Prologue (Part 02)

"What's going on here?" Rukia asks the two individuals. One is a well-mannered butler who is now pointing a deadly blade in front of her. The other, a sweet and wholesome maid, in full armor and intending to cut Rukia into pieces at any moment. How could such a turn of events be even possible?

Although, now that Rukia thinks about it, how exactly did Mr. Simon know about her the moment she stepped out of the train? She had not sent any prior notice, or even know an address to send to! Also, why in the name of God did she decide to follow him? Why did she lower her guard around a complete stranger, following blindly like she had known him for decades?

*Why can I be so clueless for stuff like this? …Ah, it was my exhaust that made me behave that way... Damn that locomotive* she curses.

"Hey this isn't funny Mr. Simon. Zelda?" Rukia asks, having a sliver of thought in her two brain cells that this could all be a prank.

Mr. Simon retracts his sword. Then approaches her.

"Do you know who that person is?" he asks as he points at the statue.

"Uhh, I dunno?" Rukia replies, still anxious about the whole situation. However, on closer inspection of the statue, she can't help but feel like she indeed had some knowledge about this person. But how and why?

"The great Azure Witch. She who once created the land we stand upon." The butler explains.

"You knew about her all this time, didn't you?" Zelda demands Rukia, taking a battle stance.

Rukia at this point stays silent, standing still.

"Did you think that we wouldn't notice? For a stranger, you seem very familiar with the mansion. You even knew where the dining hall was!" exclaims Zelda, gripping the hilt of her sword, preparing to slash.

"You are quite aware about what is right beneath you, this mansion. Am I correct?" Mr. Simon adds as he takes a step closer to Rukia.

Zelda unsheathes her sword, many years of experience reverberating with each millimeter the shiny surface glints with the sun's rays.

Rukia remains silent and does not utter a single word.

"Tell us what you are after and we'll give you a quick death!" orders Zelda, pointing her blade at Rukia's neck. In actuality, she is not going to hurt the poor girl. At least, as long as she is not a threat.

Although Zelda does not expect to bear witness to what comes after.

Rukia bursts into laughter, quite unexpectedly, to Zelda's confusion and surprise and takes a step back.

"W-what are you laughing at?" asks Zelda, regaining her composure.

Rukia lets out a light chuckle to herself. "This is unexpected, and way too hilarious!" she cracks another burst of laughter, causing the two confronting Rukia to take a step back and become nervous for a split second before steeling themselves.

With a slight nod from Mr. Simon, Zelda uses her blade with a quick slash at Rukia, expecting the blade to go through flesh and bone and leave a bloody mess over the courtyard with the girl's carcass laying there.

Yet that is not the case much to the surprise of the maid and the butler.

The blade did travel through Rukia. However, there was no resistance, no blood or no reaction from the girl at all, similar to a that of a ghost. Right after, her body began to shimmer, then disappear completely

"Huh?" Zelda gasps and steps back in bewilderment, unable to comprehend what she had just seen.

"Where did she go?", asks Mr. Simon.

"Apologies my dear friends, but that was just an after image." a voice speaks behind the butler.

Zelda's eyes go wide as she sees the figure behind Simon. Turning back, Simon sees Rukia, sitting cross-legged on the monument of the Azure witch, gazing down upon them.

"w-who are you?" Zelda demands, repositioning herself to strike again.

Rukia smiles. "Well, I would like to say." she answers with a mischievous grin before her gaze turns to the roof of the mansion

"But before that, why not we drop such a dangerous toy, my dear Mila?" Rukia asks, having appeared behind the petite girl on the roof, taking hold of the maid's sniper rifle.

Mila freezes, holding her breath in utter surprise and fear. How did she move that fast fails to be answered by anyone present.

Before the others could react, Rukia was back on her previous spot, placing the helpless girl at the feet of Simon and Zelda, who stares in astonishment, incapable to comprehend what they are witnessing.

