Melody of the Holoverse

Episode 9: From Crops to Crowds

Two days later . . .

"Ow . . . Ow! Ow! Ow!"

I leaned against the tree's base, the thick branches blocking the morning sun as Pluto pushed a thin needle through my earlobe. Delicately, of course, but still quite painful.

"Almost done," she said. "Just a little more. Aaaand . . . finished."

She pulled the needle back about, and after wiping the blood with some cloth did she then insert Rosemi's gift.

Words alone couldn't describe how thrilled I was.

"Looks good," my companion complimented. "Suits you well."

"Thank you, Pluto. I've never had any experience with piercings, so I didn't really know how to go about it."

"No problem. They can be a bit tricky. One slip and you've got a crooked shot. Just make sure you keep it in for a while so the hole doesn't close."

"Gotcha."

The earring swayed gently with my braid as I lifted myself up.

I think I'm already in love.

"I know it's a piercing," Pluto said, "but I'm surprised you wanted it in your ear. I figured you'd put it on your gun as a charm or something."

"I considered it," I admitted, "but I decided it'd be safer on me versus my rifle. I'd really hate to lose it."

"Fair enough." My companion gestured to the distance. "With that out of the way, what do you say we hit the road?"

"Mm!"

Our gear collected, we made our way back to the main road to continue on our journey.

Across the clear azure sky, the blue jays soared and sang.

"Honestly, though," Pluto said, "you really threw me for a loop. Your head took the thrashing of a lifetime, so I rightly assumed you'd be out of commission for at least a week. So, imagine my surprise when you looked as good as new after only a few days. She scanned my head. "You sure you're not forcing yourself?"

"I'm as fit as a frog," I assured. "Truth be told, I'm not so sure, myself, how I recovered so fast. I guess sleep really is the best medicine."

"Maybe I should start taking more naps."

The two of us chuckled,

before guilt twisted the swordwoman's expression.

"I'm sorry I didn't help you back there," Pluto said. "While I was prancing in my dreams, you were fighting for your life. Talk about pathetic."

"I don't think you're pathetic," I told her. "Jera had the jump on us, had everyone under his thumb. The fact that I wasn't affected by his abilities was nothing short of a miracle."

"Still . . . I'm supposed to always be at the top of my game. Ever since Talis, I swore that standard to myself." At this point, Pluto was talking more to herself than to me. "At this rate, I'll never move forward."

"I'll be the first to admit I don't know much about you, Pluto. I mean, we only just met a few days ago. But I could tell from the moment you helped me with that drunk guy: You're a good person! I know I can rely on you, and those are the bestest friends to have!"

I quickly blushed, realizing my words. "H-How presumptuous of me. We barely know each other, yet here I am calling you a friend. I'm so sorry! Of course, I'd like us to be like that, but I don't wanna be a weirdo. 'Slow and steady wins the race,' my grandpa would say. Then again, that was about taking care of the crops. S-Sorry for the weird comparison!"