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Today was the day a lifelong dream would be accomplished, albeit in a different manner. The crisp autumn air blew across the stone road, slightly moving the hair and outfits of the newlywed couple walking. The stones that comprised the street were expertly placed, creating a brilliant path throughout the town. Along the sides of the lovely stone road were rows of various different buildings. General stores, armories, armorers, potion shops, thrift stores, households, you name it. They were all there. Despite being around two o’clock, the street was silent and relatively empty. Explanations for the emptiness were absent from the minds of the couple, as they were focused on their objective for the day.
Astraia and Lunestria, the previously mentioned couple, both had recently fought in a small war against an evil capitalist, after which they both decided to settle down together as a couple. The two of them knew each other since they were kids, but the war allowed for their bond to grow exponentially. Especially since Lunestria learned what the concept of love was. Despite being the age of twenty-three, she remained extremely naive. When the war ended, Astraia was on the verge of being dishonorably discharged from the Knights of Driogon for deserting his troop, but the newly appointed Commander Achlys pardoned him for the crime. He was honorably discharged instead, being granted a small pension so he had enough money to open up a small bakery with Lunestria. She, on the other hand, was of no such army background. She was an experienced nurse and doctor after receiving an education from the prosperous Fraylin Academy, a school for all sorts of magic. She naturally knew all sorts of combat spells as well, but she was advised not to use them for her innate clumsiness. This advice was exemplified after she mistakenly burned an entire wing of the academy to the ground after missing a stationary training dummy.
The winds came forth once more, attempting to take Lunestria’s long, orange braid with it. Her shoulder that the braid was draped over helped to stop that. Thankfully she chose to hang up her cape today and just wear her casual crimson red robes. Astraia had bushy, dark green hair that extended down to his shoulders. It used to be shorter, but he let it grow out. He wore a green shirt with a purple colored surcoat over it along with black pants and shoes. His outfit was a perfect match for his tanned skin. Lunestria suddenly stopped and pointed to their left with an excited glint in her deep red eyes.
“Oh, Astraia. Here it is, the orphanage! I did not expect it to be so far away from our home.” She spoke in a serene tone, refusing to use contractions in her speech as usual.
“It wasn’t that far really. Everything prolly seems to be closer when you use that broomstick of yours, no?”
“I only use that for cleaning for I am not a witch!”
“I see the way ya look at it. You should ask that little brother of yours to teach you how to fly one.”
“I cannot. He is far too preoccupied with other matters!” She said with a small huff as she stepped forward towards the orphanage. Her hand was latched onto her husband’s, so he was forcibly dragged along. The bell rang similar to their own bell at the bakery when they entered the building. A few kids were running around, presumably playing tag with each other. Lunestria’s eyes lit up watching them dash around. While she was distracted, Astraia approached the front counter. Sitting there was the same person they encountered last week when they attempted to adopt a child. She still had those dark, piercing eyes and thick black locks. Looks are deceiving, however. She looked up at the man before her with a happy expression on her face.
“Mr. Benia! Pleasure to see you back! Are your forms-” She was cut off by Astraia taking the forms out of his satchel and handing them over to her. She gleefully took them without much hesitation and began to look through them. “I’m sure these are perfect, so you both may begin looking!” She hummed as Astraia grew a small smile on his face. He spun around and waved Lunestria over. She glanced up at him and nodded, skipping over like a cheery schoolgirl. All of the kids seemed to instinctively line up, in order of age. All of them looked excited and bubbly, wondering who would be chosen to ascend to a happier apex. The couple looked across them all, but both of their gazes landed on one. The only one not in the line up. Sitting in a small chair near the corner of the room was a young girl, looking about eleven years old. She wore a blue and black dress with a frilly skirt. Her hair was chestnut brown and was a bit bushy, extending down to her lower back. In her hair rested a black and blue headband that had a fake blue rose stuck in it. Her eyes were ocean blue, with a painful looking scar covering the left one which forced it to be halfway closed. In her arms was a small, purple stuffed rabbit. The poor thing’s ear was almost torn completely off and it was covered in patches. Lunestria’s hand covered her mouth briefly before the hand darted. It latched onto Astraia’s arm as Lunestria yanked him over to the girl. She knelt down in front of the little lady and tried to match her eye level.
