This time it's truly the end. I hope everyone got something out of this turbulent 'side-project' that once again turned out way bigger than I had ever intended.

Thanks for your time,

-BuD

Epilogue: Promise

Golden morning light fell into the spacious bedroom and drew a bright line through its center. The dust particles inside the rays of light seemed to dance in the still air. The cramped room was filled with furniture and all manner of contraptions. Books were towering on the desk and floor everywhere. It was hard to believe that this chaotic space belonged to a princess.

Anne yawned loudly and stretched her arms. Her back arched to popping bones and then she rubbed the tiredness out of her eyes. She had been curled up on top of her blankets all night. Her sleeping robes seemed to have decided that constricting her like a snake would be an appropriate response. She loosened the twisted clothes and sighed.

A new day at the castle had begun.

Without much enthusiasm she went to the wardrobe and dressed herself in her normal outfit. It was not glamorous, but it made moving much easier than the formal dress she would have to wear later. The maids would have protested if they had been here, but luckily Anne had managed to convince the head maid to leave her alone until duty called for her.

While cracking her neck she went through the letters she had half-heartedly skimmed through the evening prior. None of them was the letter she had been pining for, so she had lost motivation. But this was her duty as princess, so she diligently read through all the reports and appeals and took mental notes to send replies later.

In a reasonable time she had worked through the bulk of it. She was interrupted by her growling stomach.

"Time for breakfast." She muttered and left her room. The dining room was large and very empty. Her father was not here, as usual. "What do we have today?" She tried to make small talk with the maids, which were staring at her lax attire until they quickly avoided Anne's eyes.

As she had a solitary breakfast (although the maid who brought her the food gave her a happy smile after seeing Anne's appreciation of the delicious meal) she wondered if the school cafeteria would have the usual breakfast menu.

Her fork stopped mid-stab and she looked down with mixed feelings.

A year had passed since graduation. Only a year since she had said goodbye to her friends and returned to her duties as princess, yet it felt like a lifetime ago. She still caught herself thinking of what lessons she would have today when she woke up sometimes. And as good as the royal chef was, she somehow missed the school buffet.

It was not like she felt sad, quite the opposite. The academy days were a beautiful memory and the palace life was far from boring either. She would have another busy schedule ahead of her after this.

But there was no denying that something was missing.

She finished her meal and excused herself. Afterwards she went to the bed chambers of her father, the king. He did not leave his room much these days.

On the way there she turned to look out the hallway windows. Outside stretched the palace grounds with the impressive foliage and ever-running fountains. The forest beyond the outskirts was giving the area life. It wasn't too different from the beautiful region around the academy.

She couldn't help but see it everywhere these days. Just thinking of that day got her smiling again.

One year ago.

It was the day of goodbyes. Anne and Grea had been overrun by thankful students ever since they left the infirmary, so there wasn't a quiet moment. There were even a bunch of people congratulating them on graduating, because they had missed the ceremony.

That hubbub also ended eventually. Now that everyone parted ways and left for their respective homes, there was an air of finality around the busy academy entrance. Seniors left, juniors arrived and the rest seemed to watch. For Anne and Grea this was a yearly occurrence already. But now it would be the last time.

"Did you put everything on the wagon?" Anne asked Owen.

"Yes princess."

"Thank you."

"I shall be waiting outside the gates for you." He said assiduously. "Princess, I want to say that…" He seemed uncertain, which did not at all suit him.

"Hm?"

"No, it is nothing. I will be waiting for you, no matter what." He smiled with regained certainty and left.

"What was that about?" She wondered. Then she spied a flexible red tail and immediately forgot all about Owen. "Grea~!"

"Anne, so you were waiting here?" Grea pulled a suitcase filled with her personal belongings behind her. It was far smaller than one might have expected.

"Is that everything?" Anne squatted down and patted the suitcase.

"Mhm. I will be traveling light." She confirmed with a smile.

Anne stayed crouched and looked over the grass field between them and the academy's main building. It was hard to find the energy to get up.

"I will miss it." Grea spoke up.

"The academy?"

"Everything."

"Even studying and getting up early?"

"…maybe not everything."

"Ehehe~" They both giggled.

"I really will miss most of it though. Ms. Miranda's lessons and cute outfits, the library, the music room…"

"…the bikini, the bear pajamas, the gorgeous princess costume…"

"…Professor Bertrand's baked goods and playing with Nic-Nic…"

"…bathing together, making you drink my tea and sleeping in the same bed."

"Geez Anne, you only remember weird stuff." Grea said while pouting.

"I call them precious memories." She grinned and rose up. "Somehow most of my memories are only of you." She said quietly and put a hand through her bangs to counter the wind.

"…" The dragoness took a long look at the academy and then grabbed Anne's hand.

"H-hey, Grea?"

"I want to go around one last time." She said determinedly.

