Pocketville Lost Diamonds: VOLUME 2

Chapter 10: broken room

Ava and Balloon were sitting on the backrest of the sofa, disordinely. They were disheveled and exhausted, so they just sat there to take a breath and lick their injuries.

The elegant and expansive living room now was nothing more than a war camp, or a demolition site. Nothing was untouched anymore.

They hadn’t spoken for long, too tired to utter a single word. They weren’t angry to each other, neither sad or satisfacted.

- Did I hurt you? - suddenly asked Ava, noticing how carefully Balloon was licking her shoulder.
- Nah, it’s nothing. - answered the tabby cat - I should ask you that. I didn’t have to go that heavy on you, I could injure you seriously.
- Uh, no problem. I deserved it.
- What?  You have no fault. I was provoking you, I wanted you to react that way!
- And you did well. 
-I know.

The two cats giggled. They still couldn’t explain what just happened, but it had been liberating.

- This place look much better now!
- Oh yes! Of course.
- I wish my grandmo… Talia… was here to see what I did to her loved castle! She’d have a heart attack. 
- If she was here, she’d be in the same condition of this sofa.
They laughed again.

They looked at the broken window, where snowing was building a small white wall on the sill.
It was… pure. Relaxing. Calming.
Outside that castle, a world still existed.

- Listen, Ava… - said Balloon, after a while - about what you said, I don’t think you are just the ruler of this kingdom, the throne heir or something like that. You are much more, you are yourself. One of my deariest friends. My childhood idol - she smiled - ...and someone I am supposed to not beat up.

Ava approached her a bit and rubbed her head on her shoulder, softly purring  as sign of affection:
- Thank you... you are very special to me too. You’re my best friend. When I chose you as my Royal Guard, I was sure you were the right one. I’m not just talking about being a good Guard, a fighter or a detective: I wanted to give you all my trust and... I knew I could count on you. Don’t be that hard with yourself, okay? Your grandmother would be proud of you.

- I miss her… - Balloon lied like a sphynx and looked down - I truly hope she’s okay now.
- Where is she?
- She’s in our house in the wood. She lives by herself, since I spend the most of the time at the Castle, but I visit her everyday.
- I’m sure she’s safe now. She’ll be waiting for you. I mean, the Petbuster is following us now, isn’t he?
- Yes, but I can’t stop thinking what would happen if…
- Don’t think about it! It won’t happen. He’s looking for us, he has no interest in her.
- The Petbuster isn’t my only fear.
- Uh?
- My mother…

Ava turned to her to look her in the face, but the tabby cat was staring at the floor.
- She hasn't lived with us since I was six and I don’t know where she is now. I don’t even care. I wish she is as far-away as possible from us. I don’t miss her, I can’t miss her after what she did. It’s just… I miss everyday the mother I never knew. A nice and caring mom who would have raised me with all her love, or at least a bit more than how she did. Even the sober version of her would be okay.  I wonder everyday what would happen if she comes back. She spent her whole life making my grandmother’s one impossible, and now I’m sure she would do the same. Granny is not that healthy and strong anymore, and…

- ...she will face the cat who used to be called freak, that now is a warrior. I know you won’t let her hurt you again. Maybe she does too, for this reason she is not coming back. - Ava finally got her eye contact: the tabby cat’s yellow pearls were shining, just like she opened a way to see the stars within her. The siamese cat wondered if she ever let someone look that deep inside her feelings -...as a princess, I’m not supposed to use these words, but I know you can kick her tail.

Balloon giggled and she recognized a small sigh in her voice.
- You know, I’m happy I told someone about this. It’s… uh? Princess? What is that?

Ava followed her look, which ended on a corner of the room.
There, a small object was hidden under the pieces of a broken crystalware. It was… a…

- A doll? - Ava jumped down from the sofa and, careful to not hurt her paws with shards, walked toward and picked it up.

It was a creepy human-like pottery toy, whose hair was a shapeless mess of wool and dust. Its dress was black and the face was almost totally broken. It was very creepy.

- My grandmother used to collect these dolls.- commented Ava, baffled.
- Mine had one like that, time ago. I was scared of it when I was little. - laughed Balloon - Maybe it would look better if you break it.
- Should I?
- It’s just a doll belonged to a very bad cat. Why not?

Ava hesitated. Yes, it was. She destroyed a whole room, why now breaking a stupid toy felt so hard? She thought about Talia, the sweet, fake, smile of her grandma… and about what she did.

She threw it on the ground, as strong as she could. The ceramic face totally broke and the body shattered in pieces… but inside, something else came to light.

A female, high voice broke the silence after the crush.
An icy giggling.

Ava jumped back and Balloon ran on her side, shocked.
- The doll laughed! THE DOLL LAUGHED! - screamed Ava.
The horrible sound continued for a few istants, then stopped with a metallic sound.
- Wait. - Balloon slowly approached it and lowered her head, smelling the object. Ava blinked, panting, and saw a small black object hidden into the toy’s broken face.

- It’s just a recorder! A stupid recorder! - exclaimed the Guard, laughing - Wow! I really got a heart attack!
The princess relaxed too, mentally swearing against who built such a creepy joke.

Balloon picked up the black box and used a toe pad to touch it.
The voice repeated its horrible sound.
- Your grandmother was weird, let me say it.
- Oh, yes, she was…

The voice changed: it got less high and realistic.
- 16th day of the moon year, Pocketville. First page of Duchess Talia’s memoirs.

Balloon opened her eyes wide and looked at Ava, who made a step back.
- This is… her… voice. - murmured.

- I, Talia II, Duchess of the Iced Lake Cour, Protector of the Snow  Warrior mountains and Princess Ava V’s paternal grandmother, record this memory to write my name into the pages of the History of Pocketville. Today I am saving the honor of the Royal Family. Today I am protecting the subjects of the Magical Kingdom of Pocketville. Today I killed my son.