“Hi there, miss. What is your name?” She asked in the most sincere voice she could muster. Astraia knelt down beside, just a bit lower to make up for the height difference. The girl slowly raised her head and locked eyes with Lunestria. Her cheeks grew a bit red as she averted her eyes.
“...Lily…” She spoke softly, almost in a whisper. Her tone was full of dreariness and melancholy. It was awful monotone as well. Terrifyingly sad for a girl so young.
“That’s a lovely name,” Astraia followed up, “what’s that ya got there?” He said, pointing to the stuffed rabbit she was holding.
“...Captain Cecilia… My…grandmother gave her to me… Before she…” She went silent as she hugged the rabbit, closing her eyes fully while sniffing slightly. Lunestria placed a hand on her heart, feeling the heartache that the girl felt on a personal level. She put on a somewhat determined look and nodded her head. She looked over at Astraia, who gave her a nod. Her eyes immediately went back to Lily.
“Do you like pastries, Lily?” Lily opened her eyes and perked her head up slightly with a slight look of awe on her face. She made a small hum while nodding softly. Lunestria let out a small laugh. “Then…would you like to come home with us? We own a small bakery. You could have all of the pastries you want.”
“...Okay.” Lily spoke quietly as she slowly got off of her chair. Her arms kept wrapped around the bunny. Astraia held out his hand for her to hold, but Lily just stepped a bit away with her eyes following her movement. He nodded to himself softly while walking back over to the counter with the intimidating looking woman sitting at it.
“I see you’ve chosen little miss Lily. I’m very proud of you. She can be quite the handful! May I ask why it was her that caught your eye?”
“All of the kids here look happy, and seem to be friends with each other. She doesn’t seem to have anyone. We want to give her a chance to be happy, that’s all. Now, how much is it?”
***
Now out of the orphanage, the three were returning to the bakery. They were using the same stone road used previously. Lunestria and Astraia were walking a bit apart from each other so Lily could walk in between them. So far, she hadn’t agreed to take either of their hands. She kept following them from about a foot behind. Staring at her feet as she walked and never letting go of her rabbit.
“...I’m never going back there…am I?” Astraia turned his head to look at her, giving her a small and gentle smile. He was a lot calmer than he was before the war.
“Not if you don’t want to. The bakery is your new home…unless you would rather be back there.” Lily quickly shook her head from side to side as she skipped forward to walk between them.
“No… I didn’t like it there…Thank you, miss and mister.” Her voice had grown slightly louder, but not by much. She raised her head to face ahead of her while walking. Her eyes widened slightly. Everything around them seemed so beautiful to her. Anything looks amazing if you haven’t left one building for over three years. “...Will I be able to go outside?”
“Of course you will be, sweetie.” Lunestria said with a mother sounding giggle. Lily nodded in response, not adding much else since she had no clue what to say. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks. Her eyes were looking straight at a shop that was in the strip of buildings to their right. There were all sorts of wands and tomes on display. Her eyes began to sparkle while staring into the new fascination her brain has decided to focus on.
“Hey, Lily, you okay?” Lunestria called from up ahead. Lily spun her head to look back at her in minor shock. She nodded softly and jogged a bit to catch up, remaining with them the rest of the way back to the bakery.
