NOVEL WEB Chapter 5: Coming Out
After exiting the room, Mira and Lucillia made their way to find the little one's mother. Despite Lucillia's ability to walk and talk, her diet is still restricted to aura. She will receive actual food after her fourth week of life, or in other words, when she is a month old.
The two traveled through the halls in silence, one still recovering from a mental breakdown and the other deeply worried about said breakdown.
Eventually, they found themselves in front of a door. Mira and upon entering, the two were greeted by stacks of paper. Looking closer, one can see several obsidian black horns poking out above. Little did they know that they had found the natural habitat of the super elusive paper dragon species.
A rare find indeed.
"Ahem, Your Majesty? If you have a moment of time to spare, I have brought the young princess here after she woke up." [Mira]
"Hm? Ah, Mira. Give me a moment and I'll be with you." [Corinna]
Continuing in silence, the paper dragon finished writing her last sentence and put the pen down. She stood up, took a deep breath, and something truly remarkable happened: the elusive paper dragon shed her skin and evolved into an elder dragon!
"Alright. Good morning, Lia. Good morning, Mira." [Corinna]
Corinna did not fail to notice the residual redness and puffiness in her daughter's eyes. Fortunately or unfortunately, this was not the first time, so she knew better than to risk making the little one even more uncomfortable by asking about it.
Instead, Corinna simply walked in front of her daughter, picked her up, hugged her, and fed her breakfast.
"Sorry, dear. I really wish I could join you for longer, but as you can see, the paperwork just keeps coming back." [Corinna]
"Mmm...iss okay." [Lucillia]
Once again, Corinna did not fail to notice the slight tinge of an indescribable feeling from her daughter during their exchange. An odd mixture of disappointment, relief, anxiety, indifference, and...confusion? Even a being as mighty as her could not begin to decipher such a thing.
She did not dig any further. Not yet. Not until she finds a solution to her beloved daughter's troubles.
Mother and daughter separated, and the princess and her maid made their way back to her bedroom.
As soon as the two left, Corinna let out another deep breath. Her mind has been cluttered the last few days, much like her daughter. Every waking moment, every second to spare has been allocated to 1) diagnosing her daughter's troubles; and 2) finding a proper solution that leaves her smiling happily.
There has been little progress in both regards. The only lead Corinna has is that her daughter retains memories from her previous life. That much, she was told by her mother prior to Lia's hatching. Thus, something or many somethings must have happened in that life, and they recently came back to haunt the child.
Nothing else can be done at the moment. Not until the family finds out more about Lia's past. But, they have taken the path of letting the child come out on her own; pressuring her into it would only worsen their newly forged bonds.
Aside from that, the family has been stumped. They've held meetings every night the past few days, after Lia went to bed, and tonight is no different. Mother and daughters have put their utmost efforts into making the young one smile again.
The children are somewhat more fortunate in the amount of time they can spend with their little sister; more opportunities to ease the little one's mind and support her.
Unfortunately for Corinna, the paperwork will not disappear on its own. Said paperwork can only be done by one as mighty as her; few other beings even hold the authority to do it.
So, the overworked dragon must once again don her cloak, pen in hand, to conquer the mighty mountain.
The paper dragon lives on.
...
The day passes, and everyone carries on with their duties:
The paper dragon goes without saying.
Solestia, the most sociable of the siblings, is preparing for a diplomatic trip to Heaven's Gate.
Lunestia, the meticulous one, continues taking inventory of all remaining supplies at the villa.
The newborn, Lucillia, is trapped in an endless cycle of gathering the will to talk to her maid, losing it as soon as her mouth opens, and breaking into tears.
And the last two, Caelenia and Silvania are once again on an inspection, this time in the newly grown forest generated by Silvania's outburst several weeks ago.
Silvania
Big Sister Caela and I are here in the mighty jungle forest, and a large group of animals and insects are surrounding us.
The last time we were here was during the massive pruning and planting session when we were converting everything into a forest.
So now, the plants are mostly done. Big Sister Caela and I now have the task of selecting the animals that will inhabit this forest.
This is a very crucial part of the process; the tiniest detail can make a tremendous impact on the ecosystem.
