"Are the guards near?" Said Momo.
It's dark, and it's the perfect time to initiate the long awaited plan.
"They look busy enough." Chaeyoung replies, seeing that there aren't guards really roaming around the garden.
Momo contemplates, "Are you sure?" She asked. Well, when it's everything that's at risk.. she just have to make sure.
Chaeyoung sighed. Like why would Momo think she's not saying the truth? "Yes I'm sure, so go and pick it now! We gotta leave this place as soon as we can because if not we-"
"Done." Momo interupts.
"Oh." Chaeyoung was dumbfounded. She saw Momo's hand, and there was the flower of dawn; so sacred, so precious, and so rare. The colors of it is bursting bright from the darkness that's illuminating them, and it's just there laying on Momo's hands.
The plan has finally come to life. They smoothly got the flower with no hindrance, and that's good.. that's what they've been hoping for from the start. And Momo couldn't be more happier than this, seeing her mother smile with no pain, and seeing Mina happy is all she wants in her life. It's what she calls enough, she'll definitely be contended by that, no more could compare, and she wouldn't ask for anything more.
Momo smiles as she thinks about it. "Then let's go." She spoke.
Chaeyoung nods, and Momo is right.. they shouldn't be slacking like this, time is on their way. With that being said, there's 47 more minutes till the flower dies.
"Alright, but quietly." The princess reminds.
Momo agrees with a subtle nod, "Okay my lady. Little footsteps. Wait.. have you got the cloth?"
"Yeah, here." Chaeyoung gave Momo the said cloth and they wrap the flower with it, securing with a careful knot close.
Momo looks up, "Okay good. Let's go."
From their hurried tracks, something suddenly made it stop.
"Wait is that?"
"Smoke?" Chaeyoung spoke.
"I think it's something more than smoke." Momo squints her eyes,"Could it be fire?" She gulps as she asked.
Chaeyoung's eyes bulge out, hee chest tightened from the idea. "The palace is burning!" She shouts.
The two looked at each other and just from that single glance, they knew where they should be heading.
So without wasting another precious second, they rush until their feet brought them where they see the main cause of the smoke polluting the air.
But on their way, someone had stopped them. "Why are you two running? Is that? Wait- the flower!" Dahyun utters, she saw the flickering glow of the said flower and she's now curious why it's being held by the princess and her guard.
"Dahyun the palace is in flames, haven't you notice?" Chaeyoung exclaimed, she's panicking.
Dahyun's suspicion had come to end after that. She can deal for whatever Chaeyoung and Minhyuk was planning with the flower of dawn later, the word flames had caught every bit of her attention.
"Wait.. mother! Mother is inside!" She said, already at the edge of crying. Worse has it, what if her mother died from the fire?
"Father is inside too." Chaeyoung's voice was steady, but no one could deny how broken it felt coming out of her trembling lips.
"Dahyun no!"
Dahyun, due to the adrenaline, had gone insane and ran away from them. She's going towards the burning palace without any plans or what so. Her mind is captive by how she'll get her mother safe and sound. The undeniable love of a daughter had emerged from her system, and there's no way of stopping her.
Chaeyoung didn't had the chance to stop the girl. The princess's hand had slipped from the cotton silk of Dahyun's clothing and didn't held her tightly enough to make her stay.
Momo gave Chaeyoung the flower, "I'll take care of this." She utters.
"Momo!"
Chaeyoung follows, running with a speed that was automatically selected by her body from the emotions that she's feeling.
With a thud, Momo pulls Dahyun away from the hot flames. Dahyun was stunned, didn't know what happened and what causes her to be there. Guess her mind had blinded her, saving her mother was the only visible light inside her head the first second she step a foot forward to run.
"Who's.. who's Momo?" Dahyun utters, though she was in complete daze from all the ruckus. Momo's name happens to carve deeply onto her.
"I- Minhyuk? Are you okay?" Chaeyoung want to strangle herself, she's such an idiot to ask. She already saw the situation is far from being good, thus she still asked.
Momo hissed, planks of heavy woods are being a hindrance for her to escape. And the situation is not doing any good, the flames are only getting angrier as it spreads more quickly than ever.
