Eternal Power Pretty Cure

Chapter 23「The Sorcerer's Apprentice」

The hydrous sound of water pouring rippled with a gentle accent. Its somehow tranquil sense of sound atoned for the lack of plain sight. But with that appeared the aquatic flow of water trailing down the sprinkler head of a watering can. It came down like a miniscule waterfall, every drop battering an array of nightshade flowers. The violet hue narrowly forming the petals dampened mildly in color from the sprinkled water.

The watering can tipped back, and so did Kohana as she reeled back in her crouched position. The back of her hand swept across her forehead to discard the sweat seething from it. Usually, the sight of flowers, the one thing she resorted to in her lonely childhood, would have planted the seeds of a content smile on her lips. But now, all she could really do was stare at it with a heavy dread, with the elation that had once settled in her eyes, tainted with gloom.

It couldn't be helped. Though flowers usually scented a sweet bliss in her, it was only offsetted by recent circumstances and events that plagued her mind. The flower of joy blooming from her heart's core began to wilt, and Kohana could only frown.

She turned to another set of flowers, even so: begonias. They were of cerise color, petals soft at the rims and protruding outwards from the center. With a slight nudge, water came coursing down the head. The begonias bathed in the fresh sprinkle and sunlight.

Kohana's eyes dripped trmendously as dark thoughts began to cloud over.

"K-Kohana~dea..."

Her head fidgeted in a slight jolt, snapping out of her miserable trance of thought. The sugary, shy quality in that voice cleared up the fogs of negativity in her mind... for now.

Kohana averted her gaze upon hedgehog fairy Budea, staring up at her with her beady brown eyes. Kohana eyed the worry in her eyes in return. Then, against all odds, she was still capable of giving her partner a curve of the lips, forming a tender smile with a pale pink blush of the cheeks.

"It's okay, Budea." Her voice whirred out of her halved lips like the whisper of a petal-clad wind. Her hand descended down to pet the petite pixie. As her hand ran down Budea's back in as stroke, she could feel the silky texture of petals that featured a dim magenta glow. Though analyzing her feel senses a bit more, as far as she could tell, they were less pliant than actual petals and more durable. "No need to worry. Everything will be fine."

"But, Kohana..." Budea fretted. "Your face... i-it only says otherwise~dea..."

Kohana blinked. Then, she noticed. The smile had melted away from her face quicker than she thought it would, and an unmistakable frown manifested upon it once again without her even having to think about moving her facial muscles to do so. It was just all so natural, like her thoughts deep inside had triggered it.

And she just couldn't help it.

Kohana heaved out a sigh.

"I'm sorry..."

She shuffled to her feet, taking the can with her as she proceeded to a neighboring flower bed. She swung the can about, droplets of clear water sprouting out from the sprinkler.

"Let's just continue on, shall we?" Her voice pitched up a level, emitting a cheerful radiation; almost too cheerful, for someone as meek as Kohana. A forced sense of happiness to avoid suspicion, perhaps.