5 Chapter 5: Baby Duckling Follows Mama Duckling
~Sora Saeko POV~
We walk hand in hand through the bustling target. My grip on the small boy tightening as we try to find a less crowded space.
The crowd has a life of its own, the vibrant clothes shine in the morning light and the people move like enchanting shoals of fish. There is chatter between sellers and buyers, old friends catching up, new friends made. It was busy and crowded. The smell of sweat and other smells intermingling together. But there was a sense of familiarity and warmth.
Unique as it was, it was there.
Market stalls lined the route, and Sora paused for a moment to survey the flamboyant scene, and observe the milling throng. Lovers strolled hand in hand, casually browsing, whilst housewives hustled and bustled, and haggled over the price of the exotic fruits and other imported merchandise, with vendors of various nationality.
The walk was quiet. Neither of us uttering a word. It was a comfortable silence.
But I decided to humour the child with some stories of my time.
"Would you like to hear a story of mine. A tale I like to say."
The child nodded timidly.
The corner of my mouth lift up into a gentle smile.
"A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face.
The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand;
"Today my best friend slapped me in the face.""
The young prince eyes sparkled with curiosity as wanting to know more.
I continues on,
"They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone;
"Today my best friend saved my life."
The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him;
"After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?"
The other friend replied;
"When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.""
"Do you know the moral of the story."
The prince shaked his head.
"Don't value the things you have in your life. But value who you have in your life. I hope this teaches you something. I also hope you have the heart to forgive me.
I ruffled his head of silver hair.
"Anyways that's enough for today"
I could see a smile bloom on his face as he leaned into the touch. The way his lips lifted upward. The way his one dimple crinkles. The way his teeth are perfectly aligned. The warm glow his happiness gives. His smile is a ray of sunshine, and I am a sunburn.
There was a satisfaction. A satisfaction, as if having completed a deeply, personally needed action; expressed by the slightest curve at the mouth's corner and a youthful confidence worn in a light raise of the eyebrow above a quizzical, joyful eye.
"How about we hang out at a near by park then get something to eat afterwards."
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Entering the park, a slight breeze rustles the leaves making them fall to the solid ground one by one .The air was warm, the beams of sunlight glowing on my skin. Flowers are vast, and they conceal the freshly cut green grass. The pathway is nothing more than dirt littered with random rocks. the children are playing and the parents talking among each other.
"Wanna join the other kids? I'll wait here for you."
The child shook his head slowly, tremebling as if he were expecting a hit back.
My eyes soften as I slowly stroke his head.
"How about I sing you a lullaby?"
"Please..."
The boy asked softly. Sitting on the bench I sat on, right next to me where I patted the spot across from me.
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~August Locksman's POV~
His voice was smooth and clear and quiet yet powerful. Soothing, in a way. I know you usually call a guy's voice beautiful, but his was. It was the promise of tomorrow. It was beautiful, and I wished that he would never stop.
I lean forward, his warm breath in my ear, then he hums the song from before. My lips, the ones that really didn't want to smile, creep into a smile. He keeps on humming until I take him in a bear hug. He chuckles and continues. His humming, it's more beautiful than softest of singers. His gentle humming drifts off and into the gentle breeze.
It's like he was a new man. In a mere 2 days he has changed. I prefer him like this.
I don't want him to go back to his old personality.
I don't want him to leave after today,
I like this warmth, one I didn't feel from even my own father.
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The beautiful humming soon came to an ending.
"I took you here to take you somewhere special and a place I find breathtaking."
Sora smiled gently, jumping up from his seat.
He extended a hand for August to grab. In which he did, he grabbed his hand. Pulling him up from the bench.
His locks of lucious locks of amethyst hair fluttered in the gentle breeze as if dancing freely. His eyes turned into gorgeous crescent moon. A brilliant smile drawn on his flawless face. The trees swayed gently in the background the birds singing a choir.
The child was simply enchanted.
He wanted nothing then to escape reality with him. It was as if he was a guardian angel although he knew he really wasn't.
All the grief from previously seem to wash away at a moments notice.
Only an unfamiliar warmth filling him.
No hesitation he clasped the extended hand as he was led away to the unknown.
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I pushed past various trees that had hidden such a place that I was informed by the goddess.
She told me a myth about it but I didn't bother to listen. Only remembering the words of 'Glistening Jewels Of Lovers.'
It sounded like a name from some cliche romance drama. But I heard there was a lake that glistened like jewels, hence the name.
After pushing the vines away, the gorgeous lake was revealed. Causing the duo to sigh in awe at the view.
The lake glistened, mirroring the dazzling assemblage of glittering stars. The faint wind brushed against the water's surface, the ripples ruffled the stillness of the surface, and shattered the reflection of the harbour.
"It really is as gorgeous as they say. If not more. It seems as if gems glistened from beneath the water surface."
My eyes drift off to behind me where August eyes shone brightly in excitement and amazement.
"Wow.."
Was all that left him since we got here.
My feet slips on a rock. I go tumbling into the lake dragging poor August with me. He yelps in surprise.
A loud splash soon followed.
Both sat in the water, completely soaked in surprise.
I began laughing before splashing water all over him.
August laughed as if it were a natural spring, the water deepening the hue of the rocks. "Wow," he said.
"That was so dumb of you." he paused, softly doubling over with a gentle pat to his right leg. His chuckles transformed into loud laughs.
I would describe his laughter as warm and hearty.
The laugh came from August like a newly sprung leak - timid at first, stopping and starting. From deep inside his chest came a great shaking motion and his face muscles grew tight.
I folded my arms, eyebrows arched, waiting. In moments August's laugh was more like a bust water main arching into the brilliant summer sky soaking everyone around him with unrestrained gales that debilitated him to a thigh slapping and pick faced picture of glee.
I wanted to stay straight faced, flip my hair and storm off - he was after all laughing "at me", not "with me." But before I could stop myself my poker straight mouth twitched upwards and I was giggling despite myself.
We laughed till our ribs hurt.
We continued playing in the water. Slashing each other or racing.
He continued to laugh and talk more then ever.
But August and I knew deep inside the day was coming to a close.
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What would await them by the end of the day?