The palace is made out of live materials that caused the fire to blow up so much. At this point, Chaeyoung wants to protest how the guards aren't seeing any of this. In a matter of fact, she kind of forget why they lack at security. The king had mentioned about bringing almost the hundred percent total of his royal guards at the Minatozaki's kingdom to show how wealthy the Son empire is. Though it was an advantage for Momo and her to take the flower, it is now somehow the caused lacking of guards to help them.
Momo scans the place, her hands were shaking, but she had lead to the conclusion after wandering around of her situation. "This won't do, we're running out of time! Go and bring that to Mina, I'll try.. I'll find a way somehow."
"Somehow? Are you nuts?!" Chaeyoung starts to worry. Her mind is going wild, her father, Momo, Mina, her mother. Everything is at stake, and she knows she won't solve it all at once.
"The flower has a limited time, go! Bring it to her! Mina needs you!" Momo screams hard out of her lungs, Chaeyoung stepped back as another wood came crashing down the floor.
"But Momo.." the name slipped again, but who is she to care anymore?
Momo bangs her hand against one of the wood on fire, "Just go! Get out! I don't want you here!" She madly said, Chaeyoung gulps down. Momo is getting rid of her, but she knows why. And she hates the fact that she knew.
Chaeyoung wiped a tear, turns her back at Momo and Dahyun.. then moved a feet forward.
"Hang on a bit longer, please."
It's either she's telling that to the flower, Momo or Mina's mother. But whatever the case, she'll do whatever it takes.
--
The two are running, chasing for the limited time, while both are holding important things. Because they don't have forever for this to get it right, they only have one moment, one particular moment, there's only one chance. And they can't wait another whole long years for another flower to bloom.
"Mother, we're almost there."
Mina's eyes are watery, though she can't let a tear drop.. her inside are already sobbing like crazy. The origin plan was to wait for Chaeyoung and Momo with the flower, but from the looks of it.. Mina won't able to bear and watch her mother struggling. Mrs. Myoui's body was in spasms, seemingly in a convulsion. Mina tried checking her mother's temperature by placing her palm against her forehead, but to her surprise.. her mother is already so warm that it almost burned her skin.
When her mother isn't responding to any of her words.. that's when she decided that it's only the best choice to carry her mother and have a run to reach the flower.
It brings pain to her, but she knows her mother couldn't last any longer.
Without further ado, Mina snatched the prepared warm water and placed it inside her clothed bag. From there on, she ran with her mother in her arms, embracing her fully with all her strength.
Meanwhile, Chaeyoung is having a huge problem with the villagers. As they are huddling near the palace, making it difficult for her to squeeze her way through.
"Argh!" She shouts, but it was useless, the crowd is uttering so loud about the bright flames that's lighting up the quiet evening.
Time is ticking, and there's only about 4 minutes till the flower comes with no use at all. She's tearing up badly, she feels awful from all of this.
She's still fighting her way out of the flock of people that's surrounding her. Chaeyoung can consider herself lucky because her identity isn't the cause of why she's stuck with si much people. But it's unfortunate how she now feels extremely guilty, her father is inside their, somewhere, and it hurts that she thinks about how much she ignores his words.
All of the times and ways the king had done to make it up to her, and she would just simply turn it down and won't even spare a moment to give any interests to it. Her father is all what she got, but she didn't do anything to make it last.
"I'm sorry father.. i know you hate me now. It's fine, hate me as much as you possibly can and I'm okay with it. I'm the most imperfect child everyone would've wish for. You never deserve a descendant like me." She cries out.
And it's like magic? Maybe her father did that? Or is it because of the blame she took? Because she is now out of the blabbering people, she's free.
She felt like a bird with spread wings, hugging the freedom as the air touched her skin.
Chaeyoung ran and ran, like the wind in the cold night's air.
She smiles as she grips tightly on her chest, there was the flower near her fast beating heart.
She can't wait for Mina to receive the flower that'll heal her long ill mother.
"Yah! I'm almost there!" Chaeyoung fastened her pace even more, she's mad about this, she wants this to be successful more than ever. She knows she lost everything at this point, and she can't afford to lose this.
