The Girl in Black II

At roughly the size of a one-story house, the interior of the Dadabarunga library was rather cramped. Shelves filled to bursting with books were lined up one after the other in claustrophobic rows, that offered barely enough room for two people to walk through comfortably. The books were in good condition, save for a bit of dust that always seemed to float about the place. It was more or less empty, save for a few people around some rickety tables, and a tired-looking old man with wispy white hair manning the front desk.

"Wow," Morgan whispered, eyes wide with wonder. She looked up at Raishun, who nodded and gestured for her to go on. With newfound energy she rushed forward, inspecting each and every book she came across with boundless curiosity.

Raishun smiled at her reaction, her adoration for books was something he wasn't expecting, but it worked out well for him. He began to peruse the shelves, making sure to keep an eye on her as he searched for a certain object. It took nearly an hour to find, but tucked away in one of the shelves at the far back of the library, was an old worn tome.

[The old lady's been avoiding me since I walked into her place. If she won't tell me, then I'll find the answers for myself.]

Raishun opened the book and began to skim through the names of the village's denizens. His brow furrowed, as his search was quickly void of results. He began to chew his lip, as he double-checked, then triple-checked the S and C sections. There was no mention of a Serah Conces having ever lived in the village.

"Damnit!" He hissed, closing the book with a snap and returning it to its spot on the dusty shelf. [I knew it was a longshot but still, I was hoping for something.]

A sudden pressure on his arm pulled him from his thoughts. Turning his gaze towards the ground, he saw Morgan lightly tugging on his arm. She had a book held close to her chest, which she then held out for him to take.

"Whatcha got there huh?" He took the book from her with a smile and inspected the cover. "RSET. Heroes of the Great War." With a surprised grunt he looked at her curiously, "Never took you for a history buff. Want me to read it to you?"

She seemed taken aback by his comment, her mouth hanging agape for a moment. Then a small smile appeared, followed by a nod. The two of them sat down with their backs against the shelf, Morgan nestled into his arm in excitement as he started to read. It really was a history text, full of small details about the numerous operations of a Huntsmen team during the Great War.

"The Reclaimer of Dawn confronted the Witch of Stagnation in the forests of what is now known as Beacon. Though he cut her in two with his sword, she cursed him with her final breath. As the witch's body turned to cold steel, the Blade Daughter comforted the hero during his final moments."

Raishun grimaced, [A little too gory for Morgan...] His eyes flicked to the young girl. She was breathing softly against his shoulder as she slept. He breathed a sigh of relief and snapped the book shut. With tired bloodshot eyes, he looked out the windows and grimaced when he saw the sun start to dip below the horizon.

"Time to go home." He murmured under his breath. Holding the girl in one hand, and the history book in the other, he left the library and started the long walk back to his house.

"Ah! I forgot to tell Carmila about Morgan. I know she won't kill me, but I feel bad."

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When Morgan's eyes fluttered open, her surroundings had changed. With half-lidded eyes, she sat up and stretched her arms above her head. She knew she wasn't back in the orphanage, it had walls of stone, but the walls that surrounded her were made of wood. The interior looked modern, with a TV sitting in the center of the room and several couches forming a semi-circle around it. Bookshelves were stacked against the walls, holding books and old pictures of people with smiles on their faces.

Panic raced through her body, and her hands shot up to her head. She breathed a quick sigh of relief when she felt her hood still on her head. With tentative steps, she rose from the couch she was laying on, planning to explore her new abode. She barely made it more than two steps when the scent of food hit her nostrils. The loud grumbling of her stomach served as a painful reminder that she hadn't eaten anything since yesterday.

"Oh? Sounds like someone's hungry."

Morgan quickly jumped back as a tall purple-haired woman turned the corner. Her hair was styled cooly so that it obscured one of her crimson eyes, yet she had such a pleasant air around her that Morgan felt oddly at ease. She wiped her hands on the white apron tied around her neck and turned towards where she had come from.

"Raishun! She's awake!" She called, in a voice not unlike a songbird.

A moment later, Raishun's head poked out from around the corner. He was sporting a white bandage on his forehead, that was partially obscured by his mid-length blue hair. "Hey, glad to see you're feeling alright. I fell down on my way here, so I was worried you were hurt." He flashed a toothy smile, "Oh, and don't worry about your cloak, we didn't take it off."

"Thank you." Morgan replied quietly, "I liked the book you--" The loud growl of her stomach cut her off, and her cheeks felt hot. She quickly yanked her hood lower with both hands.

"Come on, let's eat before the food gets cold." With the softest touch, the woman took her hand and led her towards the table. Raishun followed them, and before she knew it the three of them were sat around a large wooden table.

Morgan couldn't tear her eyes away from the mountains of food, ranging from cupcakes topped with frosting, to meats around which the air still distorted with heat. Cautiously, she plucked one of the cupcakes from its plate, half expecting the two adults to swipe it away and tell her it was a prank. When neither of them moved, she took a quick bite of the pastry.

Her eyes widened, and she couldn't stop herself from taking bite after bite until the dessert was gone.

"This is delicious!" She smiled brightly, "It's the best thing I've ever tasted!"

