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The Rose That Bloomed Into a Marigold
Vertin and Schneider finally arrived at their final destination for the day. After they had been exploring the beautiful sights and bustling cities of Sicily, they stepped foot on a sandy beach of the revered Ionian Coast.
Both of them were silently staring at the crimson horizon, the seawater as it softly reflected the last rays of the setting sun and the vermillion sky. A gentle breeze quietly caressed their cheeks, carrying the nostalgic and typical scent of a shore. Among the distant crashing waves and squawking seagulls, Schneider was the first to speak up.
“I’m glad I got to show you my homeland, my lord.”
She was in her typical feather-trimmed blood-red flapper girl dress with the black blazer on top, while Vertin was similarly wearing the usual blue and white Victorian-style outfit she’s usually in. Vertin took off her hat and pressed it against the front of her coat, revealing the entirety of her silver hair.
“It’s even more beautiful than they have advertised,” she replied.
“There’s only one thing left for us to do, then,” Schneider grinned as she took her boots and socks off.
Despite it being summer, Vertin knew it was soon going to be chilly for a dip in the sea, but in the presence of Schneider, such concerns were the last to surface from the back of her mind. She mirrored Schneider and also rolled her pants up, while Schneider jogged ahead.
“Come on, my lord!”
Vertin wryly smiled and followed suit, then entered the cold water seconds after Schneider, who had already started splashing at Vertin’s bare shins.
“You’ve gotta dodge, or I’ll make you wet,” Schneider teased cheekily.
“Challenge accepted. But don’t expect me to just sit back without a fight,” a smirk escaped from Vertin’s mouth.
“Oh, I never did, my lord.”
An all-out splattering war broke out between the two. They kept exchanging blows back and forth to the point where their clothes could no longer stay dry. For Schneider and Vertin, only they existed in that moment. Their giggles couldn’t be heard or witnessed by anyone but them. The battle went on until Vertin lost her balance, falling backwards and sitting down in the shallow water. Schneider hopped over to Vertin, bent down and offered her hand.
“It seems it’s my win this time.”
“Indeed, it is.”
After Vertin got pulled up, Schneider took a step back and turned towards the endless waves and the sun.
“Schneider?”
Her brown hair almost looked golden in the warm embrace of the background behind her, painting a picturesque sight of a rose, exclusive for only Vertin to behold.
“I’m truly happy that we got to spend these moments together, my lord. Moving forward, please be happy.”
“What are you talking about? We’ll be going home together, right?”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible.”
“What do you mean? Why? Schneider!?”
Schneider turned back around to face the panicking Vertin. She put her petite palms on Vertin’s face to calm her and reassure her so that she could lock their gazes into each other’s eyes. Their surroundings started to melt, rain began to flow upwards, the wind started violently howling and the sky turned dark.
“Ti amo tanto, Vertin…”
That was the last thing Vertin heard as she felt a soft touch on her lips. Then it was just the sound of heavy rain and darkness.
“Schneider? Schneider!”
Schneider disappeared, leaving behind only an echo.
“It’s okay to forget, my lord. Please move on.”
Vertin vehemently and desperately tried looking for the source of the voice, to no avail.
“I won’t forget! I’ll never forget…” she stumbled in the water once again, falling on her knees this time.
“I want to move on, but I don’t want to forget. If I forgot, it would be a disservice. Not only to you, but to all the others who are gone, and also to myself, to the person I became. It’s the only way to honour your existence. You’re part of the me of today. If I didn’t remember, if I pretended to forget, I would lose a part of myself.”
A tsunami appeared in the distance.
“It’s painful. Extremely so. But even so, nevertheless, I have to remember! Your memory is my solace.”
There was no response. Of course there wasn’t. Schneider was long gone. Reversed by the Storm. Vertin knew that full well, yet she couldn’t help but pour her heart into this moment.
The tsunami was rapidly closing in on Vertin. She looked up at the massive wall of water, sighing deeply. Right before impact, though, time seemingly slowed down, allowing Vertin to utter the words she’s been too scared to acknowledge.
“I loved you too, Schneider…”
Tears ran down from Vertin’s eyes as the tsunami came crashing down.
Vertin woke up breathing heavily and with intense sweating. Her bed, pillow and blanket provided no comfort whatsoever. She sat up slowly and set her eyes on her window, which revealed the first rays of sunlight of a new day. She was in her room within her suitcase, which was currently at The Foundation.
“A nightmare…”
She facepalmed as she thought things through. The Storm was still here. Manus Vindictae was still ahead. People were still being reversed. Time was still ambiguous. Her mission was far from over. Vertin slowly stood up and walked to her nearest chair, which she decided to pick up and move to in front of the window.
After doing so, she sat down, looked in the distance and continued to ponder. She reminisced about the old times, thought about Schneider and the people they’ve lost, then remembered Sonetto and her friends who were still here. The burden of the past weighed her down; however, it also gave her strength. And the thought that she wasn’t alone made her heart feel lighter.
It might be time, Vertin thought.
Soon after, faint knocking could be heard coming from outside of Vertin’s door.
“Come in!”
The door gradually opened, revealing the figure of a familiar orange-haired companion.
“Timekeeper, good morning! Sorry to bother you so early in the day, but we have a new mission.”
“Sonetto, no worries. Come sit down for a minute. I’ll make us some tea.”
“Oh, okay. Thank you!”
Sonetto followed Vertin’s instructions and sat down at the table she was led to. A couple of minutes went by, and Vertin returned with the beverage.
“Here you go!” Vertin poured Sonetto a cup.
“Thank you!” Sonetto took a sip, “Is this… orange black tea?”
“Yes. Mixed with a bit of cinnamon.”
“It’s delicious. As always.”
“Thanks,” Vertin tenderly gazed at Sonetto.
Every time, they enjoyed their tea in a brief bit of peace before their upcoming missions. This time was a bit different, however. There was a hint of awkwardness in the air.
“Sonetto, I thought about your offer from a week ago.”
Sonetto tensed up.
“Oh, that! There’s no need to hurry with an answer; I can wait for as long as you need.”
“It’s okay. I wanna say yes. I think I’m ready.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Thanks for having me! And please be patient with me.”
“It’s my pleasure! Thanks for having me as well! I’m really happy…” Sonetto tried concealing her blushing by burying her face in her hands.
Vertin’s cheeks also flushed slightly red from the sight. She finished her drink in haste, cleared her throat and stood up.
“So, where are we headed this time?”
Sonetto straightened her back and focused herself.
“Right. Since the Storm this time took us to 1956, we’ll be investigating reports of Manus activity in Hungary. It seems that they’re trying to speed up the upcoming Revolution..”
Vertin intently listened to Sonetto’s every word.
“..and that is all. Shall we get going right away? The others might be waiting for us already.”
“Yeah. Let’s!”
Vertin and Sonetto got ready and left the room, leaving behind the fragrance of oranges and moving towards a new page. It felt like a new chapter was beginning.
The future may have been as uncertain as ever, but now Vertin could think back on the past as a pleasant field, full of marigolds.