Ike releases me from his embrace and I hear my mother rummaging around behind me observing the state of our castle.
"The castle really has seen better days," I turn to see my father chuckle as he hugs my mother from behind her and gives her a kiss.
"I will go speak to Eliwood," I watch my father turn to leave the room.
My mother finds my gaze and slowly hovers over to me. A smile finds itself onto her face as she approaches me. "You have grown so much, my child," A sassy smirk appears onto my face as I place my right hand onto my hip and pull my hood over my head to match my mother's darkened eyes.
"Well, I feel like I did not have a choice. I had to save you mother!" My mother's mouth opens a bit as she laughs, "Still just as sassy as ever, too!"
I throw my hand over my mouth and laugh so hard I snort softly when I breath in. I hear Ike behind me chuckle as Roy and Lucina laugh with us as well.
"Yeah, she sure did go through a lot, Your Highness," I hear Ike behind me say to my mother, "I first met her when she fell from the sky. She has surprised me ever since,"
I feel my face burn slightly again as I try to hide it from my mother without her seeing. My mother does see it though as she chuckles at me once she glances over to me then back to him while listening.
"She was so determined to find her way back home to help her father save you," My mother turns her gaze to me and smiles appear onto her face as she listens. I cannot help but smile as well while my face keeps burning.
After a moment, my mother takes a step forward, "Yes, I saw it all, my child," My eyes widen.
"I watched you from the beginning. You have learned how to trust. You have learned how to control your emotions very well," As my mother speaks, I stand up straighter, smiling as I gaze at her, with my hands on my hips. She places her right hand onto my left shoulder, "You are becoming fit to become a queen,"
My eyes widen again, "Q-queen?" I feel myself stutter as I look up at her. My mother just laughs as my father enters the room behind us with Eliwood and his son Roy following him.
"Queen Angelica! So nice to see you once again, Your Highness!" King Eliwood says happily, raising his hands up from by his sides, approaching my mother to greet her.
Eliwood is a tall man with strikingly similarites to Roy. Like father like son, Eliwood has bushy red hair with narrow blue eyes just like Roy has while wearing similar clothing. His clothing is blue with red trim while wearing knee high boots and a long red cape that is blue on the backside. I do not known him as well since the first time I met him was when I was very young.
He treats me like I am his own daughter though and I love him because of that. I have been to his castle many times after I met him playing with Roy when I was not playing with Myst in the forest outside the walls of my castle.
I smile while he hugs my mother. I hear Roy from behind me surprised to see his other self over there. I turn to him and smile for a moment and turn back once Roy smiles back to me. Once Eliwood is finished hugging my mother, he turns to me and a smile even bigger appears onto his face. "Princess Star! My dear, I am glad you are safe along with your mother!"
I smiled, "Hello, Eli!"
Roy chuckles from behind me, "Eli, huh?"
He approaches me, arms outstretched and embraces me with an enthusiastic hug, patting me on my back, "I heard about you Star and your friends here from your father. We have decided to help you rebuild this castle of yours before announcing our plans to the kingdoms,"
Announcing our plans? What does Eli mean by that?
"Plans?" I raise my eyebrow up at him and he laughs, "It is a surprise for you, my dear. Now, Chrom, my friend, let us begin. I will let my kingdom know right away,"
My father nods his head in agreement next to my mother, "I will get my kingdom together as well, my friend,"
~~~
"Star!"
I turn to see Myst running up to me. A smile etches itself onto my face as she jumps into my arms, "Myst! I am so glad to see you!"
Myst nods, giggles and looks up at me. "I heard you were back from your father! He asked us to come meet at the castle with the rest of the kingdom,"
I laugh and nod to her. "That's right!" Myst laughs at me again with a sassy look in her eye, "And don't worry, my brother is here too!"
I laugh again. "Good girl,"
I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I turn to see my mother. "Hello, Mama Angelica!" Myst calls out. My mother looks down at her and smiles. She kneels down to embrace her. "Oh! Myst! My darling, there you are!"
I wonder why Myst never has told me about her parents. Only about her brother.
Mother stands back up to face me. "Come, my child, we must greet the kingdom with your father,"
I nod and follow her back to the front of our castle and what is left of the garden and fountain. Myst grabs my hand and follows beside me while her brother is close behind. I turn to see my friends chatting over where my father is standing waiting for us. I smile when I see them as we approach.