"Now then, where might… Ah!" Rukia exclaims as she swings her hand in the air. It, surprisingly makes contact with something, an invisible girl who falls down, appearing beside Mila, her face red from the slap.

"Nice try Greta." Rukia says to the girl with a smirk.

"Now that everyone is here, allow me to properly introduce myself!" the 18-year-old twirls around and gives her audience a curtsy "I am surprised that you can't even guess at this point!"

She sighs, "I am the Azure Witch!" she declares to the crowd, who stare in disbelief at those words.

"W-what nonsense are you spouting?" Zelda demands after recovering from the suddenness of hearing such words.

The butler raises his eyebrow and looks at Rukia in suspicion. "It has been nearly three centuries since The Azure Witch had disappeared. What makes you believe that you are who you claim to be, much less convince us?"

Rukia keeps her hands crossed, being patient.

"No way you just claim to be her! Just because you have some skills in magic doesn't mean you come even close to her!" Zelda yells angrily.

"I think she's Miss Bluemoon." says one of the twins.

All heads, apart from Rukia's, turn to the small girl.

"…What do you mean Greta?" asks Mr. Simon doubtfully.

"Miss Bluemoon used to get mine and Mila's names wrong. And she just did that. She hadn't met Mila at all today or yesterday." Greta explained.

"Ohhh…" Zelda and Mila realized in agreement.

*Wait, wait, wait. Is that all to it? No way are these people buying something like that right? C'mon I expected more from them…* Rukia facepalms in disappointment.

"Hold on," Mr. Simon interjects. "If it is truly Mrs. Bluemoon, we can clarify with her birthmark. It is unique to only her after all."

Rukia exhales in relief, *Finally! Can always count on Mr. Simon for times like this!*

"Ah! Now that you mention it, show me your birthmark, you fake!" Zelda turns to Rukia,

*This girl.... * Rukia feels a vein trying to burst from her forehead.

"Well then, here you go" The girl obliges and lifts her dress up to reveal her bare thighs. On her usually spotless and fair skin, a blue imprint lay on her left femur.

She comes down for all of them to see. Mila comes over to inspect the legitimacy of the mark.

"That's the mark alright." Mila confirms, trying to keep a straight face.

Mr. Simon had been averting his gaze for the time being and so Zelda hurriedly comes over and lowers the garment.

"O-okay that's enough." and with that, Zelda grabs Rukia and squeezes her tightly, and begins bawling out her eyes like a baby

"Where have you been all this time Miss Bluemoon!" Zelda wails as the twins fling themselves at Rukia as well. Even Mr. Simon, who is usually the calm and collected type, dabs his tears with his handkerchief, looking at Rukia with relief.

"Z-zelda, you are suffocating me!" Rukia's muffled voice, which was stuck between Zelda's huge bosoms, tries to say.

Zelda looks down and realizes that she was strangling the mistress. "Ah s-sorry Mis Bluemoon!" Zelda stammers, letting go of Rukia and wiping away the tears on her face.

"Alright, alright. Come on you four…" Rukia tries to soothe the four of them but was smiling.

.

.

.

"Miss Bluemoon, why didn't you tell us that it was you before?" asks Zelda, shortly after everyone had calmed down, still in the courtyard.

Rukia shrugs and looks at the three girls and butler

Rukia began to see very odd visions ever since her coming of age. It was just brief flashes at first but it had intensified when she set foot into the mansion. The brief images turned to fragments and they, in turn, became chunks of memories which detailed moments in the Azure Witch's life. They have been filling her mind throughout the day yet did not cause any adverse effects to her. They actually made her feel more comfortable around the mansion and understanding its layout was second nature.

However, she did begin to wonder as to why she was receiving this information. Why me and for what reason? This was her morning until Simon showed her around the building. As she walked through the carpeted halls, her mind begins to retain more of her memories, ones which were clearer than before and now taking shape. She could see silhouettes walking past the halls, of a girl similar to her who had no face. It made Rukia's head spin from not understanding as to why she was seeing this unfold at the time. This continued to be the case as the tour continued: the girl reading on an armchair beside a fireplace, a frantic search for books in the bookshelves, an accidental nap over a desk. A few more sights like this appeared until they had reached the end.