"O-okay." She submitted and let herself get dragged along.

They passed by the dorms where the seniors were helping the freshmen settle in, they walked across the summoning fields which had been dormant since the practical exams and traversed the bridge over the bubbling brook near the forest. The forest path led them to the old school building.

"I am glad the damage was undone." Anne said cheerfully as she ascended the winding staircase.

"Yes." Grea nodded.

The destruction caused by the Dragon of Ruination had been reversed the moment he was erased from time. That of course included the mountains, forests and old school building he had directly laid waste to. The academy's council had decided to renovate the building and make it useful again. Now that the great evil inside it had been destroyed there was much to explore.

For the two princesses only one place mattered though.

The clearing was lit in a golden hue and the colorful flowers seemed to dance in the wind. This must have been a space cut straight out of paradise. Grea moved to the impeccable untouched magic piano and sat down on the bench. The old keys seemed to be brimming with vibrations.

They didn't need to exchange any words, their actions were completely in sync. Grea began to play a playful melody and Anne started to dance. As the tempo increased the princess started to spin and step through the waving flowers. This wonderful atmosphere set their hearts at peace.

Eventually Anne seemed to lose her balance and fell into the flowers. They laughed.

Then Grea made room for her and they sat shoulder to shoulder. It was time to play their song. Grea's melody soon entwined with Anne's to create the tranquil melody that combined their two personalities perfectly. The same melody they had played on the eve of the concert. When they played it all the world faded away and only left a white space for them alone.

How long did they play? Minutes? Hours? Time seemed meaningless already.

With a long and melancholic final note their fingers stopped. Grea gently let go of the key and leaned back. Anne on the other hunched forward with a shy expression. The notes still floated through the air, but she was too uneasy to just let the moment last.

"Grea, I-"

"It's fine." The dragonborn interrupted.

"But we…"

"Shh." She put her tail around Anne's waist and pulled her against her shoulder.

They stayed that way for a while, only enjoying each other's warmth and regular breathing. Anne could feel Grea's heartbeat through their clothes and seemed to calm down.

Eventually the fatigue and worries faded away and Anne dozed off on her friend's shoulder.

In the present Anne was making a complex expression as she opened the door to leave her father's room.

"Thank you." He said and returned to coughing below his blanket.

"Take your medicine please." She said resolutely and closed the door behind her. It was just one of many visits recently.

Her father, the king, was sick. It didn't seem too severe, but he spent a lot of time in bed lately. Thankfully the royal potion brewer was a professional and knew exactly what would strengthen the king. Anne had tried making some potions herself, but was reprimanded to do her job instead. Her father was strict on the best of days and hardheaded on all others.

The supplier of the potionist was fairly new to the business as far as Anne knew. She would have to investigate when she had time.

For now she would fulfill her royal duty and give an audience to the people. They came in droves to talk about their issues to the royal family and beg for help or judgement. There were certain days in the month entirely devoted to such matters so that they could see the issues that really troubled the citizens beyond the normal beautified reports.

It was actually a part of the job Anne really enjoyed. She felt like she was directly helping someone with this.

On her way to the throne room she ran into someone she hadn't seen in quite a while.

"Owen!"

"Princess." He nodded and bowed his head to her.

"How was your mission?"

"Uneventful. We have been unable to find any traces of the dragon anywhere across the kingdom." He said curtly. "I will write you a proper report right after this audience."

"Thanks, you really are working hard." She smiled.

"All in the line of duty." He returned her smile and adjusted his uniform. Two medals were pinned to his chest, signifying his extraordinary achievements. Everyone was moving up in the world.

"Are you going to watch?"

"Yes, I do wish to see how you judge these new cases." He said honestly. When he saw her expression he squirmed a bit. "Of course I would never believe you would judge wrongly."

"I am not so sure, but I will try my best." She pumped her fist and he sighed in relief. They now walked down the halls together.

"I have been visiting the royal library today. William claims you have not been visiting in a while. He thinks you might be, er, distracted?" Owen tried his best to be tactful about his questioning.

"Did the royal librarian really say that?" She asked in a scary tone and with an even scarier smile.

"He meant well, I assure you." Owen shrank back.

"I'm just kidding." She snorted. "William is way too attentive. I can see why he was hired right away."

"I am proud of my dear friend." Owen said with satisfaction. "But his worry might not be unfounded. You can confide in me if it does not eclipse my status."

"You don't have to care about formalities around me Owen." She sighed. "Both of you are too sensitive. There is nothing wrong with me. I just got a lot of work on my plate lately." She waved the concern away in her usual manner which rejected all protest.

"I see. Then I will not pry further." It was clear that he had his own mind on the matter, but would defer to her. "Hm, did the foreign ambassador arrive yet?" he asked curiously.

"Not yet." Anne replied swiftly.