***
The bell chimed a nice tone as they entered the bakery. Lily’s eyes scanned the surroundings in awe. The floor was made of pleasant looking acacia wood while the walls were well decorated with various magical artifacts and accessories. Littering the floor was a wealth of tables and chairs to match. At the far end of the room was a counter of glass, behind the glass being a lot of different types of baked goods on display. Ranging from simple bread to elaborately made cakes. Behind the counter was a wooden door that was left ajar, a staircase being slightly visible behind it. To the right of the counter was another door, but that one seemed to lead somewhere else. It was all very homey, and a lovely looking place to live. Lunestria slipped her shoes off and replaced them with slippers upon entering before bolting. She ran behind the counter, swung the door behind it open, and dashed upstairs with an overjoyed smile on her face. Astraia, too, slipped his shoes off and placed on his own green and purple colored slippers as replacements. Next to the unique slippers they put on was a wide selection of children’s and adult ones for different customers. They decided that this was the best option for traversing their store. The wood wouldn’t get very dirty and no one would get splinters. Astraia looked back at Lily and knelt down, right next to the slippers.
“You can take any pair that you want, and those will be yours for as long as you want.” Lily looked up at him and gave him a small nod. She knelt down and gently set her rabbit down against the wall. Very slowly, she took off of her shoes with Astraia helping her. Afterwards, she spent a little bit looking over the options that were sitting before her. After a little bit of deliberation, she took a pair that matched the size of her feet and had a deep blue coloration to them. She softly placed them on and stood up tall after retrieving her stuffed rabbit. She looked up at Astraia and gave him a small nod.
“Those caught your eye, eh? Makes sense to me, they match that outfit of yours perfectly. Do whatever you want with them, they’re all yours!” He said sweetly, ruffling her hair slightly. The joyousness of having a child now sort of overtook him for a brief moment. He couldn’t control himself from doing that quick little head rub. Though, Lily didn’t seem to mind at all. From the wooden door that led upstairs, Lunestria popped her head out.
“I need a bit to get it ready! You should show her your favorite animal, honey!” She said with a cute laugh as she slammed the door shut and locked it. With a small laugh, Astraia rubbed the back of his head and looked down at Lily.
“Come on, meetin’ him will brighten the mood a bit! Probably, if ya like horses that is.” He said before walking forward to the door at the far back right of the bakery. Lily quickly skipped to follow him. She loved horses. Astraia swung the door open, which led directly to a well-kept stable. All of the hay was stacked correctly, and there were no gates. On one of the walls rested a green and purple saddle. Lily assumed it was Astraia’s. It matched his aesthetic. Inside, trotting around the relatively open space happily, was a brown stallion with thick black hair.
“Ooooo.” Lily stepped forward and raised her hand up, keeping her other hand firmly gripping the stuffed rabbit to her chest. The horse looked down at her, and actually lowered his head! She started to brush his hair gently as the first smile of her new life grew upon her face.
“Cygnus is a nice boy, and he loves what you’re doin’. He was my noble steed throughout the war! We charged into battle with great valor! No man, woman, or nonbinary individual could stand in our way of triumph!” He boasted in a happy tone, trying to spin a tale that would make Lily happy. She…didn’t seem to even pay attention with him as she was too busy brushing Cynus’ hair. This was not the truth, however. She thought his small boast was insanely cool, she just said nothing in reply.
“...Mister, will I ever be able to ride Mr. Cygnus?” A sweet tone entered her increasingly loud voice. Her monotone and dreary voice was beginning to slowly fade away.
“Of course ya will be! It’s gettin’ a bit late now, but we can take him out for a ride tomorrow if you promise to be safe.” Lily immediately spun around, sparkles dancing in her once lifeless eyes.
“I promise. I’ll be super safe.” She said hurriedly, not at all wanting to miss this opportunity. Astraia was a bit startled by the sudden change in attitude, but he seemed happy all the same.
“It’s a deal then! By noon tomorrow, we’ll be riding through the fields!” He said with a joyous laugh, his old slightly immature self showing again. It hasn’t been that long since the war ended, so it makes sense he still hangs on to his old youth. Despite being only twenty-three, he still feels rather old.
“...I’m hungry. Can I have a pastry, mister?”
“You don’t have to ask for that! Lemme grab one for you.” Astraia spun on his heel and walked back to the door to the main room of the bakery. He swung the door open and held it open for Lily, who swiftly skipped under his arm to get through. With the door locking behind them, they returned. Astraia stepped behind the counter as Lily peered through the other side.