One too many predators, and all herbivores die out, leaving said predators hungry. Eventually, the predators fight amongst themselves, and should they not flee, all die together.
Too little predators, and the herbivores multiply and devour every plant, leaving behind a barren wasteland. They run out of food and die out, which leaves the predators without food and they, you guessed it, die.
A good ecosystem must provide enough food for every species while also controlling their populations properly in accordance to the local food web.
Normally, a new biome would develop slowly, naturally, based on its surroundings. The wildlife then, has plenty of time to strike that balance on its own. The individual animals would find their own habitats and, should the need come, adapt and evolve.
After all, nature exists to find balance all on its own. You just need to give it enough time to do so. Normally, it would take years, decades, maybe even longer for a biome and its ecosystem to develop naturally.
However, this particular jungle forest was generated entirely in a few seconds.
There was no time for any adaptation whatsoever. Thus, we must choose wisely to find species that will be able to coexist together in a forest naturally and immediately.
Now, one must not forget that, depending on the species chosen, the weather and climate may also need tweaking.
That's technically the main reason why Big Sister Caela is here; she is the one responsible for those types of things. But, she also happens to have much more experience than me, so she also serves as my advisor and ends up doing most of my work for me.
Look, I can't help it, okay?! This stuff is hard and takes a lot of thinking, you know!
I just turned 6000 some...I don't know, a dozen years ago? Meanwhile, my sister's been handling all this since she was younger, which means she's been doing this kind of work more than twice as long as I've been alive!
Haah, I need to calm down and focus on our task.
We should have been done with this last week, but lately, things have gotten...difficult. I...well, it's Lia. Recently, she's been...out of it, to say the least.
I think she's trying her best to conceal everything and hide it from us, probably so we don't worry as much about her. But even then, it's easy to tell that something's wrong.
It's her smile. Her smile used to be fun and cheerful and full of energy. But now, it's so strained and forced. The amount of times she nearly slips up during a conversation is, well, more than zero, which should never happen.
Everyone's been trying to figure out what's wrong and cheer her up, but we've made almost no progress. Mother told us that Lia remembers her previous life. That's almost certainly the reason behind her troubles.
The problem is, unless we know about her previous life ourselves, there is no way we can help her. The idea of reading her thoughts did come up, but Mother is the only one that can do that, and she doesn't want to invade Lia's privacy.
Haah, so for now, we've taken the wait-and-see approach. All we can do is continue our duties and hope for the best.
"...Silvie? Siiiiiiiilvie~ Hmm...SILVIE!!!" [Caelenia]
"HUH WHAT yes, yes that's me, I'm Silvie, how can I help you?" [Silvania]
"Why does situation feel so familiar? Whatever. Get out of your thoughts and take a look at what you just did." [Caelenia]
What's that supposed to mea- OH NO!!
"Come back here you two! I know I just released you, but mistakes were made and I need to fix them!" [Silvania]
"HEHEHE~" [Fox]
Gah, why are foxes so hard to chase-
Wait. Where did they go?! Don't tell me they started digging their dens already!? That...would be terrible for us.
Foxes, by nature, are territorial creatures that live in solitude unless they have mates and litters. The two I just released in the same territory happen to be adult females.
And generally, two adult female foxes won't get along very well unless they were raised together as siblings or the like. So in a case like this where two of them are in the same territory, it usually results in a fight to the death.
Which again, would be terrible, because unfortunately, those two ladies are not siblings by any means. Hence why I'm now chasing them through a forest.
AHA!
I believe I've found a den. It was located near a stream and hidden behind some thick bushes, but the smell of fox markings gave it away.
Alright, time to get you ladies sorted out and- eh?
They're both here...in the same den...at the same time. They aren't fighting either. They're grooming each other? And their tails are intertwined...
"Ahem. Uhm, I'll, uh, just leave you two be then. Enjoy life." [Silvania]
"HEHEHE~" [Foxes]
Now that's not something you see everyday. Yes, animals and critters and the like do get into homosexual relationships now and then. You don't see it often, but they do occur.