"Perhaps the carriage was delayed by the weather." Owen was paying extra attention to her reaction now.

"I haven't received any letter about it yet." Anne muttered and stopped in front of the door to the throne room. The guards hastily opened it for her and let them inside.

There were the two thrones and guards at every door, but other than that it was mostly empty. Except for one unexpected person.

"Hanna?!" Anne's jaw dropped.

"Hi there princess~! I bet you didn't expect me." She winked.

"What are you doing here?" She rushed over and grabbed Hanna's hands joyfully.

"Just traveling through. The roads have been flooded, so it was hard to get past the castle. Your men graciously let me in."

"So the roads really were that bad."

"Yup. There won't be too many people coming to the audience today I believe."

"You have to tell me what you've been up to lately. Let's talk right after this." Anne was really excited. It almost blew away her worries.

"Can do. Although I think you might be busy soon." She said mysteriously.

"?" Anne had no idea what she meant, but then looked around for any other familiar faces. "Are you alone? Did no one come to receive you?"

"Haha, well… I was traveling with a few people, but they are waiting outside. I will be visiting someone later I think." She seemed flustered for some reason and tapped her thigh-high travel boots.

She was acting weird, but she was still Hanna. It would have been hard to imagine that their bright student council president would ever change. It was a real relief.

A year ago was the last time Anne had seen Hanna.

After being woken by a petal on her nose, Anne was feeling well rested and ready for a long ride. Grea paid her respects to the piano and they left the old school building behind for good.

The rest of the academy was more abuzz and they kept running into younger students who wondered what they were still doing here. There was no anonymity for a princess after all, so they kept swarming Anne.

Eventually they had to flee the buildings and rushed towards the main gate again. On their way there they stopped by the west wing with the student council office on the second floor. Walking past the terrace gave them a surprising sight.

"Hey, is that Hanna?" Anne pointed at an elf girl standing close to the railing.

"Mhm. Poppy is with her too." Grea's eyes and ears were far better naturally, so she could tell them apart in an instant. They were standing below them and could hardly make out their conversation.

Hanna seemed to be flustered. Poppy was bright red and lowering her head.

"You don't think that she finally-?" Anne's eyes were sparkling.

"We shouldn't spy on them." Grea grabbed Anne by the shoulder and dragged her along.

"Come on Grea, she came to me for advice, so I want to see her final battle!"

"Why do you think they are talking in a secluded place where nobody can walk in on them?" Grea chided her and dragged her towards the main gate.

"Aren't you curious at all?" Anne puffed her cheeks, but let herself get dragged across the grass without resistance.

"…it doesn't matter. That is private." She had hesitated just a bit too long.

"Heh." Anne chuckled knowingly.

Somehow after a rather long detour they had finally made it back to where they started. Grea's suitcase was still placed just where she had left it. Letting go of Anne also meant the atmosphere returned to what it had been before. This little tour down memory lane had really eased their hearts.

This place always seemed to be right in the wind currents. A mild breeze kept their hair fluttering at all times. It was nearly picturesque, the two princesses standing face to face in the green fields, locking eyes.

"I wanted to say something." Anne took the initiative.

Grea nodded.

"This time at the academy, my time with you, was probably the happiest in my life." She said without a hint of exaggeration.

Grea's eyes turned softer and she blushed.

"I wanted you to know that no matter what." She had sworn not to tear up again, so she desperately forced her eyes to stay dry. "I will… miss you…"

The dragonborn clutched her hands together and let her tail twist around weakly. She looked at her feet and then raised her head determinedly.

"Anne, no matter what happens, there will be a time that we meet again." She swore.

"Eh?"

"You said that we need to break up and that we have to go our separate ways, because that is the best for everyone." Grea loosened her hands and stood tall before her friend. "I know that you are right, but that isn't set in stone."

"Grea?" The turquoise eyes were tinged in confusion.

"Even if we are just friends, being separated forever is not something I will allow."

Red eyes filled with a fire of certainty so immaculate and pure.

"Will you give me your hand one more time?" Grea raised her arm and held out her soft hand. This girlish hand that could become a deadly claw was now firmly placed in front of her, never wavering or hesitating again.

Anne felt uncertain and numb. After all they had been through it seemed like too much. Could she even begin to live up to this wonderful girl in front of her?

Her shaking hand reached out and they connected.

"I swear we will meet again. It's a promise." Grea smiled widely in a fashion Anne had never seen before. A happy confident and infinitely precious smile.

The hands slipped apart and were only held together by their pinky fingers now. Anne looked at their connection… and then shook her hand. They shook three times on it.

"It's a promise!" Anne confirmed and returned the most precious smile.

The audience ended without issue and the citizens left with satisfied expressions. Anne had made a few surprising judgements and gave advice to others. The capital had some minor problems with overpopulation lately, so there was a shortage of affordable properties. It was probably time to expand the city.