It only took a glance to recognize her own self. Memories came crashing down to her brain at blinding pace at the moment she laid eyes upon the monument. Finally, she realized why these memories came to her. It was her own life coming back to her!

Rukia took her time explaining this to the four individuals in front of her who, not too surprisingly, believed her explanation.

*These guys… What am I going to do with them…* she sighs, looking at their reactions.

And why she did not tell them sooner, making them have to fight her? She figured that she got herself into quite a good situation to have a little fun with them. She conveniently left that part out of the explanation.

Although she had clarified their confusion, she was the one with questions at the end of it. What exactly happened to her and who was the man who knew her adopted parents? How did he know of the mansion and did he know of her identity? She had contemplated over this until her eyes caught something unusual in her sight.

She furrows her brow as she looks at Zelda.

*How could I not notice it! I must have been too caught up in the moment!*

"Ah you're an elf!", Rukia says out loud, pointing at the maid's ears.

This maid, having a curvy and sporty body, not to mention her assets that made Rukia a tad bit jealous, had long and pointed ears similar to that of an elf!

"Sorry? Oh well of course. I happen to be an elf." Zelda answers with pride. Then quickly looks at Rukia with doubt. "Wait a minute…"

"…Mis. Bluemoon? Could it be that not all of your memory has returned?" the butler inquires.

"Well… that might be the case." The witch agrees frankly, scratching the back of her head.

"I see. That explains things." He had pat Zeld's shoulder, easing her worries and looked at the mistress.

"Come along then Miss Bluemoon. As your memory has yet to fully return, there's one more place you should see," says Mr. Simon as he gestures to the statue, where an entrance reveals itself at the base of the stone foundation shortly after.

"Oh, come on… I'll die of starvation…", Rukia grumbled, following Mr. Simon regardless.

.

.

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**

The year: xxxx. Weather: Calm and windless. We were doing our assigned chores as usual. Zelda, who was still a young elf, was playing in the garden. Mis Bluemoon was in her room, reading a book while enjoy a warm cup of tea. It was a peaceful day. However, this was not to last.

Someone Mis Bluemoon knew had arrived. We did not know of this person and they talked behind closed doors. They had a long discussion about something was too deep for us to grasp. Then suddenly, the two began to argue with greater aggression. Something was wrong. Something had gone terribly wrong as Mis Bluemoon was never the type to get this worked up for something like this.

Shortly after, she left with the unknown individual. Requesting me to look after the house, assuring me that she'll be back soon. That was the last time we saw her. She never came back even after a century had passed.

**

Mr. Simon lets out a deep sigh after he finishes telling Rukia of the events which transpired 300 years ago.

The entrance that opened in the courtyard had only an elevator that they were now riding downwards. Currently, its occupants were Rukia, Mr. Simon and Zelda. The other two remained on the surface as they would be preparing dinner.

With her partial memory, Rukia could guess where they were heading to but was not completely sure.

*Maybe I'll remember when we get there.* She thought.

"Do you remember any of that, Miss Bluemoon?" Mr. Simon asks his mistress.

"How deep is this seriously?" Rukia mutters, "Ah sorry what were you saying?" She asks Mr. Simon, realizing that she had not listened to a thing the butler was saying

Mr. Simon straightens his collar. "You weren't listening, were you?"

"Oh no wait let me see... Nope. Don't remember any of that happening. "

"Just say you weren't listening..." Zelda sighs.

"No doubt, you are surely her." he adds.

"Aha ha... " Rukia let out an awkward and embarrassed laugh, as she scratches the back of her head.

The elevator finally stops moving and arriving at their destination.

"Mis. Bluemoon, we have arrived.", Mr. Simon says, pointing past the elevator's door which began to open, revealing the expanse that stood past it.

"The Archive of Bluemoon"

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