I Draw, it Lives: Ficeblaze

Chapter Four - Here She Stood, Bordered in the Kingdom's Elegance

Birch had woken the following morning to the orchestral tweets and squawks of the Gertrudes outside. It was the first, sweet sound that drifted gently across her eardrums, the clock tower from outside dinging in a clang. As the Gertrudes flew past her window in a large group, she was hit with the warm sunlight streaming down her window.

The stabilized light flickered as she got out of bed. After changing she looked out the window, pushing a chair from the desk toward it and sitting there for a moment. She had an excellent view of the kingdom from here, where the sound of running waterfalls and birdsong was ringing in the sunlight falling in the bright landscape of blinding drops.

Getting back up she was already eager to continue her mission. Even if it was hard, it began to feel exciting—she pushed the walls of depression that she could only handle, but the rest remained, closing her in like a cocoon. But the walls she crushed down made her keep her head up—she had human friends now, ones who are as eager as her to keep on going.

Lastly, before walking out of her room, she was stopped by the mirror on the right. Turning, she took a moment to look at herself—make sure her hair was fixed, her pen was in her pocket, her Enchanted Cape on, seeing if she had her boots on the right side...

She grinned, amused. Of course I do, She thought, shaking her head. And of course I have eyes, it's not like I lose them. Why should I question things that are unrealistic...

But looking at The CrescentGlass was a different feeling. Every small or magnificent memory from getting Nebekenesa's Clock of Exile was swinging in the sparkles of the time-glass, like a clear dream before her.

But it wasn't a dream.

It was bold and true. Oh, how clear it was to see—to hear—the time she ever said to those humans on the recent full moon night: she was happy.

Am I still happy? Well...that, I must bring back.

She closed The CrescentGlass into her warm palms. My happiness has only sparked, a small glimmer I wish to grow. A spark that comes and is taken out so fast without reason, that it's as fast as I could blink.

But I want my happiness to grow. To expand, like a small sprout rising from the depressing world I have, fettered in my head and soul. My happiness glimmers very little, but...

I want it to glimmer and shine bright, like the stars from the last full moon night.

Like a star's light that never fades, I want my happiness to stay.

But could she do such a thing? Could she...with such a dark mind that she held on for too long it seemed unfixable, and a heart that's drenched in the same, agonizing feeling?

I'm trying.

If she was trying, it was time to leave. So she opened the door and shut it, going downstairs.

She was greeted by a nice, warm smell coming from downstairs. She looked toward the large, stoned staircases, lined with golden, flax lights. She followed the warm hues as she went down. When she reached the bottom, she found the main hub of the inn.

Stepping in she heard a wind chime from the thrown-open windows. As she had already woken, the place was yawning and opening its eyes—the wash barrels were being powered up with magic, the dishes began washing themselves, and cabinets were being clapped shut and opened. Maids were sprawling open the jaws of the windows, letting the fresh air kick in, and people were gathering for morning tea and biscuits.

"Morning, Birch!" Birch heard Hanako's voice, the first person she heard. Bringing her gaze to her she found her sitting on the sofa, book, of course, in hand.