught her before she folded further.

"Aurora, look at me—please, stay with me! I-I don't want to lose you."

Aurora wasn't looking at her, not in front of everyone, her pupils slitted as she remained staring towards the shadows—a twisted creature hidden between the massive oak haven tree.

The wind didn't stop, it sharpened—it was no longer a gust, something closer to the voice, threatening low and mournful howl between the academy stone columns.

Without hesitation, Aurora raised herself, picked her fans from the cold stone floor and bolted towards the gates of the academy, finding the mysterious silhouette in the shadows.

"Aura—comeback!" Quincy called her name, trying to follow suit, but Sarah grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

"Quincy, no."

"No? But why?"

"Let her be." Sarah said, a melancholy look framing her face, shifting her attention towards Aurora's silhouette, shrinking further away.

Then, Charlotte—followed suit, riding on her metal armored horse, its tail trailing behind them as they went further in an unknown path.

Aurora… I'm coming! I'm coming!

"Hya—!"

She yanked the rope, as the horse swiftly moved at the pathways of the shadow forest, dodging the ancient debris and pebbles beneath them.

The forest blurred past in—between streak of gray and green, hooves pounding against the damp earth, the sound of breathing drawing closer.

But Aurora wasn't looking back who's following after her, instead she focused on her own path.

Until the wind had cut across her cheek, something beneath her mismatched eyes had cracked open—the door that she shouldn't let open, already sealed by her dark past.

"Ah—!"

A memory pouring through the gap was faster than she could brace it. But then, she turned around, a strong, uncontrollable wind slapped her that made her mismatched eyes widened, almost shock, frustration and something even more—her weakness.

She collapsed on the soft pile of grass, the sky from above began to shift its color into gray: then, she lay unconscious after the sudden impact. Her long dark-blue hair with a crimson streak spilled across the grass.

"Aurora! Aurora!"

A loud, yet recognized, panicked voice barely heard from her unconsciousness, a clanking of armored figures approaching her limp form, then followed by the sound of horse neigh.

Neigh!

Charlotte…

C-Charlotte…

But she didn't realize—she wasn't in the forest anymore, she found herself in a void, until…

꒰ა ✦ ໒꒱

A six year old version of herself—a lively, cheerful and innocent, standing on the memory.

Her mismatched eyes were wide with curiosity before her arrogance, and serious expression had worn her on her face.

Holding a small fan, handed by her mother when she felt overwhelmed, whenever the world felt like too much—it doesn't have a feather-shaped blade yet, unlike in the present, it was a harmless thing that was suitable for children her age.

During free hour, she'd slipped away from the lecture hall, wandering towards the quiet wide circular, surrounded by the eight massive walls, she would that in the future she stumbled into again without a meaning.

Beneath the shade of the young oak, she spent herself dancing between the sound of birds chirping nearby—her fan snapping open, then shut in slow, practiced arcs, controlling the breeze in that way her mother taught her more, this time this might be careful movement at the time.

Left, then right.

Just breathe and don't fight it, okay?

Her mother's voice, warm and patient, remained echoed somewhere through her mind, even now years later.

The wind curled beneath her feet, levitating fallen leaves into a lazy spiral.

For a moment—she was a simple child who'd play with the sky alone.

But then, a pebble hit her head, she let out a pain howl, clutching her head, while her fan slipped from her grip, landed on the soft pile of grass.

Then, a laughter interrupted her practice, the wind she made has been stopped—unkind laughter, broken the silence.

"Hey! The weird girl with two eyes that don't match!"

Three older children, standing one of the walls, small arms crossed, their grins forming, unkind.

Aurora's fan slowed-mid motion, as her small cat ears flattened instantly against her side.

"D-Don't call me that…" she startled, clutching the fan tighter against her chest like a shield, her small cat nose twitched.

"So, what are you gonna do, loser? Crying to your two mommies?" one of them, the tallest, sneered, stepping closer.

Aurora let a low warning hiss, despite being smallest, proving she could fight back, neither difficult or massive, but before she could react, stepping one of that part she couldn't hide.

Couldn't fold away like her ears—especially, her tail.

"Ah! H-Hey, let me go—!"

But the boy stepped her tail hard, there's no sign of regret at all, the way she yelped, or howled in pain, thrashing helplessly, her fan slipped from her grip.

"Aww~ look, that loser wants to go home?"

Aurora whimpered, utterly helpless against their grip.

"Mama…mama…" she hiccuped, tears flowing continuously on her red eyes.

"H-Hey! Let her go!"

Then, a small unfamiliar voice cut through the unfamiliar environment—shakier than the bullies', but planted firm between them and Aurora.

One of them pulled his feet from Aurora's tail.

Standing there was a little girl with brown hair and brown-golden eyes, stepped in front of her, arms spread wide.

Aurora stared at the young girl who'd been wearing torn, old clothes, that she'll become a paladin in the journey awaiting her.

A vulnerable, yet determined person has a big dream to defend her territory.