Cynthia — Page 03

Chapter 3 : Cynthia

I.. am Belladonna's friend.. Cynthia.

I may have introduced myself as Cynthia without a hint of sorrow, but I can't shake off that feeling of forlornness.

At this moment, in this situation, this afternoon.. A question popped up in my head like it was meant to be there the second the situation happened…

..A situation where I haven't thought of..

Do I look like a pixie who was left behind by my one and only friend, Bella?

…

I just don't know what to say to the Belladonna in front of me now. Who is she? Who is Belladonna? If I had known this was going to happen, would I have chosen to prevent Bella from ever taking a sip of the spring?

Then.. What is this other feeling where I wish for this to happen? That I wish for Bella to forget?

…

Have I become such a fraud of a friend?

— Rustling —

"Huh?"

What was that?

"..!"

Oh no! Where did Belladonna go?! Ah, how could I be lost in my thoughts when I should be paying attention to Belladonna now?!

She doesn't know anything since she has lost her memories! She's just like a newborn within a world where everything is new to her now!

"Belladonna! Belladonna!!"

With all my might, I call out Belladonna's name because I don't want to lose her yet again over my stupid mistake!

Desperate, I am to find her. I flew around, checking every nook and cranny until some point, I was starting to feel afraid.

Afraid of the outcome where I was left alone.. in this forest where no one will spare their time to search for me..

..and I don't want that..

Never again!!

Please..! Please! Belladonna! Let me just catch a single glimpse of you! Please! I don't want you gone! Never..!!!

..I.. I don't want to be.. alone!

— THUD —

"Ack!?"

"Miss Cynthia! Are you alright?"

"Ah.."

It seems that.. somehow out of desperation, I had flown into a flower Belladonna was holding.

"Achoo!"

It hurts because I fell to the ground after hitting the flower, and since the pollen got into my nose, I had no choice but to sneeze loudly.

"Achoo! Achoo!"

How much pollen did I inhale? Now my nose is runny because of this. This is bad, I need a napkin before my face becomes a mess over this!

"Miss Cynthia?"

Ah! Belladonna! Oh no, I can't have her see me in this state. I can't even fly because the flower petals got entangled with my wings!

"Please stop moving and let me remove the flower from you."

When Belladonna said that, she didn't wait for my confirmation and went ahead on taking care of the flower's petals on my wings.

It was a bit rude to do things without my permission, not that it matters since I was too preoccupied with my nose.

"Achoo!"

Ah.. What a mess I have become. Hm..?

Ehh?? How did a petal get near my nose? Pinch? Wait, hold on. What are you trying to do, Belladonna?

"Please blow your nose."

"Oh.." I finally got to understand what Belladonna was trying to do.. She was just helping me blow out my pollen stuffy nose..

Somehow, I am embarrassed..

"There. Do you feel better now?"

"Belladonna…"

As soon as Belladonna asked me that question, a realization soon hit me. And I became furious. It's not that I was angry at Belladonna, I was mad at myself.

How could I be afraid of being left alone when I had unintentionally left Belladonna by herself?!

"Where did you go, Belladonna?! I told you to follow me! I could have lost you forever in this vast forest!"

I didn't mean to vent my anger on Belladonna for this, but deep down I was also wondering why Belladonna had to leave my side.

The only reason I can see is that she might have been picking flowers.. Flowers!

This is a forest where creatures can be giants in front of a human! The past Bella would have no trouble fighting them, but the current Belladonna is no longer the infamous witch that she was!

She is just a human now!

"Tell me, Belladon—"

"Did you have to yell?"

..!? Aahh.. This daunting feeling..! Even..

Even if Bella were to forget, I realize that she was still the Bella I know because of this sensation she emits..!

"Miss Cynthia, I know I was in the wrong for not telling you where I was going, but yelling at me isn't going to do you any good."

"Bell—"

…

Do I have the right to talk back at Belladonna? I know it's stupid to ask, but.. but.. I don't think I can do it when the atmosphere is this suffocating..

Right.. Bella is still Bella.. I'm glad she's still the same despite her memories being gone..

I should be happy that Bella is still with me even if she's gone..

"I'm sorry for disappearing."

Huh? Belladonna apologized? What..? The taunting sensation is gone? How did—Woah! She's lifting me up with both of her hands!

Why is she doing this when she knows I can fly with my wings now that the flower petals got removed?

"May you hold these flowers?"

"Ah, y-yes."

Why did I agree again? Looks like I'm still surprised by Belladonna suddenly carrying me.

"Now, where are we heading?"

"What? Heading where?"

"Weren't we going somewhere safe? Like a settlement, wasn't it?"

"Oh, I see.. T-That way."

Oh.. She started walking.. with me sitting on her hands? Isn't this.. called a free ride? She's giving me a free ride?!

Though.. I can fly faster than she can walk, I guess I should thank her for this. And I ought to calm down after being dumbfounded by Belladonna's free ride.

..Since I stuttered twice. I don't want a thrice.

"Thank you, Belladonna."

"This is just my way of an apology."

..So Belladonna is doing this as an apology? Because of her leaving my side for a moment?

…

..she could have just apologized then and there, there isn't a need to do this kind of act..

Aside from me silently blushing from this, Belladonna and I have been moving through the forest without a break.

How can I describe this? That we were fortunate enough to not encounter any monsters?

Yet.. What is this foreshadowing feeling I sense? As if a monster would pop up when we, no, I least expected it?

Belladonna surely doesn't seem concerned about this, but it makes sense because she hasn't made known to those monsters and how dangerous those beasts can be.

I should teach her about those monsters quickly. Any delays and her life will be worse than just losing her memories..