“...Mph.” Lily placed her finger on the glass. She was pointing directly at a small cupcake that was decorated with blue frosting. Astraia opened up the door on the other side of the counter. He snatched the cupcake, placed it on a small plate, and handed it right over to Lily.
“This is a Mana Cupcake! It restores your mana, hence the name. Won’t have any effect on you since you don’t use mana, but it’s a nice tidbit, no?” Lily nodded to him softly before taking a small bite. She eyes lit up like stars again as a sweet smile grew across her face. She giggled cutely before taking another bite, no swallowing until she was finished chewing.
“This is incredible. Thank you, mister.” She said in a more happy tone of voice as she took another bite, chewing it softly before swallowing once more. A sweet smile matching hers grew across Astraia’s face as well. He let out a small chuckle as he watched Lily eat. The thought of having a daughter was still so…surreal to him. The door behind him swung open with Lunestria popping her head out.
“I see you have found our wide array of pastries, teehee! Do you mind if I steal you for a second, I need to show you something.” Lily looked up at the woman staring at her. She gave a small nod before skipping around the counter and over to her. Both of the ladies entered the back room and carefully walked up the stairs.
“What did you think of Cygnus? Astraia puts a lot of effort, and money, into caring for him.”
“I love him. His hair feels like silk.”
“So you like horses, hm? Hahaha, I am so happy that you do! You and Astraia will get along just fine!” She said before stopping. They had reached the top of the stairs and a hallway stood before them. The hallway had the same acacia wood finish as the main bakery did, but much more memento looking decorations. Family pictures, gifts, and other things of that sort were on the walls. There were four doors, two on the left and two on the right. After a small bit of walking, they were standing in front of the right one at the end of the hallway. Lunestria grabbed the handle and pushed the door open. Lily’s jaw immediately dropped to the floor. It was a bedroom, covered in black and blue decorations. There was a massive canopy bed in the middle of the room. There was a desk and chair sitting against the wall to the right. The carpet was made of fluffy wool. Thick curtains rested in front of the windows. Bookcases lined the walls next to the canopy bed. All. Blue. And. Purple. It was incredible to Lily. She spun around and stared at Lunestria with a baffled, shocked, and perplexed look upon her face.
“How? These are my…favorite colors. It isn’t…possible, right?”
“Oh sweetie! Anything is possible with magic!” Lily widens her eyes once more.
“You do magic?”
“Why yes! I am a graduate of the best magic school on the continent. I already had all of these setup for you. I just needed to cast a few spells to adjust the colors on everything.” She explained as Lily slowly walked into the room. She looked around in amazement. She spun around and let herself fall onto the bed. It was so incredibly comfortable. Lunestria entered the room and approached the bed, looking down at Lily with a happy look in her eyes.
“Do you like it?”
“I love it, miss…” She said quietly as she slowly closed her eyes. Entering an entirely new life was incredibly taxing on her mind and body, so she was rendered exhausted. Within a few moments, she was completely passed out. Lunestria kept a happy smile on her face. She picked up Lily and slid her under the blankets. She ensured that her stuffed rabbit was still comfortably in her arms as well. She leaned down and brushed Lily’s hair back, giving her forehead a small kiss before standing back up straight. Lily’s face grew a bit red as if she knew what happened, but the cute smile plastered over her face showed that she was happy. Astraia stepped into the doorway. He leaned against it and crossed his arms.
“Already out, eh? I don’t see why that lady called her a handful. She’s one of the most calm kids I’ve ever seen! Haha!” He said with a quiet laugh. Lunestria chuckled a bit as she walked over to him. She stood directly to his side and hugged his arm, resting her head on his shoulder.
“...Mother and father. That is what we are now. It feels…weird, does it not?”
“‘Course it does. I thought I would be well into my thirties before settling down like this. Welp, no turning back now. No choice but to do our best as parents for our daughter. Doing any less would be failing her.”
“Hehe, there is the knight I fell in love with speaking. Our display case is lacking a bit, shall we go bake a bit more for when we open tomorrow?”
“Let’s.”