I made my way back home. It was night by then and the fields were peaceful. I could hear beasts in the distance, but they were too far away for me to have to worry about them attacking me.
"What a day. "
looked back at the Radiant City. Its bright lights lit up the land. Everything in me didn't want to go back, especially after that battle with that demon. But for the sake of my freedom, I had to make do until this investigation ended.
When I saw my cabin, my relief couldn't be mirrored. There it stood, alone in the land, just how I should be. As I approached, a bright pink-haired girl came running in front of my cabin. With both her arms spread out, she chased a bunch of fireflies and butterflies as she cut through my grass. I was surprised to see her again.
"Zoom! Zoom!"
She made strange noises as she played with the outdoor animals. Nothing could take away how adorable she looked. The pain in my body became background feelings as everything focused on her. It was like she numbed the ache as she spun about, freely enjoying her time out there.
"Mr. Wings! Mr. Wings!"
She said, elated.
The moonlight cast an off blue light on her as the fireflies lit up her body, making her appear nothing short of magical. Like a bird to her nest, she put out her wings and soared into the nearby bushes right behind my house.
The pink bunny appeared again from the bushes. She danced around then ran into the nearby forest. It was the same place I found her yesterday.
"She likes being alone, doesn't she?"
My smile warmed my cheeks.
"Could she be like me?"
The thought of it warmed my chest a bit. It made me want to watch more. Admire the way she enjoys the nightlife. I removed my jacket and set it on the porch. I couldn't stop thinking about that bunny that ran by.
"Hm."
My home was right there. I could go inside, take off my clothes, take a nice bath and go to sleep. But I found myself drawn to her. My cabin faded in the background as I walked towards the forest.
"Just a little peek won't hurt, I guess. "
I convinced myself.
Maxwell told me to avoid people, stay in the shadows, and live a peaceful life. But this person reminded me a lot of myself. This bunny enjoyed her solitude in the night, and I became a little interested in her because of it.
I approached the edge of the forest cautiously. It was like I was brought into another world. I found myself in a scene similar to the one the previous night. A cool breeze, like water from the lake washed over me. It gave me a chill but in return I saw something remarkable.
Casting a beautiful glow in the moonlight, that pink-haired girl was on her knees. She reminded me of a princess from those fairytales with all the wildlife around her.
They would run up her legs, arms, and some even her shoulders. Fireflies would light up the isolated space, and butterflies would suspend their bright blue wings above her.
"Hehe, zoom!"
My lips curled every time she would make those strange noises. It was the kind a child would make because they lack the shame and self-awareness associated with embarrassment. Just to have fun for the sake of having fun, that's what this timid loner reminded me of.
"Oh, a bunny!"
Her tender voice spoke up as a bunny ran to her.
It was pure white, like a cloud as it jumped around her. The furball jumped in her arms, and she held it close to her cheeks. It wasn't long before many others surrounded her too.
It was as if she attracted them to her just by being as sweet as she was.
"That's nice."
I whispered.
I knew when to take my leave. As I backed up, the fatigue of the day made me a tad dizzy, and I clumsily stepped on a branch. The crack under my shoes caused the life around her to scatter in an instant.
"Ah?"
She looked at me. I looked at her. We met eyes and, before she could run, I called out to her.
"Oh! I'm sorry!"
My body felt heavy, and I could only associate it with the long day. The fatigue finally kicked in, and I fell to the grass. My knees hit the dirt, and my hands caught me from faceplanting into the ground.
"Sorry."
I said, weakly.
I was too tired to stand. I don't think I've experienced this level of fatigue. So, I sat on my side and tried my best to look up at the coy girl. I was dizzier than ever.
"Ah?"
The pink bunny looked scared, as if she was about to run from the monster before her.
"Sorry for startling you. I was just-"
I closed my eyes and fell to the side, onto the grass. In a slight haze, I laid my cheeks on the foliage.
"Are you alright?"
Her soft voice whispered in my ear.
This mysterious woman held my shoulders. I felt a cushion on my head. I wasn't able to identify what my head was lying on yet. My body was too weak to even move around. It was like the peaceful night was draining all of my energy.
The fireflies returned, lighting up the world around me. With that crisp moonlight tricking in. It made me appreciate the night all the more.
"I like the night."
I muttered.
That alone took a lot out of me. I'm not sure why I even said it, but I did. A soft hand was placed on my head. She brushed my bangs tenderly. This pink bunny put my head on her lap, and she was treating me like a small animal.
"Ah. A-Are you okay?"
She asked once more.
"It's just been a long day. T-Thank you, I guess?"
My cheeks warmed up as I realized what was happening.
I felt guilty as I tried to lift my head, but her touch was like a numbing spell. My body wasn't hurting but it wasn't reacting to my movements either. I could feel her gentle hand brush my hair.
"You don't have to do this. My home is right over there."
I said.
Wordless, she caressed my head. After a moment of silence, I spoke up.
