Fate II

CCXIII

Wearing a noble, high-collared white, slightly puffed gown with a short, royal purple upper suit jacket, her long, silky golden hair tied up into a bun with only the left side of her wavy bangs falling down by her side. With a small royal purple hat decorated with lilies, a white ribbon, and teardrop-shaped amethyst jewels situated on the right side of her head, she held a royal purple parasol that was of the same design as her hat in her laced, white-gloved hands. Wearing only a few pieces of light jewelry, the heels of her shoes tapped lightly against the floor as she gave a small twirl, the rukh fluttering happily around her.

Masrur wore a matching outfit with a white collared shirt and white suit pants paired with a royal purple suit jacket. Badges lined the side of his jacket and fitting into the high-quality, leather black boots, he fitted the white gloves onto his hand. Glancing up, he widened his eyes as his heart fluttered wildly inside his chest.

She was absolutely radiant.

"Masrur!"

He didn't think it would be possible to love someone so much but, in front of her, all the feelings he had bottled up and suppressed were expressed all over his face. His crimson eyes lit up and gazed at her with nothing but endearment. Wearing a bright smile, he called out to her in sweet affection.

"Lucy!" he extended his hand.

She placed her hand in his and the two exchanged a loving gaze as they burst into chuckles. Their cheeks flushed a faint rosy hue and their eyes shone with love, their entire being expressing their affection for the other. With the rukh fluttering around them, the two were as radiant as the sun itself. Seeing the two so happy, Kaede watched on with a fond smile, wishing that it was Masrur who he had turned to in the beginning rather than Sinbad.

"Are you two ready?"

The two turned and with just their eyes turned to him, he felt a sense of belonging and a nostalgic warmth envelop him. Wearing an eastern outfit with the same royal purple and white design, his large, transparent shawl that was wrapped around him flowed behind him.

"Mn!" Lucy smiled brightly as she reached out to hold Kaede's hand who gladly held hers in return. "Is Kaede also ready?"

He nodded his head with a smile. "Is your body alright?"

Masrur flinched, knowing that the question was directed at him for he hadn't let Lucy rest enough despite having only recently recovered. But, being as dense as ever, Lucy simply smiled happily like that of a child as she held up her two arms.

"I haven't felt better!"

Seeing her so happy, even Kaede who had been angry at Masrur just moments ago could not say another word. Giving a sigh, he glared at Masrur and the latter gulped. Walking over to him, he leaned into his ear and turned to him.

"I understand that you couldn't hold back but, show a bit more restraint next time," he patted him on the shoulder.

"Yes..." Masrur lowered his head in self-disdain, well aware that he should've held back.

Lucy simply tilted her head and blinked her eyes, unaware of the two's conversation as she simply turned to the stuffed animals that Kaede had decorated the Archive with since the day they first met and became the Archive's mistress and seeing the large stuffed animal with a diamond ribbon situated at its neck that he had given her for her birthday, she smiled fondly and played with its long, floppy ears.

Kyubey.

It was a name that she had called it by and a name that felt as if it belonged to it. Its eyes shone under the glow of the light of the Celestial Archive, unbeknownst to Lucy that after spending so long in the Archive, the blessing that Kaede had breathed into it when he created it slowly taking place as it gained a life of its own, its soul slowly starting to form.