I can feel Myst's brother's eyes on me from behind me. It is really weird. I know him but I do not. It is also weird that Eli's son, I used to play with him when I was younger, I also know him but I do not. How strange that I made friends with alternate beings of the same ones who I grew up with here in my kingdom.
Ike finds my eyes as I approach him and he smiles when he sees Myst by my side. Then I see his gaze fall to my left, he must have found her brother, who is following us.
I look up to see Eli walking up next to father and they both have turned to face my mother and I. I release Myst's hand, "Stay with your brother," I turn to follow my mother up there to stand with my father and King Eli. Eli's son has walked up there next to him as well. I pass by my friends on my way up there and they each give me a smile and encouraging gestures.
Once I get up there, my mother positions me in front of her next to my father who then places his hand onto my right shoulder. I turn to look out over everyone and see many familiar faces from both kingdoms as they all gaze upon me. I nod my head in greetings when I look to see Eli and his son on the other side of my father.
The crowd applauds once my mother and I get positioned properly in the front. Then my father begins to speak, "Please let us give a warm welcome to our guests and ally to our kingdom, Lycia," My father motions his hand to his right and King Eli steps forwards, shaking my father's hand firmly.
"Thank you, brother. We are gathered here today, my people, to assist our ally. They have come to me today asking for assistance in rebuilding their lovely castle. Please welcome back the lovely Queen Angelica and her beautiful daughter Princess Star,"
Eli gestures towards us, steps back next to father and applauds with the crowd before me. My stomach churns as my mother drops her hood and touches my arm for me to follow. I raise my hands up to the brim of my hood and pull it down to my shoulders.
My dark red hair falls out, lands onto my shoulders and back while curling around my face. My mother takes my hand, has us step forwards and we take a small curtsey bow together as the crowd cheers and throws welcomes out to us.
We step back next to my father once the crowd quiets down. My father steps back forward. "Thank you, my friend. Without further ado, please join us in the celebration and the tasks at hand to rebuild our lovely castle of Ylisse!" The crowd cheers once more and we each take a small bow of our own. The crowd breaks up to begin getting assignments from the kings.
My mother motions for my friends to come forward. "Star, you help me with the first section here in the front with your friends,"
I smile and nod. "Yes, mother," I turn to my friends and they all smile at me as I smile back.
"You were great Star!" Lucina says to me. "Such a lovely Princess,"
I laugh with a sassy grin on my face. "Oh yeah? What about you?"
She laughs back. "Oh, you know, a lovelier Princess," She looks to me with a sassy grin back to me.
I hear Ike and Roy chuckle next to her. My mother chuckles as well and motions for us to follow her.
I notice the new materials sitting around in boxes and crates brought to us from Lycia's people. Many types of wood and marble slabs are ready to be matted together to support the castle structure. My mother brings out her dark magic orbs around her hands and lifts one of the pieces of marble up to the front wall of the castle. I follow and do the same, pushing myself up to hover over to the upper section of the castle where mother is holding the slab of marble.
"Here Star, hold this marble here, and I will show you how to use your magic to weld this piece to the others," My mouth falls open slightly and I turn to my friends. They have the same expression I have.
"I can weld marble together?" I say as I turn back and lift my left hand, pushing my emotion through the arm and concentrate on the marble slab.
My mother laughs, "Yes. Like this,"
She hovers over to the slab and lifts both of her hands next to the top edge of the slab. She concentrates for a moment and the slab does nothing. After a short moment, my mother shoots out a small beam of black light towards the edge of the marble. Once the beam hits it, the edges melt together and attaches themselves to the wall of the castle as mother aims her hands around the edges. Then all of the slab is welded to the opening in the castle wall.
"Whoa," I hear Lucina say behind me.
"Amazing," Roy says.
"Impressive," Ike adds, smiling. "I continue to be impressed even after I thought I could not be impressed any further,"
I smile back at him once he catches my gaze.
"Come Star, you try," I snap from Ike's eyes as I hear my mother say this to me and I turn to see her holding up a slab of marble for me to weld. I lift my hands, palms facing towards the edges of the marble slab. I concentrate on the slab and push my emotions through my arms to the tips of my fingertips. Then once I am ready, I feel the dark beam as it shoots through my arms. It shoots from my palms directly towards the marble slab. Once it hits the edge of the material, it does what my mother's beam did by heating the material and slowly welding it to the top of the slab mother just welded in place moments ago. Once I finish, my eyes widen and I look down at my hands.
