And so, The Melody Ebbs(1/??)(V2)

"Within her hand she held a flower, forever lost to the wind as it turned to ashes"

Part 1

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[???: I'll be back later...]

[???: Pinky promise!]

She held out her pinky and wrapped it around the bunny's tiny paw before petting its head and letting it go.

She felt a brief moment of satisfaction before suddenly being hit with the realization--

[???: *sigh*]

[???: I hope she doesn't get mad]

--that the dress she was wearing, now smudged with varying degrees of mud and dirt, was definitely not in a condition that would make her mother happy.

[???: …]

[???: oh well]

Pushing aside the thought for now, she quickly brushed herself down as she stood up.

[???: I'll make sure to bring something nice and cold for you, Mr. Bunny]

It was the middle of the day, sun shining directly overhead, the heat was a little unbearable but the light breeze made up for it.

[???: !]

But right before turning to leave, she noticed a trail of paw prints on the ground that led to a small hole. Suddenly, two long and fluffy ears emerged from it.

[???: hehe~]

Maybe she was reading into it too much, but she liked to think Mr. Bunny was trying his best to make sure she made it back home safely. Although the distance from the front yard to her porch wasn't very long, relatively speaking.

[???: Thank you Mr. bunny]

[???: I'll be going now]

She gave Mr. Bunny her regards and started heading home.

To her, home was old and well-worn.

The wooden boards it was made out of no longer had a uniform color and they released a musky smell.

The porch stairs had indentations from what seemed like decades of use and they bended with each step.

And the roof had recently begun to leak whenever it rained and it would fall right into her room.

But nonetheless, it was still a home to her.

Whether it was by luck or fate it was still standing now.

As she walked up the front porch, the musky smell was quickly overtaken by a robust and savory aroma.

[???: !!!]

Being mentally unprepared for such an extreme attack, her stomach let out an audible rumble.

[???: …]

She sheepishly waited a second before opening the door and shouting--

[???: --I'M BACK!]

The door creaked so loudly that it wasn't necessary for her to say she had returned, but she felt that it was reassuring.

[????: Done putting everything up?]

[???: Yup!]

[????: Good!]

[????: Dinner's not ready yet so you'll have to wait a little longer]

A combination of sizzling, chopping, and bubbling emanated from the kitchen and filled the otherwise quiet household with its delightful rhythm.

[????: If anything I need you to go to Lori's place and pick some stuff up for--]

[???: ...]

[????: …]

[???: ...]

[???: ah--]

It was only then that she realized her mother had never actually turned to look at her until now.

[Mom: --MIA!]

At a first glance, one wouldn't have been able to guess that the two were related.

Mia lacked the white hair and crimson red eyes that her mother carried, instead sporting brown for both. While the two shared almost the same amount of paleness, that's where the similarities ended.

Mia's large eyes mostly stemmed from her father and contrasted heavily against her mother's smaller, more serious-looking ones.

[Mom: WHAT DID YOU DO?!]

[Mia: oops~]

Feigning innocence, Mia playfully winked and stuck her tongue out.

[Mom: hmph]

[Mom: I just washed it yesterday too…]

Her mother pouted and her voice trailed off.

[Mom: *sigh*]

[Mom: well…]

[Mom: It's not that big of a deal I guess...]

She didn't like making a big fuss over anything that could be fixed easily, even more so she found it impossible to get mad at Mia.

[Mom: Am I being too lenient…?]

She paused to think and quietly muttered to herself before remembering--

[Mom: --Oh, right]

[Mom: Mia, can you go to Lori's place and pick some stuff up for me?]

[Mom: I'm missing some veggies Dad really likes...]

[Mia: !]

Mia's face lit up the moment she heard Lori's name--

[Mia: Okay!]

--and she answered immediately.

Mia ran to her room and grabbed the hooded cloak resting on top of her bedroom mirror and wrapped it around herself.

The cloak was a pristine red with white lines that ran along the entire exterior and had two long, floppy bunny ears that protruded from the hood and drooped forwards slightly whenever she wore it.

Her only gripe with the cloak was the fact that she had to tie it--

[Mia: MOOOOOOOM!]

--something she hadn't learned how to do yet.

[Mom: Yes, Mia?]

[Mia: Can you tie this for me?]

Mia waddled back to the kitchen and hummed to herself as she waited.

[Mom: haha, of course sweetie]

Her mother continued to cook as she spoke.

[Mom: you really should learn how to tie it yourself]

[Mia: Can you teach me?]

[Mom: Well...]

[Mom: I think you should ask Dad to show you]

[Mom: He said something about home early today...]

[Mom: So maybe you can ask him when he comes back?]

[Mia: Dad's coming back early?!]

[Mom: Yup]

[Mom: So once you get back from Lori's you should take a bath]

At that moment, Mia's cloak began to levitate and the two strings in front of her chest began to tie themselves together.

[Mom: Here, Don't forget to take this with you]

A small piece of paper then glided into Mia's hand.

[Mia: I'll be back soon!]

Mia tucked the note into the pocket inside her cloak and secured her hood before rushing out the door and into the forest.