Chapter 34: Emerald Sustrai

It felt like an eternity of calm, a serene dream of peace that lasted long enough to offer them a brief respite from all the pain.

Away from the violence, Away from reality, A bleak foreshadowing of what's to come...

Yet knowing all that... They didn't care, for a moment of peace is hard to come by these days, so why not take full advantage of it.

Who knows how long it'll last, until it all falls apart...

And fades to black...

Morning finally came, The rays of sunshine assaulted Haruki's face, followed by a voice and a gentle shake.

"Hey, Wake up it's morning already..."

Haruki slowly opened his eyes, Looking around he saw Emerald Using his arm as a pillow and shaking him to wake up.

Her fingertips brushed his hair affectionately, combing his bed hair.

She smiled at him. "Morning sleepy head"

God knows when emerald switched with Neo last night, He was sleeping so deeply he didn't sense it.

He pinched her nose, "Hey, Little lamb... did you have a great sleep last night?"

Emerald laughed, "God, you're so terrible at this..."

He laughed, "Who's good at pillow talk?"

She slapped his stomach, "Then get better..."

He kissed her forehead, "But... I know something I'm good at..."

He nibbled on her ear, Emerald uttered a Yelp.

"Kya~ bad wolf! hurry up and change we still have a date!"

Emerald and the girls decided, the order between their dates, Emerald won first pick.

She was very eager to go on the date, it was her first proper date with him.

It was actually their first date, She thought to herself... Why is this idiot so relaxed?

She stood up from the bed and Prepared,

Haruki looked around, He saw no one around, it was only emerald and him in the room.

"Where are the others?"

Emerald smiled, "They went out, they're also going to enjoy themselves you know... you can't expect them just to sit around while waiting for their turn now do you?"

Haruki raised his hands, "Hey! Chill I was just asking..."

He stood up and freshened up, Emerald took a shower.

Haruki had a great idea, 'This is a chance!'

But emerald predicted this, so she said beyond the door...

"Bad wolf! if you're thinking of entering right now, I will use my semblance so all you see is a muscled man!"

Sweating bullets Haruki slowly let go of the door handle.

"Alright little lamb, calm down..."

Emerald finished washing up, Haruki entered the shower room.

Emerald wore a plain dark green shirt, A beige coat on top, a pink scarf, plaid miniskirt, and brown boots with thigh high black stockings.

When Haruki exited the shower, he saw emerald tying her hair like she did on the beach.

A bun with two thin tails extending from behind.

He was enamored by her beauty, He changed into his Casual wear, A white shirt,and a black sport coat on top, and darker shade jeans.

After changing He hugged Emerald from behind.

"You look very nice, little lamb."

He kissed her on the cheeks. She smiled from his praise, she twirled and showed off her outfit.

Haruki burned the image of her cuteness into his eyes.

"Well bad wolf? got you drooling didn't I?"

Haruki laughed and pinched her in the butt, "Ohh... my someone's getting a little cocky... but you do deserve the praise little lamb."

Emerald rolled her eyes, Haruki did a bow and extended his arms towards Emerald.

"Shall we go Madame?"

Emerald elegantly hooked her arms with Haruki, "Indeed, let us go."

"Hahahaha, that accent is so bad~"

Emerald pinched his sides, "Hehehe, shut up... it's not like you're any better!

Haruki brushed back his hair and said. "Oh my, whatever do you mean..."

They teased each other as they went outside and walked to their destination.

They stopped in front of a music store, Emerald saw something that she liked, it was a keyboard...

Haruki asked her, "What are you looking at?"

Emerald didn't speak as she went inside it, Haruki followed her along wondering what got her attention so much.

She stared at the keyboard, and played a few notes.

She then spoke, "Hehehe, you know I always practiced playing the keyboard when I'm not doing missions, it's one of my favorite past times..."

She played a proper song, it was desolate, yet beautiful

It was Heart wrenching yet behind it was vague hope, it perfectly captured How she was saved by cinder, from that harsh life...

Only to return to that life after being saved... she had to steal bigger, and even kill...

Her hands were so stained with blood, she often asks herself was it worth doing all this just to put food on the table...

Emerald Played faster, the note changed...

She was in a dilemma, she put all her doubts to the back of her head... She thought to herself, she owed Cinder this life so it doesn't matter...

But then everything changed, Haruki appeared...

He changed her life, from a desolate one into something slightly more bearable...

A ray of sunshine across the ruined city...

She was thankful for his help...

She finished her song.

At the end of it, The song was beautiful, a song of a girl trying her best at redemption...

She wanted Haruki to hear it, She wanted to play it for him...

A sonata, of her life...

of their fateful encounter...

Haruki was silent, Her message was clear to him... When he looked at her, she was smiling.

The owner of the store can't help but praise Her talent.

He was also affected by Emeralds music so he offered to give the keyboard for free.

Emerald just grinned, She was already satisfied. "It's fine mister... we'll come back another day."

But before they could go, Haruki was stopped by the owner, his face looking grave.

"Boy, I'm pretty sure you know this already... but cherish that girl, if not I will hunt you down..."

Haruki grinned fearlessly "Of course! even if she runs away, I won't let her go..."

The owner smiled, "Make sure you keep your word, and I hope you two return and go buy stuff!! Hehehehe."

They waved goodbye to the owner, They moved to the place they were originally going.

That unexpected stop, made Haruki understand Emeralds true feelings.

He hugged her tight, and spun her around.

Gathering the stares of onlookers.

But the two didn't care, at that day... it was only the two of them, and that's all that matters.

They stopped in front of a Huge Fancy restaurant... It was called The Vale Table.

But before they could enter, Emerald stopped Haruki.

She held his hands and pulled him away from the place.

