Chapter 438 - Sensible Questions

It turned out that we had been gone much later than three minutes. There I was pulling along a completely inert Harry across compartments, no longer talking thankfully, no longer annoying either, but as a drawback for some peace of mind, he was now also hopelessly deaf to any orders I tried barking at him. 

Hence me, pulling at his arm like a leash on a dog that stubbornly planted its butt on the sidewalk. I got three-quarters of the way through before I saw our compartment door sliding open with both Ash and Sammy funneling out in that respective order.

For a second, they both shared the same look of worry, then in the next, also in unison, relief quickly took over, spotting heaving and hauling the extra luggage I brought with me… then they noticed Harry's glazed vacant face, and then sprouted that worry once more.

Ash was the first to reach me, already making motions to aid in any way she could, taking his other arm and draping it around her shoulder, expediting the process in a matter of seconds, and before I knew it, everybody was back in their seats again… all well that ends well.

And that's when the questions arose.

"You're going to explain why you turn him into a vegetable, or would you rather just keep looking out the window?" Sammy asked, unable to keep her eyes off me, as well as Ash… but at least she was making an effort to be subtle about it. "You can keep that poker face, but I know when you're trying to act like nothing's wrong, so - seriously, what's wrong?"

If I was honest, if I told them what just unfolded in the little men's room, I'm just gonna wind up the whole train ride playing trauma patient to their therapy sessions. I wasn't in the mood for that, and neither was I up for causing any more friction between familial ties. So yeah, I think I would just rather keep looking out the window, alright.

"He wouldn't keep quiet, so I kept him quiet," I simply said, which was as honest as I was gonna get regarding the whole matter. "Doesn't help my mood that I have to also pull his boxers and pants up for him, you can imagine, can you?"

I expected Sammy to keep on pushing, trying to wrench loose the close zipper on my lips, but it seemed even she had her more sensible moments… 'cause for once, she just let me be. For now, at least.

Eventually, we all moved on from the incident, and time followed suit. After a couple of hours, that feeling of wonder and excitement had significantly dwindled, and Ash, just as well as any of us, finally felt the monotony settling in, which came in a form of a small yawn - plus with how gentle the train rocked and rumbled, it was like the world's longest cradle.

"We still got a couple more hours left to go," I said to her. "I'd tell you to rest, but - "

Ash shook her head, a small smile politely declining. "I could never," and sat properly upright in place.

Sammy, in the meantime, had already been gently lulled all the way to dreamland and had already made my lap her personalized pillow. I debated on waking her up, but I think the shock of finding out where she subconsciously chose her bed of rest might actually wind up killing her, so I simply let her be. 

"Lady Samantha is greatly fond of her big brother, truly," Ash remarked, her stare affixed at my dear little sister's sleeping face. "I am pleased to see you both share a strong bond, Master." 

And for a long while after, Ash just simply stared, in slight amusement, admiration, the look on her face was a tender one… but it didn't feel as innocent as that to me. I looked at her, and beyond the soft luster of her emerald eyes, harboring betwixt the happiness, I saw sadness.

Y'know, I don't think it was just my sister she was seeing with that longing gaze of hers. It's been quite some time since I last thought about it, but Ash wasn't an only child… if I remember right, Lenora was her name… Ash's little sister. I wonder, how were they two like? Like Sammy and I? It must have been a pretty strong bond itself for her to carry such fondness over her long, long life alive, and into another world even.

I'd ask, but… even more than my sister, I knew when to let things be. I'm sensitive like that.

Somewhere in the later hours of the day, I received another text - Amanda again, back with another update on her day. This time, it was a video of Mr. Black scurrying around her apartment with her in close pursuit with the camera. Very nice.

Then an hour after, Irene chimed in with some news about the situation back in the city. Apparently, Nick spontaneously received a message from his 'dad', and because of that, he had halted the investigation… at least for now. 

Soon the window began to bleed in a warm orange hue, and the view went from mesmerizing to nostalgic. Paddy fields, acres of empty plains, dirt roads outnumbering asphalt, and the cars that could be seen traveling along it's length worn and rusted, each dent and bruise caring a thousand mileage worth of memories. 

Our journey was finally coming to an end, and it seems that Ash could sense it too. She looked really tired, honestly. I guess not even she was immune to travel fatigue, huh?

"Once we finally disembark, would it be a short walk after before we reach your home?" She asked, stifling another yawn as best she could.

"That's a no on the walking," I said, glancing at Harry who had his eyes pointed to the roof all this time. "Especially with this guy still high. There's a bus station nearby, it'll be about another thirty-minute drive until we reach, until then - "

I stopped… felt another buzz in my hand, another message. Normally, messages don't warrant a pause between sentences, but in this case… when dad's the one buzzing, it's hard to think of anything else.

<<I'm waiting at the station. Call me when you reach.>> 

Now, I didn't ask him to do that… but he's there now, so…

"Nevermind," I glanced back up at Ash. "My father's picking us up."

"Oh," Ash said in mild surprise. "That's nice of him." 

Yeah, it was nice of him, indeed. But, after all this time apart, after everything that I've unveiled, discovered, and unearthed, especially most recently… I was hoping for a little more time to make sense of it all before I see him again.

Leonardo, the hero of prophecy that was destined to bring an end to Terestra, the savior of Kronocia. That's what he was supposed to be, wasn't he? So why wasn't he?

Why was he the way that he is now? A hero, a savior no longer, but a farmer, a husband, a father… what happened? Did he fail? Was the prophecy wrong? Was Terestra simply just too strong? All that destruction, those countless lives lost, why couldn't he have prevented it?

Could he have really failed to save Kronocia? Or perhaps it was the other way around… 

Did he even want to save Kronocia in the first place?

Another text came through.

<<Mom said don't tell but - she made chocolate cake. Don't tell your sister.>>

How the hell did things even end up like this?