"Whoa,"
"Excellent, my child. Let us continue,"
I look up at my friends. "Well then,"
I put up a sassy grin and turn to pick up another slab of marble. My friends follow me to do the same. Ike and Roy take one and pick up a welding gun my father handed them before and they begin welding marble adjacent to the ones my mother and I started.
Lucina is going to help me with the next one. It is going to a higher platform that Lucina is having trouble getting up to.
"Here," I lift my right hand that is not holding the slab up and begin forming a small platform of dark black light for Lucina to step onto.
"Use this," Lucina smiles at me and jumps up onto the platform. Once she is ready I stretch it to create another higher section for her to stand on and create more of them all the way up until she is next to the marble slab.
"Thanks," She begins welding the slab I am holding up there next to her. I have to concentrate extra hard because I am focusing on two objects at the same time. The edges of my vision blacken as I concentrate on holding the slab and keeping Lucina from falling.
Once she finishes, I lift another one with my left hand and bring it up next to her.
I lock eyes with Ike for a moment as I bring it up. I feel my stomach drop as he locks gazes with me. It feel like the first time I saw him. I shake myself free once I realize it and put on a sassy grin to hide my face that had started to burn.
Ike smiles, "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Then he chuckles at me.
I laugh back. "Just checking on you!" I smile bigger with my sassy smile and turn back to Lucina, who is smiling back at me.
No cat has my tongue, just you Ike.
~~~
After doing this all the way across the front of the castle, we have completed our section of the project. I hover away from the castle to have a gander at it and it looks as good as new.
"Looking good, my child, very well done. I want to thank your friends as well," She turns to them and takes a small curtsey bow to them.
"You are welcome, your majesty!" Ike tells her with a nod from Lucina and Roy.
"Glad to help," Lucina exclaims, with a sassy smile and places her hand on her hip. Then Lucina catches my gaze and I can see something flare in her eyes. She steps forwards to approach me and stands before me.
"Star, we should probably get back to our time soon. My father will worry about my whereabouts. I have to check in with him soon,"
I nod understandingly.
That means Ike and Roy have to go as well...
I turn to my mother and she looks as though she has something to say to me.
"My dear child, do not worry. I can get them back home safely," I turn to her with a glimmer of sadness before I push it away.
I must stay strong. I am back in my kingdom now. I will be able to see them again.
I nod to her. "You will be able to see them anytime you wish, Star," My mouth opens slightly once again and I look into my mother's eyes.
"Will you teach me the spell?" I ask, with a flare of hope filling my eyes.
My mother nods to me and I cannot hide my excitement. "Really? Thank you mother," I feel a hand on my shoulder and turn to find Lucina.
She gives me a short hug and smiles. "I will be back, Star. We are friends, do not ever forget that!" I smile back with a sassy look and nod. My mother begins to prepare to open the portal off to the side beside the castle and the forest.
Lucina steps aside and then I see Roy and Ike before me. They both smile and Roy then gives me a hug as well. "See you soon, Star!" Roy turns to follow Lucina over to the portal that is slowly opening behind them.
Then Ike finds my eyes and I can feel something change inside of my stomach. I smile and push myself into his embrace. He pulls me into his grip, "I will see you again, right Star?" I nod my head that I had buried into his shoulder for a bit, as I feel a tingle run through my back with his touch.
Then I look up into his deep blue eyes. "Yes, of course!" Then I pause for a second and a sassy grin materializes onto my face.
"That is, if you don't mind, little miss troublemaker!" I laugh and gasp playfully as he laughs with me. Once he releases me, I playfully push him softly on his chest, towards the portal behind him.
"Thanks," I manage to pipe out. His sassy grin does not leave his face. "Oh yeah? For what?"
I chuckle, "For being you," Then a soft smile appears onto my face, the sassy one before that had faded away as I gaze into his eyes once again.
He keeps my gaze as well, "Of course,"
I wave to them as he turns to join Roy and Lucina in front of the portal. Then they enter the portal one by one. Ike is last and turns to me before he steps in with a small smirk on his face, "See you soon, little miss troublemaker!" He says before he disappears into the portal. I could not stop the burning feeling on my cheeks or the flips my stomach is doing when Ike disappears through that portal.
I cannot wait.
I made myself blush once while writing this! After editing my notes before and during writing this part, I notice I will have more parts than I originally had. Once you start to write, your characters surprise you!
Tell me what you think!