Ch. 5: One Step Forward
We knelt together and held on to each other, then after a while Gerber’s condition seemed to improve a little.
OO: “Gerber?”
Gerber: “…yeah, I’m alright.”
He looked up and smiled at me with a face full of relief.
Gerber: “I wonder why. Maybe it’s because I told you about all the things weighing on my heart, but I feel lighter now.”
He tightly took my hand.
Gerber: “Yeah, I’m good. Let’s keep going.”
OO: “…alright.”
I nodded, double checked his condition, then looked deeper into the cavern.
It seemed as if the darkness was becoming less dense.
(It’s alright, I’m not afraid…)
I responded to Gerber’s courage in kind, and walked with him deeper in.
Ch. 6: Resolution, and the Coming Spring
We aimed for the deepest part of the cavern where the goddess was said to reside…-.
Within the deep, deep darkness, we continued to walk together.
…
……
After a while, my line of sight suddenly widened, and we found ourselves before a massive underground lake.
Gerber: “This is it… this is where the goddess is…”
The cavern held a lake bigger than I could have imagined, and on the edge at the center was a stone altar.
Gerber took one slow step after another, then knelt in front of the altar to pray.
Gerber: “Goddess… I offer you this dew from the flowers that bloomed in Vilastine at the start of the year.”
Next to the altar was an effigy of the goddess, and Gerber poured out a drop from the bottle that hung around his neck.
Gerber: “Please, hear my prayer…-. I want to have confidence in myself as a prince… even though I’m still inexperienced… Still, I at least want to do the very best I can. –For everyone…”
He continued to speak, offering his fervent prayer.
Then…-.
OO: “What is…!?”
Gerber: “…!”
A divine light flowed from the goddess’ image, and everything was enveloped in white…-.
…
……
The scent of flowers tickled my nose…
OO: “Where…are we…?”
I slowly opened my eyes and…-.
I couldn’t believe what I saw with my own eyes.
Large gerbera flowers were in full bloom, stretching out to the horizon as far as I could see.
OO: “…”
Gerber: “…”
Both Gerber and I were so enraptured by the beautiful sight that we stood there in silence.
OO: “Ah…”
The wind ruffled my hair, and the flower petals danced up into the blue sky, falling like snow.
OO: “It’s beautiful…”
Gerber: “I don’t believe it… this whole area was still covered in snow…”
OO: “Eh?”
At his words, I looked around the flower field once more, and this time I realized where we were.
OO: “Wait, is this the place where we first met…-?”
Gerber: “That’s right. This is the snowy field outside of town where I was sleeping. But it’s like spring suddenly came all at once… Haha… it doesn’t… seem real.”
Gerber chuckled as he stared far off into the distance over the flower field.
Gerber: “I thought… I was doing everything for those around me, but was I really being selfish that whole time? When you woke me up… the flowers sleeping in the ground should have woken up with me. If I’d only said that…”
OO: “But the cold…”
Gerber: “No.”
He quietly shook his head, then squatted down to pick up a single flower.
Gerber: “…that was something I had to do as the prince chosen by the goddess. But I had forgotten such a simple thing… OO…-“
OO: “…!”
He turned to me and smiled calmly.
It wasn’t the sweet flower-like smile from before, but instead a smile from the heart…
Gerber: “I’m alright now. I’ll be sure to do whatever I can from now on, as this country’s prince. Though it might not be any different from what I’ve been able to do up to now. But still, no matter how small a step it is, I will always keep walking forward…-.”
He moved closer and put the gerbera flower he was holding into my hair.
OO: “Gerber…”
We looked at each other up close, and it felt both delightful and like it wasn’t enough.
Eventually, our hands joined…
Our fingers laced together like the interwoven flowers.
Gerber: “… thanks OO…”
He spoke those warm words into my ear.
His words spread out within me, filling me, and I knew in my heart that spring had come.
END
Secret Story: Smiling Strength
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The snow was late to thaw, and the gerbera flowers were late to bloom in Vilastine.
In order to uncover the condition of the goddess, who protects the land, OO and I entered a cavern.
(Ouch…)
My right shoulder was throbbing with pain as I opened my eyes.
Somehow, I had fallen asleep.
————————
Gerber: “Look out!!”
OO: “!?”
Gerber: “…!!”
————————
The wound on my shoulder after having been thrown against the cavern wall had stopped bleeding, but it still hurt.
(But.)
I slowly looked around, and saw OO had moved closer to me, possibly to keep me warm.
That warmth made my heart pound, and I found myself staring at her long eyelashes.
(…how strange. Even here where it’s so cold, I can’t feel it…)
Suddenly, I felt something on my cheek.
(…huh? Is OO… shivering?)
I could feel her body trembling slightly where it touched mine.
Then I realized that she was holding on to my sleeve as if seeking help from me.
(Sorry… for causing you to worry so much.)
I held her small, freezing hand between my own.
With that, she jolted awake.
OO: “Gerber?”
She looked at me in confusion, a worried expression on her face.
But when our eyes met, she smiled for me.
(OO…)
I wondered if she had been shivering from worry.
But in that smile, I could see the concern for me breaking through.
Seeing that brave smile pained my heart.
(I’m such… an idiot. OO is always smiling for me. I thought it was because she had confidence… and that she was strong. But she… was always smiling like this.)
My attention was strangely drawn back to the pain in my shoulder, but I smiled naturally.
Gerber: “…yeah, I’m alright.”
OO smiled worriedly.
(Even though I’m like this, I don’t want to see OO making that face. When you’re scared, you can be scared… and when you’re happy, you can be happy… just be who you are.)
It’s alright.
I wanted to tell her that, and I showed her a smile once more.
She let out a faint breath, and I could tell she was weakening.
Then the two of us stood, hand in hand, and headed for the shrine where the goddess was.
Step by step, together, I could feel a warmth blossoming in my heart and spreading.
(…I want to protect this. I want to be strong. I want to be someone who can… protect OO, and everyone else.)
A precious warmth was spreading from our connected hands.
…
……
We continued to walk in the cavern with precarious footing, and at last we arrived at the underground lake where the goddess was.
I poured a drop from the flowers and prayed to the goddess.
(Goddess… I understand. Why the snow didn’t melt. Why the gerbera flowers didn’t bloom. Why… I was so powerless. It’s not because I didn’t have confidence in myself. The thing I am supposed to do above all else is not to be useful to people… it’s to love the one near to me with all my heart. And to believe in myself.)
Gerber: “—for everyone…”
It happened the instant I finished my prayer.
OO: “Where… are we…?”
I slowly opened my eyes…-.
And before me was a wide field of flowers.
We stood there dumbfounded, then smiled at each other.
OO: “It’s beautiful…”
Seeing her smile from the heart, I felt refreshed as I took in the broad expanse of flowers.
(… it really is beautiful…)
Gerber: “I don’t believe it… this whole area was still covered in snow…”
When I could finally take in the entirety of the dazzling scene, I found my voice trembling.
OO: “Eh?”
OO looked at the field in contemplation.
While looking at her profile, I was certain of the feeling budding within me.
(You taught me this… the strength of a smile that seeks to protect something.)
I don’t know for how long we were there, with that beautiful sight, leaving ourselves to the embrace of the sweet scent of the flowers.
END