Alright, that's one thing done, a million more to go. Time to make my way back to everyone else. Fortunately, the ladies didn't run too far, so it didn't take too long, only a few minutes.
Once I arrived, I was greeted by a very smug looking sister of mine, which can only mean one thing.
"You knew, didn't you?" [Silvania]
"Isn't love just beautiful with all its different forms?" [Caelenia]
"Save that for your boyfriend. Why didn't you tell me?" [Silvania]
"Calm down, no need to get cranky on me. I just figured you could go for a nice run. They really help take your mind off things, you know." [Caelenia]
"Now you sound like Kira. Anyways, that doesn't really answer my question." [Silvania]
"Look, Silvie, you've been out of it lately. Normally, you're a lot more careful with your work. You spend way too much time planning things out, and then But this time, you didn't do any of that. You just absentmindedly grabbed two foxes and tossed them into the forest." [Caelenia]
"But it worked out, didn't it?" [Silvania]
"This time. But what about the next? You were lucky those two were mates or else things would've been worse. Normally, you would confirm which ones are mates with who. Normally, you would simulate environments to see how each species interacts with one another. Normally, you would go and interview each and every critter before releasing them." [Caelenia]
"I..." [Silvania]
"Go home, Silvie. Take a break. I can take it from here." [Caelenia]
"But-" [Silvania]
"No 'buts.' I know Lia's condition has been hard on you, but there's no point in trying to work if you can't even focus properly. Look, it's been hard on all of us, but you have to understand how to separate your work life from your private life." [Caelenia]
"...How? How are you so calm?" [Silvania]
"I'm not, not on the inside at least. It's just something that comes with experience. You're still young, Silvie. It's perfectly fine to make mistakes, but with the way you're going at it, you're just going to repeat them over and over again." [Caelenia]
I tried to talk again, but she shushed me and patted my head.
"Shh. Don't talk, or think, or do anything. Right now, you need to go home and get some rest. No more work for you today. Besides, it's not like I'll be alone. There's the dryads and some of the earth dragons, too. They're here to help, and you don't want to take their jobs from them, do you?" [Caelenia]
All I can do is shake my head.
"Good girl. Now get going." [Caelenia]
Headpats are nice, but there's something that's even better.
"Can I have a hug first? I won't leave until I get one." [Silvania]
"Cheeky, aren't you. That brings me back, hehe." [Caelenia]
Mmm, I was right. Hugs are better.
Alright, time for me to go now.
Evening. Night has fallen.
After having her 'meal', Lucillia went to bed.
Meanwhile, the family is gathered around the table in the dining hall. Their meal has long since ended. Now, they are deliberating, and a blue-haired maid stands before them.
"Mira, has anything happened today?" [Lunestia]
"Nothing significant, but there has been a slight development." [Mira]
"Speak." [Lunestia]
"Throughout the day, it seemed that Her Highness was trying her hardest to tell me something, but she ultimately failed each time. Instead, she burst into tears, and the only comfort she could find was in my embrace." [Mira]
"Well, that's something at least." [Lunestia]
"But why? Why is she opening up to Mira, but not us? She never tried any of that when I was with her today. I...that doesn't make any sense..." [Silvania]
"Silvie, calm down. There's a reason for everything so long as you are patient enough to find them." [Caelenia]
"If I may, Your Highnesses, sometimes there are...things on your mind that are difficult to share with relatives, especially the ones you live with. In cases like those, an unrelated but friendly third party is almost necessary to help break their shell." [Mira]
"So what do we do? Continue ignoring her while she's in so much pain?" [Silvania]
"We haven't been ignoring her, Silvie. All we can do is continue loving her until she's comfortable enough to come forward, which if what Mira said is anything to go by, should hopefully be soon. Just love her, cherish your time with her, and be patient." [Corinna]
Even Corinna began to falter toward the end of her sentence, her eyes betraying her worry. This is an unprecedented situation for her, after all. She has seen much in her long life, witnessed the unthinkable, facing it all with indifference, but when it happens to yourself, then it becomes unbearable.
The room turned quiet. Too quiet. So quiet that one could hear their own heartbeat, or the pitter patter of newly arrived rain clouds, or the struggles of a gremlin who can't open the door.