"Why? what's the matter em?" Haruki asked.

Emerald shrugged her shoulders, "I don't like that kind of fancy place..."

Haruki affectionately caressed her hair, and called the restaurant, to cancel their reservation.

He asked her where she wants to eat, she dragged him near the beach,

They approached a small stall selling skewers, and other food on a stick delicacies.

This was the store she saw yesterday, a nice stall, she likes the food, she's more used to this, than the fancy place Haruki booked.

She asked, "Haru~ which one do you like?"

Haruki smiled "You're treat?"

She laughed, and nodded.

Haruki picked a lot of food, that was on the meaty side, while emerald picked the kebab with veggies on it, so Haruki would eat some veggies.

"I keep telling you to eat more of these veggies, you stubborn wolf!"

"Mffft ish lyff" Haruki retorted while his mouth was full with food.

Emerald laughed, "That's so gross~"

She said as she wiped the oil from his mouth.

Haruki stopped eating, and stared at her, while she ate.

"You look like a cute hamster... hehehehe"

Emerald smiled as her mouth were filled with food.

Haruki kept laughing, so emerald pinched him on the side.

They paid for the food, and as Emerald was reaching for the money, Haruki noticed what she was holding, it was his wallet.

Emerald laughed and jumped towards the concrete railings behind the stall, She did a pose and said. "How naive of you to let your guard down."

Haruki laughed and chased her.

She ran towards the beach, she jumped up on the rocks. Haruki followed suit.

She found a rock with a flat surface, and stopped... Haruki caught up to her.

She tossed His wallet towards him and sat down.

She gazed into the open sea, Haruki sat down beside her... He placed his arms over her shoulders and pulled her close.

She leaned her head towards his chest,

Her expression turned from Happy to Solemn.

Gazing back at the distant sea she spoke,

"Once upon a time there was a young girl, she was living happily content even though she had no one to rely on... not knowing that she held tremendous powers.

She spent Her young life so ignorant of how the world worked, She went along with people stealing for food, she and their band of thieves enjoyed their simple life, But one day the girl woke up with newfound powers.

She was ecstatic, she was so drunk with her own power she used it on everyone who tried to stop her...

Eventually Her powers and skills grew too much of a threat to ignore, Their leader tried to use her, He tried to control her..."

Emerald was shaking from remembering all this but she continued.

"He tried to rape her... but the girl escaped by killing the man she respected the most, she told her friends yet no one believed her...

In that place words hold no meaning... only food and your own survival does..."

Tears slowly slide down her face, she continued, while Haruki hugged her tightly.

"She ran away from the only place she could call home, a little bit broken...

She spent her long days hurting everyone around her...

She tried to change her way of life...

But despite her efforts, things never seemed to turn out.

She tried to return, but they told her she was unwanted, a monster in a sheep's clothing...

They abandoned her in the deep, unforgiving and dark ocean...

And from the bottom of the abyss she cried out...

Mother...

Mother..

mo...ther....

Someone please look at me...

Someone please love me...

But her voice never reached anyone.

She lost so many parts of her self creating an illusion for everyone to see.

Sometimes she's a different person altogether. She knew she could lose her self in the process, but she kept going...

But one day she stumbled upon a witch, she knew she was evil, but she still followed her...

The witch of flames told the girl, she could change her life, but the girl didn't care for that...

She only wanted affection...

Not a moment passed where she didn't strive for her affection, but she still won't look her way..."

Emerald hugged her knees, and buried her face in it. Her tears continued to flow, but she still told her story.

"Then one day as if a brush of destiny, A prince came to the witch's castle.

He was a nice prince, Yet his eyes won't look upon her alone...

For He already has a princess in his story...

Yet he was a kind prince...

So she vied for his affection albeit subtly.

Do these clothes make me cute?

Does he like the way I styled my hair?

She thought to herself.

The girl still doesn't understand what it means to love someone...

But she did what ever it took to capture his heart...

And yet he still won't look her way.

She even practiced how to play a song ..

Songs can make someone understand their feelings for you...

So she practiced everyday.

But he still won't look at her.

She cannot win the prince's love....

She asked herself...

Why have I done this to myself?

She gazed Into the broken mirror, In it's reflection, she only sees her broken self, So she screamed...

A voiceless cry for help,

PLEASE...

LOOK...

AT...

ME...

And like a strange twist of fate, she did the only thing left, she hurt the prince...

But Shockingly the prince didn't hate her.

He finally noticed her, but it was already too late she thought...

Her original self is so buried under the meaningless rubble she added to herself to Garner his affection.

Then like a hero, the prince pulled her out of the rubble...

But she noticed something was off, it wasn't the prince... in fact he wasn't a prince at all...

He was also like her...

A thief who ran away from home.

She understood now, She was under the illusion that he was her prince...

She removed the illusion, and her powers gone she was anchored back to reality.

But she didn't feel sad, she felt content for she saw who the prince really was...

A commoner just like her...

He wasn't out of reach at all, you just have to see the truth"

She rested her head in Haruki chest, finishing her story.

"The Thief girl and The False prince finally got together."

Haruki caressed her beautiful face, and kissed her forehead.

"Did it end when they got together?"

Emerald shook her head as she stared at the setting sun.

"It won't end... I don't like endings, I prefer living in the moment."

She said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.

Then they just stared at the beautiful sunset, not a single word spoken...

And yet it felt comfortable, It was what the thief girl always wanted.

The sky grew dark so they both opted to go home, passing by the stall, they ate once more.

Haruki made sure he still had his wallet.

As they were walking home, emerald slowly hummed her song, but it wasn't desolate this time...

It was vibrant and full of joy, a deep sense of satisfaction welled up inside both of them.

She opened the door to their room with a beaming smile on her face.