Double Rainbow

Spritz- Epilogue

Eight months. Eight months since I left Princess Puppy-Spot's castle, and nine months since it was over. Then why does it still hurts so much?!

Snow Hare waiting in her cell. "I don't know you. I am an Obsidian."

"I love you, Snow Hare."

I reach out to touch her and she shatters into shards of glassy black stone. All that's left of her is two green eyes and an old rope necklace with a broken seashell on it. Running backwards, I cream in terror, but I run into Queen Nethera, and the dark aura stifles me again... more and more powerful... I see two blue eyes, and the shape of a wolf, just for a second.

Blood blurs my vision and Snow Hare screams.

I wake up and she's by my side. I pant in and out, and hold her close to me. Her heartbeat calms me somewhat, as does the two tinier heartbeats along hers. The pups. She's four months pregnant, but that never stops her from performing any of our royal duties.

"Today is a super special day!!!" she says, grinning optimistically.

"Please don't tell me it's Diving Fun Day."

She laughs again. I never realized how much I missed her laugh until I heard it again. "It's eight months since you got back."

"What, the last few months weren't special enough for you?"

"They're all special. I'm spending them here, with you, and I'm not being tortured in some creepy lab in another dimension. I just imported a shipment of cider from the mainland and I thought we could share some quality time tonight."

"You sure that's a good idea after what happened to your parents?"

"I had a taste tester, silly. Don't be so nervous."

I roll my eyes at her. "Well, if you insist."

I go hunting today, spearing fish with my trident. Before they can see what's coming, I've speared them. I wander into the Great Hall, but two guards block my way. "Snow Hare is setting up. We have received orders to keep you here."

"How long do I have to wait?"

The guards whisper between themselves. "Thirty minutes."

After thirty minutes of tracing daffodils and goofy pictures of fish with legs, the guards let me pass. Snow Hare is sitting at a table, a tiny one made out of ice. She has two glass goblets laid out on the table, and squid sitting on my plate and some kraken on hers.

We devour the food together in a manner completely unworthy of royals. I try to pick up the glass goblet, but it shatters across the floor and the delicious red-orange cider with it. "I forgot how to pick these up." I say, looking at the shattered ice.

She pick up her own cup and holds the handle too tightly and the juice spills all over her."It's okay, I forgot how to too. I think the Factory did me in." she jokes. "Two bowls, please?" She asks a nearby upper-class, who rushes to get us two bowls and fills them both with cider, right to the brim.

"Of course, m'lady." the upper class says, bowing and quickly returning to her everyday business.

We drink together and when we're done I walk with her outside to the edge of the iceberg. The moon is shining bright overhead, a full moon much like the day I lost Snow Hare. Snow Hare blushes and whispers to me, "I got you something."

She pulls from behind her back a little necklace much like hers, but it's the edge of a shell. Noticing how familiar the two shell pendants look, I place mine next to hers and sees the two click into each other. "Two parts of a whole." she says, "Neither complete without the other. Like us."

The two of us, crying tears of joy, lean into each other, first in a sweet embrace, and then we kiss.

"Every single day... I missed you." she says finally.

"I missed you too."