*Click*
Speak of the devil.
The door opened, and a tiny dragon walked through it, dressed in an oversized shirt and dragon-shaped slippers while holding a fox plushie in one arm and a small slate in the other.
The brooding dragons and undine, on the other hand, were either too deep in their thoughts to notice or too shocked to speak.
The tiny dragon made her way to her mother, climbed onto her lap, and showed her the slate.
Since she is still learning to write, her lettering is somewhat sloppy, but the message is clear as day:
'Help'
Lucillia
I'm scared.
Of what, you ask?
Of everything.
I'm scared of telling the truth. I'm scared of being rejected. I'm scared of losing this comfy life.
And most of all: I'm scared of getting too attached.
Don't get me wrong, I love them, but...that's exactly what I'm afraid of. I already got betrayed once by my so-called parents. Then I got betrayed by the next so-called family that took me in.
I don't wanna go through that again. It sucks. A lot.
I...I just can't.
I can't help but imagine some sort of bad ending no matter what I do.
"It won't end like that, dear." [???]
!
Who goes there?!
GAH, why is the light so bright?!
5 seconds later...
Oh finally, the lightshow's over. And the star of the show is-
Oh, it's the pretty lady.
"I appreciate the compliments, dear, but I would prefer something more affectionate from you." [Pretty Lady]
Hmm, but I'm already used to 'pretty lady'. Can I just-
Wait, how do you know what I'm saying if I'm not talking? Are you reading my thoughts or something?
"Maybe." [Pretty Lady]
COOL! Can I, wait, I need to finish my other thought. Uhh, you said I'm now your grandchild, so can I just call you 'Grandma' or something?
*Nod*
'Kay, cool. Anyway, do I get to learn how to do that?
"Maybe, depends on how your mother feels about it. I must say, your mood really changes at the flip of a switch, doesn't it?" [Grandma]
...is that supposed to be a bad thing? Also, what was it you were saying earlier? I was too blind to hear it.
"Hehe, there you go again with that. It does make you cuter, so don't worry too much about it. Ahem. As I was saying, those bad endings you keep thinking of won't happen. Neither I, nor your mother, would ever allow that." [Grandma]
But but, I keep thinking of them every time and they never go away. Isn't that supposed to mean something's supposed happen?
"Only if you keep thinking like that. Listen, dear, the only bad ending that will ever happen to you is the one that happens because you keep letting those thoughts control you. Fight them. Overcome them. Move on from that life, and if you can't do it alone, don't be afraid to ask for help. There is no shame in wanting to be happy." [Grandma]
You know, every time my body failed me, every time I couldn't talk to Mira, I almost wanted to die again. Forever this time.
"I thought you wanted to live as a girl your whole life, but now that you can, you want to throw it away? Didn't you want to wear all those outfits in those books and shows? What happened to all those pretty girls you admired? Weren't you going to be the cutest menace of all time?" [Grandma]
Hmph, I'm not a 'cute' menace, I'm deadly! But, you're right. I did want to look like them. Heck, even just getting to wear girls' clothing feels great, but actually being treated like one is even better.
"That's right, dear. So what are you waiting for? A small speech impediment like that shouldn't be any difficult to overcome, should it? Didn't you always imagine some form of reading memories when you were complaining about how people could never understand each other? Go ask your mother to do just that. " [Grandma]
Eh? She can do that? Really?
*Nod*
THAT'S SO COOL! Hmm, but how do I tell her to do it in the first place?
"How do mute people communicate to others?" [Grandma]
Uhh, they did some sign language thingy or sometimes...AHA! They wrote down what they wanted to say! At least, that's what they did apparently when everyone still knew how to read and write.
"Exactly." [Grandma]
Alright, I know just the tool for the job: my trusty slate that Big Sis Luna was teaching me to write with. What else do I need...fox plushie, check, slate and chalk, check...I think that's everything. Lemme just write my message before I forget-
"Check your spelling, also you wrote this letter backwards." [Grandma]
Ah! 'Kay, erase erase erase...start over...is that better?