With a weak but glad smile, Chaeyoung saw Mina in a distance.. also running to meet her.
The boarder from the kingdom and the forest is where they stopped. Mina lays her mother carefully on the grass, and Chaeyoung kneels on the solid ground of her land.
"Here." Chaeyoung's hands were sweaty, prove that she did her best to get there. And hopefully in time, because she can't deny how long hellish time she spent trying to be freed from the bunch of villagers.
"That's the flower, right?" Mina quickly fumbles, as she twists the top of the container where she store the water to be used for the medicine to work.
"Yes." With trembling hands, Chaeyoung took off the knot and starts to tear one petal at a time. She's not sure if it's normal, but the joyful color of the flower starts fading as she proceeds.
"Where's Momo?" Mina questioned and Chaeyoung's heart quaked. She swallows on to nothing, absolutely has nothing to say with Mina's question.
Chaeyoung isn't sure if Momo made it, on what's the real situation back in the palace was.. so she never answered Mina, and she doesn't know if she has the guts to tell so.
"Hurry." Chaeyoung said as she pours all the petals that she had gathered.
When the water soaked the petals' slowly, Mina gave it a bit of a stir using a tool that she brought with her.
Mina held her mother's head and starts to aim at her mouth to let her consume the medicine.
Her mother's eyes are still shut, her breathing came in short and quick pace. Chaeyoung starts to worry, that shouldn't be the outcome, right?
"Mina wait, the flower.. i think." Chaeyoung didn't want to jump to conclusions yet, but something at the back of her mind is telling her so. She tries hard to ignore, but her eyes are only processing what's she's seeing.
"What.. what are you saying?" Mina laughs, and Chaeyoung witness another disaster that day; tears are shedding from her eyes, it flows down Mina's cheeks and she can't help herself to mirror Mina's sadness.
A minute had passed and still no response from her mother's body. Her breathing isn't as frequently as before, and it's apparently fading away.
Chaeyoung notice this and she grips on her knees tight, she's not sure if Mina would want to hear this but she will speak, she can't contain how Mina's face is painted with an emotion that's hurting her. And for sure is painfully killing for Mina too.
"Mina it's.. it's already-"
But Mina interupts with a weak shout. "Come on! Mother! Open up! Please.. please.. why aren't you.. you drinking it?" Mina begs for her mother to at least gulp once more, but the woman isn't doing anything for it to happen. It seems that she gave up. But Mina won't.
So she squeezed her mother's cheeks, letting her mouth open wider than before, then she pours the solution of the water and the powerful petals of the flower.
"Mina, stop.." Chaeyoung has her head hang low, can't take to have a glimpse of Mina's sorrowful face.
Mina lifts her head up and saw Chaeyoung wasn't looking at her. "Help me Chaeyoung! Mother is having a hard time here, can't you see?!" She shouts, and pain was laced with her words.
"This- please.. she's- she's.. gone." Char sobs. And she blames herself for all this, she will forever hate herself for this.
Mina furiously disagrees as she shook her head. "No.. mother, the flower- your medicine is here. The cure is here! Momo got it for us, princess Chaeyoung delivered!" Mina explains it all, but she's only talking with a lifeless body.
"Mina.." Chaeyoung looks directly at the latter. This is heartbreaking and she doesn't know if there's even a cure for such thing.
Mina sniffs, "Mother, just.. just one more sip. Please.." Mina's hands are getting stiff from how long she's trying to let her mother drink. Though deep inside her, she knows it's impossible to see her mother open her lids ever again.
"It's too late, Mina listen to me-"
"Shut up! It's not too late, she'll be better, okay? I did everything for this, i put my identity at risk, our love at risk, us, you!"
Mina can't accept it, although she already knows it's the end. But Chaeyoung understands this, yes she does, it's difficult and all.. but she has to be strong for them.
"I know.. but this isn't going to work anymore. The flower had reached it's limit, it's been an hour and.."
"And what?!" Mina yells in pure agony. All she wants to hear is a single confirmation that the hope is long far gone, but she just can't bear to let this sink in. It's like her body would always refuse to absorb this bitter reality.
