Rubyix - The Rise of Nevadora

Ch 5 : The Mysterious Fairy - part 6

Just a little earlier, over in a different room in the shared dormitory, two young fairies were unpacking their things, sore from a long journey.

At first sight, the fairies had exchanged glances in a certain disbelief. The Academy looked well-kept for the most part, aside from the fact that it was overgrown to an extent, but this room... not so much.

Abena picked up a comb from the dressing table in the middle of the room. The table had presumably belonged to the previous fairy who'd stayed there, but it looked like it hadn't been used in ages.

'Muñoz wasn't exaggerating when she said this room had been empty for a while.' She gently swept her finger over the surface of the desk. 'It's got layers of dust gathered up over the cycles.'

Rama let out a heavy sigh. 'Ye can still make up yer mind. I won't blame ya if ye do.'

Abena shook her head firmly. 'No, I wouldn't have it any other way. This is perfect. I don't want to be treated any differently here, Ra.'

Rama moved a little closer to her and laid a hand on the comb. 'C'mon, I'll braid yer hair.'

'No, you won't. We're not on Atherius anymore, you're not-' Abena sounded like she was about to break out into a protest speech, but Rama quickly shut her down.

'-as your friend, Ab.'

Abena stopped mid sentence and simply stared at Rama, then averted her eyes. 'All right... Just this time.'

The two remained quiet as Rama parted Abena's hair and started braiding, a gesture that, from the looks of it, she had become quite accustomed to. It wasn't until they heard Chi's, well- what could only be described as squealing- from the other room that one of them broke the silence.

'Chi seems to have a lot of energy.'

'Ye could say that all right.'

They briefly met eyes in the mirror- and broke into laughter at the exact same time.

'Ye know, these gals aren't even half bad.' Rama stopped braiding and picked up the comb again to start a new section.

Abena turned to face her. 'I'm impressed- I figured you'd have a load full to say-'

'It's that LeGrimm girl I can't stand- who does she think she is?'

'... Nevermind.' She rolled her eyes.

'Stuck with her nose in a book, rude, ne'ermind she dresses like a witch.' Rama swung the comb around in the air, careful enough as to not hit Abena with it but severe enough to add intensity to her words.

Abena sighed and shook her head calmly, a smile breaking through even though she tried to keep a straight face. 'I'm inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt. And you should, too, Ra, you don't know what's going on in her life.'

'I suppose yer right.'

'I think I'll come to appreciate Muñoz, she seems level headed, enough so to keep those other two in check. Yet I wonder what happened to those three.'

'What?' Rama raised an eyebrow.

'I can't exactly pinpoint it, but I feel like there's more to them than they let on.'

~✿~

'Muñoz?'

There I went. I'd contemplated saying it for a solid hour, but I'd finally been able to break the silence of night.

'Yeah?'

She didn't sound half asleep at all. I moved a tad and noticed she was reading. So much for staying still in the hopes I wouldn't wake her up.

'I- uhm... I can't sleep.'

Muñoz sat up and waited for me to push away the sheets and make it over to her before she patted the side of her bed. 'Any reason for that?'

I rubbed my hands. 'I just- I...'

What to say? I'd thought this over for an hour and still couldn't utter a single word. To tell her I felt homesick wouldn't quite cover it. Should I tell her about the nightmares? She was bound to find out anyway. Or maybe I shouldn't? I didn't want her to worry.

Instead, I chose to sit down. A hand on my knee had me breaking my chain of thought.

'It's okay, you can tell me.'

'I'm afraid.' My voice was shaking.

Muñoz reached behind her for a bookmark to put her book down. 'Hey... That's all right. This is your first night at a foreign Academy, and you're- who knows how many lightyears from home. How far is Silvea from here?'

'Th- three days.'

'See? It's perfectly fine to feel unsafe your first night here, so far away.'

I nodded blankly. She looked up for a moment.

'What do you usually do when you feel this way- back at home?'

My eyes traced the edges of her bed, the wrinkles in her sheet and the rim of her book, all the way back to the bookmark. 'I- I wake Anthea, my cousin.'

She smiled. 'And what does Anthea do?'

'She... lets me huddle up... with her...'

She scooched over until there was plenty of room on the side where I was standing. 'Come on in, then.'

'A-...' re you sure? were the words in my mind, but I held back and whispered 'Thank you' instead.

I curled up next to her and immediately felt a wave of exhaustion creep over me. Wearied out as I was from the journey, the walk, the impressions of the Academy and its inhabitants and the incantation I did with Iklím and Abrish, it didn't take long at all before I dozed off and was fast asleep. And for the first time in way too long...

I was able to sleep through the night.

~❀❁❀~