"Thank you! I didn't know what you liked, but I've yet to meet a child who dislikes cakes!" The purple-haired woman smiled proudly.

Eager for more, Morgan reached a hand out towards one of the pieces of meat, only to have the woman beat her to the portion. Morgan whipped her hand back and was about to murmur an apology when Raishun spoke.

"You having some Carmila? I used my Father's recipe, I promise it's to die for!"

With his expectant gaze on her, Carmila took a tentative bite. She visibly flinched but persevered and swallowed. "I-it's got good texture Raishun. Though it tastes an awful lot like the cookies you baked, so much so that I can't taste a hint of the meat in this."

"What?" Raishun took a piece for himself and popped a portion into his mouth. He shuddered, "Impossible. I followed the recipe perfectly." He took one of the cookies from a nearby plate and ate it all in one bite. He shuddered again, "It tastes like meat!? What the heck?"

He glanced at Morgan and smiled weakly. Not a hint of pride remained in his expression. "You might wanna steer clear of the cookies and meat this time around. They've got a bit of an uh... acquired taste."

Carmila patted his shoulder reassuringly, "You can always give some to Castor. It'll give him a surprise, I'm sure of it." She smiled, "You're cooking might be the only thing that can make him stay quiet for more than a minute."

Her comment seemed to cheer him up, and the two of them laughed. Morgan watched the entire interaction play out with a perplexed expression. This wasn't what the meals she'd had before were like at all. Her meals were lonely and bland, not lively and full of color. Even stranger, Raishun wasn't reprimanded for his failure, or forced into a dark room until he'd reflected on his mistake. It was something that went against everything she'd experienced, but for whatever reason, it felt almost normal.

In the end, all she could do was smile at the odd situation. She continued to eat her food, savoring each and every bite. Occasionally she'd laugh at one of Raishun's stories, or feel comforted by Carmila's words.

"I think I'm going to like it here."

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With Morgan tucked into bed, Raishun and Carmila were left to tackle the large mountain of dishes leftover from their feast. As they stood side by side at the sink, Raishun threw a piece of cookie into his mouth, only to quickly spit it back out into the garbage with a grimace.

"It's like I completely switched the flavors. I don't even know how that's possible." He grumbled, taking a plate Carmila and setting it on a nearby rack to dry. "Am I some sort of super chef or something?"

"Maybe your semblance is changing the flavor of food." Carmila quipped. She giggled as Raishun made a distraught expression. "It's not all bad, you could open your own store and sell unique food, like blueberry flavored steak."

"Ew! I don't think Remnants ready for that monstrosity." He laughed.

The two continued washing the dishes in silence, enjoying each other's presence until the last drops of water from the faucet hit the sink.

"Carmila, thank you for helping me with all this. I know it was super last minute, plus you have your job with Yona to do on the side. But I feel that we were able to connect with Morgan because of it."

"It's no trouble at all! Castor did something similar for Yona and I." She moved past him and took a seat at the head of the table. Leaning forward, she rested her head in her hands before continuing.

"When we lost our parents to a Grimm attack when we were younger. They weren't the best parents by any means, but in the end, they used themselves as bait to lead the Grimm away from our hiding spot. The village took care of us after that. They passed us around from house to house for a year."

Raishun moved to stand beside her and quietly listened.

"One day Castor arrived in the village. He was only a year older than Yona, but when it was his turn to host us he greeted us just like this. The food he cooked was either burnt to a crisp or almost raw, but it was so delicious. His house was a mess, but that night it was the best I'd had since I lost my parents." Her eyes narrowed as tears began to sting the corners of her eyes. "When he told us that we didn't have to move around anymore, that we would stay together as a family... I think that's when Yona fell for him. His kindness, his courage, and his smile made us feel so safe. We didn't feel like a burden being passed around... we felt loved."

She wiped her tears away with a finger. "I'm sorry, remembering those times always makes me feel so warm inside. Just give me some time I'll--"

She stopped when she felt Raishun wrap an arm around her shoulders. She looked at him in surprise and saw him smiling at her kindly.

"I didn't know you and Yona went through something like that, but I'm glad you made it through alright." They were empty words, he knew that better than anyone, but he had to try. "You three are like my Castor you know. You took me in when I was at my lowest, and saved me from a life of hardship. If it weren't for you all I'd be in that forest, wandering aimlessly without a purpose, or dead. You can depend on for anything, whether it be dealing with Grimm or lending you a shoulder. I'll always be there."

With a smile of her own, Carmila rested her head back on his arm. Her cheeks were tinged with the faintest hint of red as she looked at him.

"Thank you Raishun. When you're around I feel comfortable, as if there's nothing to be worried about."

Raishun felt his cheeks heat up and coughed into his hand nervously. "G-good. I'm happy you feel that way." He withdrew his arm from her shoulder and stepped back, "I'm uh, gonna go outside and train now! Goodnight Carmila, I'll see you tomorrow!"

Before she could say another word, Raishun hurried out of the kitchen and into the backyard. Carmila huffed and closed her eyes. She could very faintly hear the rhythmic sound of his sword striking the wooden dummies.

"Feeling at ease huh. Maybe I was a little too forward."