"Excellent." [Grandma]
ALRIGHT! Show time, then.
...
Uhh, can you help me down? This bed is way too high.
"Of course." [Grandma]
Hmm, where did my slippers go...
"Over here, sweetie." [Grandma]
Oh thanks. Mmkay, that should be everythi-can you also open the door?
"What's the magic word?" [Grandma]
PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-
"Okay, okay, stop that you little gremlin you. Just this last one, okay? You have to do the rest on your own now." [Grandma]
Ugh, fiiiiiiiine. Wait, are you not coming with me?
"I'd love to stay, but I can't stay any longer before your mother starts to notice. And if that happens, I'll never hear the end of it." [Grandma]
Hmm, that's fine, I think, but on one condition!
"And that condition is?" [Grandma]
Gimme hug!
"Hehe, all you have to do is ask." [Grandma]
FWAH~ That's nice. Ooh, a kiss too! Hehehe~ Unfortunately, like all nice things, that hug ended too quickly, but whatever! I'll just bother you for more the next time you visit.
Bye Grandma!
"Take care, dear." [Grandma]
Five minutes later...
Haah, haah, why are these hallways so big? And why are stairs so painful?!
Haah, haah, a little more suffering and I'm finally at the door where Mama and the others are.
Alright, time to face the final boss: doors. Or more specifically, the handle. I just need to put everything down first. And then...
HNNNG!
*Rattle*
Dang it. Once more!
*Rattle*
Curses! Third time's the charm!
*Click*
Mwahaha, victory is mine!
Okay, pick everything up and waddle over to Mama. Hmm? Everyone looks serious right now. Am I interrupting something?
Eh, whatever. Barely anyone even reacted until I got onto Mama's lap.
"U-uhm, Lia? What's wrong, sweetie?" [Corinna]
Why do you sound nervous? Bah, not important. I need to show her the message.
"Sweetie, I think it's upside down" [Corinna]
N-no, you're just right-side up! Hmph. Okay, this time, she read the message because her eyes got kind of wide and now she's looking at me with a slightly less nervous look.
"Well, good job, dear, for being brave enough to come forward on your own. How do you want me or us to help?" [Corinna]
Uhh, technically it wasn't on my own, but no one needs to know that. As for the other part, I'll just point at my head.
Everyone just looked at me funny, so I guess I need to emphasize my point...by tapping harder!
*Thonk thonk*
That totally didn't hurt, what do you mean? Thankfully, Mama seemed to get the idea now.
"Ah! Did you want me to read your thoughts? I, we considered doing that earlier, but we didn't want to invade your privacy like that." [Corinna]
'Kay, maybe not quite there, but almost. I'll just try to write out the keyword.
"Sweetie, this and this are backwards. And this one is upside down." [Corinna]
Gah! Not again! Scribble scribble scribble...done!
"'Memory'? Do you want me to read your memories? Is that it?" [Corinna]
"Mmm!" [Lucillia]
"I feel like I should question who gave you that idea, but I'm pretty sure I know the answer already." [Corinna]
Uh oh. Run for your life Grandma! Mama found out already!
"U-uhm...Lia? Is it alright if the rest of us see them as well?" [Silvania]
Ah, it looks like my sisters are able to talk again. Hmm, to be honest, I kinda wanted just Mama to see them...buuuut, I'll make an exception, just this once.
"Mmm!" [Lucillia]
"Haah, thank you Lia. I know this is really hard for you, but it'll all be over soon, I promise." [Silvania]
Waah, that's the brightest smile I've seen from her since...this all began...uhh, oops. My fault again, huh?
"I will be taking my leave, then." [Mira]
Ah, wait! Don't go Mira! I need you! Arms, why can't you be longer?!
"Mira, I think you can stay." [Solestia]
She looked really surprised and her fin-ears twitched. She did stay though, so that's good. Also those fins were really cute...
"Alright then. Everyone take a seat and get comfortable. This will take some time." [Corinna]
Everyone adjusted their seats (in Mira's case, she had to take a seat first) and Mama did her magic.
And things star...ted...feeeeling...sleeepy....Zzzzz...
