Episode 40

***Amethyst***

Noelle clung to Ame's shirt as they walked. Ame had no clue why.

When they found her, Honey was playing with a little girl with long black hair.

Honey jumped at Ame.

The little girl hugged her from behind. "I'm sure your human is okay. A friend of Ellie's would keep him safe."

Honey whimpered.

She picked her up. "Can she see him?"

"She just needs to be gentle. I think he's sleeping."

Once they brought Honey to Alastair, the three stepped outside.

"So, where's the hot spring?" Ame asked.

The little girl giggled. "It's here!"

"Huh?"

"It's next door. Grandma owns the place. Said it reminded her of home."

"Home?"

"Japan." She frowned. "But since she's going to be in France, she's thinking of selling it to a merchant family."

"I bet you're going to miss her."

She nodded.

***

Alastair opened his eyes. "Ame?" he asked.

Ame smiled and squeezed his good hand. "You okay, kid?"

His eyes widened. He looked around the room. "Where are we? This isn't the house."

Noelle waved to him. "Hey."

"Huh?" A pause. "Noelle!"

So, he could remember her but not Ame?

He almost looked like he was going to fall on her as he went to hug her.

"The kitten sure has grown up!"

"What? He's short!"

"I'm fun-sized!" Alastair had glanced at his arm for the third time.

"Does it hurt?"

"My body feels funny..."

"You had a really long sleep. It'll take a little while for you to feel better." Noelle smiled. "I have a magic pool to show you."

He perked up. "Magic pool?"

Ame narrowed her eyes at Noelle. The girl really did know how to talk to those with child-like hearts. Poor Star, if only he knew it was a regular spring.

"Here are some clothes," Noelle said, handing him an outfit.

"We'll let you change," Ame said, taking Honey with her.

The puppy barked.

Ame patted her head. "Don't worry, you'll see your owner in a bit."

Alastair had just come out of the room that Noelle's friends were kind enough to let him use. He had changed into a pair of red shorts that Noelle had given him.

Noelle folded her arms. "Those look great on you, Star."

The boy grinned. "They're snazzy, aren't they?"

She giggled. "Are you ready to try out the hot spring?"

He nodded vigorously.

Hopefully this would help Alastair with his healing process. That little outburst had to have set him back.

Were there hot springs in America? They never took Missy to one. Could it have saved her? Bought her time?

Tears poked out of the corners of her eyes. Were Hannah and Noelle right all along?

Ame sat down in the far corner of the room and closed her eyes. Alastair would be fine. Noelle could watch him.

Ame put her head between her legs. Missy could be fiercely independent. To a fault, Ame could sadly argue.

It wasn't enjoyable to knock Alastair out, but at least she could be right there to catch him. That wasn't always the case with Missy.

***

Back then, Ame had a house with Hannah, Ethan, and Noelle. Missy was staying with them, because she needed someone to care for her. Her parents made the effort to visit when they could, but the long hours they worked prevented them from giving Missy the care she needed.

When Ame came out of her room one morning, Missy was sitting on her knees, coughing into a pink handkerchief.

"Missy! What are you doing out of bed?"

Since her coughing fit just ended, Missy let out a shaky breath. "I need to water my plants."

"We can do that for you! You should focus on getting better!"

"I want to see them."

"Then I'll get a camera!"

"Let, I can at least walk a little. You will drag yourself to something if we let you."

Poor Missy had gotten sick because of her mission in Engrada.

Violet sighed. "Fine. Here, give me your arm. I'll help you there."

Missy pushed herself to her feet. "Sorry to make you do this."

"I check on your plants anyway."

Missy giggled. "The others told me."

A little boy ran up to them just before they got to the garden. "Missy, are you okay?"

She was smiling but it wasn't hard to see she was holding in a cough. Once it passed, she said, "It's nice to see you, Hector."

"You should probably stay back though. I'm sure Missy doesn't want to give you her sickness," Violet said.

"I missed you."

Violet smiled. "Missy is being stubborn today, but I promise to take care of her."

He pouted. "Okay, but please let me know how she's doing! I-I don't want to lose her too..."

Ame frowned. Poor child. His parents had perished a few months prior one after the other from the same illness that would take Missy.

***

"Are you sad?" a voice asked. Ame blinked and saw it was Ai.

Ai gripped her head before Ame could respond. "T-this is..." Tears dripped down her face. "Huh, Tiana?"

"Are you alright, Ai?" Hiro asked, picking up his daughter.

She stared at Ame. "That lady knew Tia!"

"You knew the princess?" Hiro asked.

