Despite the nightmare I lived through only two weeks ago, Aphmau was convinced that this was the best place to start fresh again. And because she's Aphmau, and quite literally a goddess, her word was final.
Sometimes I wonder if an imp will show up as my sister.
Lucinda made some form of a portal that allows for people to come to and from Phoenix Drop whenever they please. It's both a good and bad idea.
Phoenix Drop continues to be in a poor shape, so rebuilding that while building here may become a struggle. I wonder if anyone has thought of something like that.
Little fingers tug at the bottom of my dress. My eyebrows furrow together when the tugging continues. Quiet giggles follow suit, and I instantly recognize the owner to be Nekoette.
I shake my head at this and hoist her into my arms. Her dress puffs up where my arms hold her up, but she seems pleased.
"Is Dimitri with you?" I ask her, looking around for a familiar shade of blue.
She shakes her head at this.
"Do your parents know you're here?"
She shakes her head once more.
"Oh, Nekoette," I sigh, feeling my feet move forwards. She's a bit heavy, so I'm unsure how long I'll be able to do this. "You'll worry your parents sick if you keep doing this. They probably don't even know where you are and are looking for you now."
Nekoette looks away from me. Her lips downturn into a frown. "I didn't mean to hurt nobody."
I refrain myself from correcting her grammar and squeeze her ever so slightly. Her attitude will change when Dante wraps his arms around her and Kawaii~Chan comes running from behind. The idea of being scolded now scares her.
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I've always thought of myself as the storyteller. The one who connected to children the most. Besides Kandi and Vylad, I'm the one who was closest to a child's age. Kandi is creative, and the children love when she's around, but she's more logical. Vylad steers away from children and remains his mature self.
But these children haven't had to witness what we have. I pray that they never will. I'd go through Hell and back if it meant their life is full of peace.
So when they mention Garroth, I'm torn.
They don't know Garroth. They've never met him. As weird as it is to believe, Nekoette and Dimitri were born while we were in the Irene Dimension. Meeting them was something to adjust to.
"Daddy says he lost a friend."
I've taken the two into an empty field near Phoenix Drop. I don't want to take them to the new island if I don't have to.
"What? What friend?"
I know exactly who Nekoette is referring to, but I didn't know she paid that much attention to adult talk. Among us, Garroth became a hushed topic. The idea of him being gone, and with it being so fresh to us especially, it's hard. But to Dante, it's been fifteen years. And with all of us coming back. . .
"I don't really know his name. Daddy says he may not come back for a long time. He seems sad sometimes."
Nekoette plays with the hem of her apron. Dimitri looks over at us and shakes his head. Unaware of what's going on, he scolds her.
"Do you want to hear a story?"
Dimitri nods his head and crawls closer to us. He scoots next to his sister and across from me. "Like the one with the r– . . . r– . . . rug?"
I chuckle at this. Despite being sad about the topic, his words make me smile. "Yes, like the charming rogue. Well, almost."
There's a twinkle in his eye. He likes the idea of stories being full of adventure and action. Nekoette enjoys when there's romance involved, but it's rare I tell her a story of such. A lot of the stories are stories of us. I've talked about Vylad and Laurance. Of stories of my childhood. Dimitri likes the ones who speak about guards and "kicking butt."
"There was once a hero that was beloved by all. He didn't have much family, but he had plenty of friends to make up for it. He fell in love with a girl. For months he wished she would love him back, but she never did. One day, he was tricked. He let his emotions take control, and he recklessly acted upon them. A battle broke out, and he fought against those he considered to be his brothers and friends. He realized what he did was wrong, but he couldn't undo what was done. To end the battle, and to create peace, he sacrificed himself for his friends to be free."
Dimitri falls silent. This wasn't the story he was looking for. He always looks for a happy ending. One where the bad guys lose, and the good guys reign superior.
Nekoette's lip quivers. "He died?"
I don't have the heart to tell her the complete truth. I reach for their hands and hold them within mine. "Some think he was a fool. Others think he continued to be a hero but made a mistake. The difference between the hero and your father's friend is that your father's friend can change his ending. He's going to come back, and your father will be happy again. We'll all be happy again because he's our friend. He's our hero."