And that would be death..

— Fluttering —

After walking for a bit, the foreshadowing feeling ended up as a false warning since Belladonna and I managed to arrive at the witch's cabin.

It's just a shabby cabin for us to live in. Well, it acts more like a home to the former Bella and I than just a shabby place.

Even if this cabin looks like an abandoned house, it holds dear memories of mine with Bella and her witchy ways.

Now that Bella is gone forever, only I and this cabin remain aware of our times together. I just hope it's the same way for the Belladonna in front of me now.

"So this is where we're staying?"

The way Belladonna speaks makes me wonder what she thought of this place when she first saw it.

Did she see a glimpse of her forgotten memories… or..?

I couldn't just guess from the tone of her voice or her expression, but she looks the same as she was at the beginning when she lost her memories.

Well.. There was a time where Belladonna shouted 'Status Window!'.

Even I, who lived more than a century, didn't understand what she was talking about.

But I do know that Belladonna expressed herself more visibly that way. And that acts as a relief for me since I almost thought Belladonna even lost the ability to express her feelings.

..That would have been unfortunate if it were true.

"Yes, this is our home."

"..."

Why is Belladonna quiet? Does she have nothing to say about our home? Huh, why does her hand's balance seem off? Uhm..

Eh? Why does it look like we're getting farther from the cabin? Wait.. Ah! Wait a minute.. Belladonna!

"What are you doing, Belladonna?"

I can't believe Belladonna is trying to leave this place! Is it because the cabin wasn't in her expectations? Is that why she's moving already?

But there's nowhere else to stay unless we want to be easy picking for all the monsters in this forest! Which is a no! We mustn't!

…!!!??!

— SMASSSSHHHH —

…

…

"Cough!"

It was sudden, yet all I could see was the dust cloud blowing our way, going into my eyes and nose. Obviously, I had to sneeze and rub my eyes to see the clearer picture of what happened..

And.. from what I witnessed earlier for only a few seconds.. Something.. landed on.. No..

The cabin..?

..why..? Wait a minute.. You can't do this to me after forcing Bella to leave my side…?

Taking Bella wasn't enough that you even.. took.. away the.. house of memories from me..?

The cabin.. why.. Why did something have to land on it?!!! Why!!

"Ahhhh!!!!"

I screamed. I had enough.

Maybe the emotional damage I received from witnessing my one and only friend completely forget about me has finally sunk in after I forcibly ignored it.

..I'm mad! I'm sad! I'm.. Ahhhh! Just why?!

What did I ever do wrong to have this much misfortune on this one day?! Have I done any crimes to you, god?! Have I?!!!!!!

Ahh.. The cabin..

Even when I flew from Belladonna's hands to arrive at the scene.. All I could see was the potions, herbs, everything Bella and I had made until now...

Ha.. this potion was.. made with everything we got after spending 1 year to develop it..

The herb that.. took us a while to find and was more difficult.. when diving into the water to get it..

..even the cauldron we bought together with our savings..

..All.. of it..

..were.. entirely… gone..

— CLATTER —

..!?

"Cynthia!"

Gasp!

Nooooo!!

Belladonna? Stop it! You can't just remove me from this place! This area holds dear to me! You can't take me away! Ahhh!

"Let go of me.. Bella!!"

Stop! Stop… please…! You..can't do this to me.. Waahhh..! How many times do I have to hit your hands for you to realize the despair I felt from this situation?!

"CAWWWW!!"

..eh..

Caw..? That.. Did I just hear a loud noise coming from the destroyed cabin..? That can't.. be possible..

A monster.. in this place..?

But I thought it was just.. a boulder.. There's no way for a monster to..

There should be a protective border surrounding this entire area! There shouldn't be—

…

Bella…

..Bella.. isn't here..

There is only Belladonna..

No..

Bella was the one who formed this border. Without her, this place already became a target the moment Bella forgot who she was!

..Ahhh! I told Belladonna that I would bring her to a safe place!! Yet I only brought her to her death's door instead! Ahhh! Why is everything going haywire left and right?!

Why!?

"Cawww..!!!"

…There's no way to fight against this monster.. None, none at all! With the state Belladonna is currently in, and how I'm completely useless..

A closure.. This.. moment is just an end to our stories.. No.. That can't be.. I can't let our lives, which we both survived through hell, itself, go down the drain like this!!

No!!!

I.. I have to do something! Anything..!

..Right!

There were some potions that were left intact! I can use those that are rolling on the ground!

Heavy…! Ugh..!

This..! This is it! The potion that Bella made after failing to make a healing potion..!

Harming potion! Now I only need to.. toss.. it.. at the monster…?

Belladonna…?

Why are.. you standing.. in my way..?

"Belladonna..?"

"..."

Why..? That monster ruined our home.. our projects… our hard work.. Then.. Why does it seem like you don't care.. about it all..?

You're.. blocking my way.. to protect this.. monster?

No.. way.. it can't be.. Yeah.. Bella wouldn't do this.. No..

At that point.. I had completely forgotten that Belladonna doesn't even remember herself..

"Wah.." I broke down in tears. I already cried earlier, but this moment killed me emotionally..

How.. why..? Just why..? Bella..?

I was.. foolish to ask someone who had disappeared from my side.. Bella is no more.. It's just me and Belladonna.. Not my friend, Bella…

Waaah.. Sniff.. Waaah.. Why.. Why is everything like this..

Bella is gone.. Our home is destroyed.. a monster appears.. and even..

..Even Belladonna.. is blocking my way to kill the monster who ruined my last precious household of memories..

Waaaaah…! I didn't… Waaah.. want this..

..why…?