"Sorry. I guess I was spying on you a little."
The gentle woman stroked my head with compassion.
"It's okay. I'm not mad."
Out of her tender lips, she spoke.
The peace she brought made me at least want to know her name. My focus drifted in and out, but I had to keep myself awake, or else the night terrors would assault me and probably scare her away for good.
"My name- My name is Feodora Cicer."
I pushed out as my cheeks went deeper into her thighs. They were like pillows, and everything in me wanted to close my eyes and fall asleep. White bunnies approached her again, but this time they jumped around me too.
I didn't understand how she attracted them like this. I was in a daze and couldn't make out what was actually happening. But I forced myself awake. I didn't want this coy girl to see that side of me. I didn't want her to see me scream like a banshee.
"I like the night."
I repeated, trying to keep myself awake.
"It's quiet, peaceful and lonely, but I like it."
How gentle my voice felt was a surprise to me.
The timid girl brushed my bangs back with her fingers. This reminded me of when I was little, Maxwell would do the same as I laid down.
"Is that why you're out here alone because you like the night too?"
I asked.
For a moment, she looked away and gazed up at the trees. Her bright eyes stared there for a moment. With her free hand, her thin fingers touched her lips, and she nodded slightly.
"Me too."
She agreed.
"Do you always come out here at night to play?"
I asked.
She was so mysterious as she coyly looked about. She waited for a moment, looked back over her shoulder, then turned back to me. Out of her lips, soft words finally came out.
"N-No. I-I mean, yes. A-Ah are you going to make me leave?"
The timid girl asked.
Her voice was a shaky, and that started to worry me. I shook my head from side to side, casually brushing her thighs as I did.
"N-No, I wasn't going to make you leave."
"R-Really?"
With all the energy I could muster, I got up and off of her thighs. The animals around us didn't scatter like before. No, they continued to bounce around us. It felt like I became a piece of this picture now. As if I was a small animal that belonged in this space.
"P-Please continue to play. I'll leave you be."
I promised.
I slowly got to my feet. The pain in my body wasn't there any longer. The pink-haired girl took to her feet too. With us being this close, I could see that she was slightly shorter than me. Her body seemed slim, and she wore a backpack that was dark blue.
Her eyes looked me up and down as if searching for something.
"My name is Feodora Cicer. I live in the cabin nearby."
"Yes, you told me."
Timidly, she said.
Embarrassed, I looked to the side too. The wildlife around us bounced about at my feet. The mysterious girl bent down and patted a white bunny. She didn't say anything else as she let them touch her hands and jump on her shoulders like before.
I watched in amazement as they tenderly flocked around her.
"Yuuna…"
She whispered.
Closing those bright pink eyes of hers, she confessed her name.
"Hm?"
I tilted my head. I wasn't sure if I caught her words right. They were light as feathers and made my heart throb a bit.
"My name is Yuuna."
She finally expressed herself, showing me her bright pink eyes. Yuuna got to her feet, looked back at me, and held her chest.
"But I'd like it if you'd call me Yuu Yuu, though."
My eyes lit up as I was finally able to put a name to the face. After seeing her last time, I couldn't get her out of my mind for a while, I'll admit. But that was a distant memory. She was a girl named Yuuna who liked to be called Yuu Yuu.
"Alright, Yuu Yuu."
I was finally close to her. Because of that, I could see her uniform was just like Vivian's. It begged me to ask the question.
"Yuu Yuu… do you know someone named Vivian Heart?"
For a moment, she turned to the side. Her expression seemingly darkened momentarily. Her gaze looked behind her for a moment then back to me.
"Nope."
All the animals around us scattered back into the forest. It was strange but magical as they did this.
"I got to go, F-Feodora."
The bunny ran deeper into the forest. But before she got too far, she turned my way.
"I-If Yuu Yuu came back; would you play with Yuu Yuu?"
Her words sank into my chest, causing my body to stir. I knew nothing about this woman. The thing that captured me about her first was her love for the night.
But that alone made me want to know more about her.
"S-Sure."
I agreed.
Never have I ever wanted to get to know another person like her before. People are stressful to deal with. But Yuu Yuu wasn't like that. Her presence felt calm and that alone made me a bit more interested.
With a bright smile, the bunny ran away into the dark of the night. How someone so bright and alive could be so mysterious. I closed my eyes and put my hands on my hips.
"I guess today wasn't so bad after all, was it?"
That strange sensation washed over me once more, the chill of the night. I took this as a sign that I needed to get home and sleep.
After a bath and a small dinner, I wrapped my ankles and wrist on my bed, preparing to sleep. My mind started to wonder about the upcoming days.
I needed to solve this mystery so I can live my life in peace, and that starts with finding the woman who attacked me during our investigation. That orange-haired woman was the key to my freedom.
"Jade told me to take tomorrow off. Say no more, Jade."
I closed my eyes and let the horrible night terrors assault me.