Ame shook her head. What was she talking about? Noelle was the one who knew the royal family of this world, not her.

"Let's go," Hiro said, carrying Ai away.

"Daddy! I'm not a little girl anymore! I'm sixteen!"

Amethyst opened the door and saw Alastair riding a large version the cat...

"Ame, did you need to go to bed?"

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm fine."

Noelle shook her head but otherwise said nothing.

Alastair crawled off of his cat before easing himself into the water.

"Does the water feel good?" Noelle asked.

The boy grinned. "It's like being in a soup!"

Ame furrowed her eyebrows. Was that a good thing or a bad thing?

Noelle giggled. "I've never thought about that like that before."

Noelle was ancient. There was no way that could be true.

Alastair went over to the pool and pushed himself up.

"Alastair, wait." Ame ran over to the kid. "Let me help you."

He pouted. "I'm fine."

"But your wrist."

"It's fine too."

Ame grabbed his good arm. "Let me see."

Alastair let a deep sigh but otherwise didn't resist.

Ame gasped. How was his break not worse? That meltdown should have done more damage.

Noelle felt his arm. "When injuries are fixed surgically, that's generally done with metal. The evolution he just had could have nudged his body to do the same naturally."

A pair of children just... popped into the room.

Alastair looked like a statue.

Noelle grinned. "Tia! Phoe!"

Alastair furrowed his eyebrows and stared at the little boy. "You look like Alain."

"Know big bro?" he asked.

"Big bro?" Alastair's eyes widened. "Wait, did Hiko cheat on Sarah? No, you look nothing like him." He gasped. "But you do look like Sarah! Did she cheat on Hiko?"

The girl's cheeks reddened. "We aren't blood siblings!"

"Poor Sarah and Hiko, being mistaken for adulterers," Noelle said.

Caring for this kid was like caring for a little kid. How could he ask a question like that?

Ame blushed. "Uh, I know this sounds weird, but can I hug you?"

The little girl grinned. "Sure! I love hugs!"

Ame went through the girl. "Huh?"

She gasped. "Eh? Why can't I hug you?"

Noelle folded her arms. "Tia, it's because you're an astral projection. It's why I've denied your hugs."

She teared up. "W-wait, that means that I can't hug Ali..."

"Does she mean Alain?" Alastair asked.

"Yeah," Noelle replied.

The little boy looked at Alastair. "Lany miss me?"

"I'm sure he does," Noelle said.

Alastair hung his head. "Do you think Enii misses me?"

"Of course. I bet he's not used to you being gone."

"You have an Eni too?" the little girl asked.

Alastair nodded. "He's my big brother."

Ame teared up. No, even after all this time, just when I've finally been reunited with Melissa. Wait, this girl is the one that Noelle told me about. Melissa, why does misfortune continue to follow you into this life as well? You did nothing wrong.

"Wait, Noelle! Have you figured out how to save them yet?"

"I have an idea, but I'll need a Key Keeper to help."

Alastair raised his hand. "I'm one!"

"You're a Key Keeper?"

"Sure am!"

"Can you help Phoe and me?"

"I can try!"

Her eyes sparkled.

"So, where are you projecting from?" Alastair asked.

The little boy grinned. "Home!"

"Uh, where's home?"

"The palace." The little girl bit her lip. "B-but it's heavily secured."

"Yeah, it's too dangerous." Noelle sighed. "Plus, think that it won't be just any KK."

"I'm not just any KK! I'm Alastair Collin Kurenai! Neko Extraordinaire!"

"Neko?" The little girl furrowed her eyebrows. "That sounds like one of the funny words Ali used occasionally."

"Oh, yeah, Alain does like dropping random Japanese words. I don't know as much as him. Though, Grandma tried to teach us. En's better at it than me."

"It's dangerous, you should probably let whoever Noelle has in mind to handle it."

Alastair stared at Ame. "Who would that be? Wait, is it En?" He grumbled. "He is better than me, so it has to be him..."

Noelle shook her head. "It's someone else. Someone you know."

Alastair gasped. "Noah?"

"No."

He stared at Noelle.

"Big brother?" the little boy asked.

Noelle smiled.

Alastair gasped. "Lany is a Key Keeper too?"

Noelle bit her lip. "Yes, but he hasn't been alerted about his job yet. H-he's still a kid. I want him to grow up a little more. Enjoy childhood a bit more."

The girl smiled. "We can wait, right, Phoe?"

He nodded.

Alastair frowned. "I wish that I could've been of some help."

She held a hand toward him. "Thanks, Star. Please say hi to Ali for us, okay?"

He smiled and nodded. "Once I get home!"