"She's.. your- your mother didn't survive. And it's because of my stupid legs, i didn't ran fast enough."
Only time could really tell. Almost, so close.. but it wasn't always enough. If only the flower gave them a tinsy bit more time, maybe.. just maybe Mina's mother would survive.
"This can't be.. tell me this is just a dream." Mina cries as she hugs her mother's body tight inside her arms. The arms where she lays and took her last breath, the arms that held her strong when she finally meets the end.. her daughter's arms, Mina's arms.
Chaeyoung pats her shoulder, then caressing it slowly with care. Fragile, Mina felt fragile and her instincts says to handle Mina with extreme care or she'll tore apart, break, and shatter into unfixable pieces. "Mina, we have to accept it. It's what fate had brought us."
"Wake me up! Chaeyoung-ah!" Mina shouts at her once again, but everytime she does.. just cuts a deeper wound inside Chaeyoung's heart. She had failed miserably and there's no way to redo all of this.
"I'm so sorry Mina.. I'm sorry, even if i want to.. i just can't wake you up from reality. Because this.. this isn't a dream anymore." The princess sadly confirms.
"But why am i experiencing a nightmare?! I beg you, please.. just- wake me up!" Mina shakes the latter's body, begging for Chaeyoung to help her stop drowning, because there's only a string of willingness on Mina to continue her life. Her mother was her one and only companion, and she had lost that.
Another painful tear fell, "I.. I can't.."
Mina's eyes were undescribable, the pain within it is making Chaeyoung's eyes sore. Oh how she wish she could wipe it off that easily.
"Chaeyoung.. mother! She's.. she d-"
Chaeyoung pulls Mina close, hugging her, safely putting her arms as a shelter around the broken girl.
"Shhh.. it's all going to be fine. You need to rest." The princess caressed her back, uttering things that would comfort her.
"But mother! Please do something, there's still a way right? There must be another way!" Mina cries out. "I'm afraid there's none. She left us Mina, your mother did well. Soon enough, your father will meet her once again."
"No, no, no.. no! Please.. please.. Chaeyoung, she's the only person i have- I can't lose her!"
Chaeyoung felt a thump on her back. Mina's fists are landing perfectly at her back. Chaeyoung smiled, yes, she deserves this.. it's just right for Mina to hurt her. So she didn't stop Mina at all, she would want her to continue and beat her up on the ground. Actually she needs more than that, more painful the better.
"But I'm here. And you'll never lose me."
I've lost everything Mina, like you.. and you're all i have now. And I'm here for you, I'm all for you. Chaeyoung thought.
"I- thank.. thank you. But, will mother and father would really meet again?"
"For sure.. and I'm also sure that they'll meet the king and the queen too."
Mina pulls away, "Wait, what.. what happened to the king?"
Chaeyoung can't seem to find the right words, is she ready to talk about it? Isn't even sure if he's gone. "He.. father-"
Mina saw the huge smoke reaching them, she looks back at Chaeyoung and her eyes says it all. Turns out that she isn't the one who's struggling here. And this someone in front of her must've chosen to be here with her than to be anywhere else.
Mina felt a pang in her chest, "You need me too Chaeyoung. Let's.. do this together. I'll never let anyone separates us again."
"Promise me that, please." Chaeyoung sobs.
Mina pulls her for a hug, "I love you, and i care for you. You don't have to worry about it, i promise you that."
The smoke finally clears, which maybe indicates that the fire had been tamed because the surrounding is slowly coming to life.. as a ray of sun touches Mina's skin and so did Chaeyoung's.
And it was when they realized that it's indeed the next day, it's morning; a brand new day, a new hope, and a new start perhaps.
The sunrise had come.
Fin~
That's the last chapter for WWC and i might put an epilogue for this story, just to furnish it and so. So yeah, it's literally almost 12am here.. I've spend my night writing this whole chapter down.
Oh! And here's the tissue if it ever made you cry lol, my angst ability isn't that much but i hope i did my writing at least decent here.
Okay see you guys in the epilogue chapter, peace out!
~janeruddalgi🍓