She filed that info in the back of her mind and stretched on the throne. Hanna soon came to her side and grinned from ear to ear.

"What?"

"You really make a good princess." She said playfully.

"I hope so."

"I still remember you falling asleep in the lab and Grea picking you up from a pile of dust and books." Hanna winked.

"Ahaha…" Anne tried to act amused, but there was a small shadow over her eyes.

"Say, have you two-"

"Hanna, didn't you say you wanted to visit someone?" She brushed her aside and got up.

"Y-yeah, I wanted to take a look at your new library master. Will must be going crazy with all the new volumes he has to memorize." She said with a raised brow.

"I am sure he will be ecstatic to see you again. I will show you the way." Anne said amicably and waved her along.

"Thanks." Hanna looked slightly troubled and apologetic.

"Good work princess." Owen waited at the door as usual. "Greetings Miss Hanna."

"Owen, have you grown a little? Or is that just your new title radiating off of you?" She slapped his medals and snickered.

Owen looked embarrassed, which was a rarity in itself.

"Don't tease him too much. He earned it." Anne came to his rescue(?).

"Have you told Will I would be coming by?" She started a conversation with Owen, so Anne walked behind them quietly.

Seeing old friends connect again was amazing. It wasn't really that long a separation, so they acted like it had just been a small break. Perhaps this really was no more than an extended summer break to them.

An entire year, just a year, a year more or less. Time was so relative, she should know this best of all.

How was it that she felt lonely surrounded by people she cared about? The missing piece was growing bigger by the day. Just seeing Hanna reconnect with her old friends was causing Anne to feel sluggish and sad.

A promise so vague could not ease her heart anymore.

In the evening they all separated and went their ways. Will had been a complete mess the entire time, but Hanna seemed to have enjoyed herself greatly. Owen had been drinking his tea with a neutral expression the entire time and not said much. His concern was more directed at the dreary princess.

Hanna had promised to tell her travel companions that they would stay a while longer, at least until the roads cleared up. That was great news. Despite her unflattering feelings, she was glad to have the elf girl around.

"The potion seller has sent a letter." Owen handed it to her from his coat.

"Really? That's weird." She opened it and skimmed through the lines. "No way. Did you know Owen?" She pointed at the signature.

"Hm?" He squinted, but had no reaction. "My apologies, I am not familiar."

"It's Liz, Lou's old roommate! She is the potion seller's apprentice." Anne said excitedly.

"I see. That is very interesting." He said in monotone. Definitely didn't remember them.

"I miss Lou. She was always so funny."

"Oh. The clumsy creature." His eyes turned dull as he remembered countless instances of being showered in food, tea or books when the small girl tripped. It was mostly because he always stood around corners in hiding though.

"Everyone is moving up in the world. I'm sure I will be hearing great things from them all."

"Mysteria Academy only produces the finest wizards." Owen nodded.

"Even though you didn't pass because of missed time."

"My duty was your protection above studies." He dodged and looked away.

"You could have repeated the year." She said with a defeated shrug. Repeating a year and staying around the academy for a bit longer… wouldn't that have been a great idea?

"My place is in the palace. Seeing you train the new cadets has brought more joy to my heart than getting passing grades in any exam." He declared emotionally.

"That's because you only barely ever passed." She added dryly. But she knew deep down that he was right. Training knights and magic users at the palace was really fulfilling. That way her studies wouldn't go to waste.

"I will be returning to the barracks for now. Enjoy your meal princess." He left her with the letter.

Anne stared after him and then folded the letter delicately. It was a reminder that the world kept moving even outside the palace. It was also the first letter from someone she knew from the academy she had received. The first…

She skipped dinner and just went back to her room. She didn't have any appetite, but she certainly had a lot of things to distract her. Today was a day full of memories and they didn't want to let her go.

Everything made her think of that day, but recalling their last words would not change anything. That's why she should have written it.

Her hand held a pen. It was not her favorite pen, just some random one she had picked up. She had completely forgotten where she had put the expensive and handcrafted pen she had used back in the academy. It had a peculiar type of width and the ink was special as well, so there was no pen quite like it.

Now she was met with an empty sheet of paper once again. Words were never sparse in her mind, but whenever she faced this paper she lost her wordiness and just turned empty. She couldn't just expect that she would write her letters. Anne needed to take the first step. Otherwise this growing crevice in her chest would become too large.

But it had been a year, hadn't it? Was it not far too long?

She bit her lip and set down the pen's tip on the paper.

An image flashed through her head, of the disappointment that awaited her for being so pathetic.

Anne exhaled and let go of the pen.

She couldn't do it.

The next morning she awoke stiff from her awkward position on the table. There was some drool on her arm and the paper. Awkward.

She took the slimy paper and grit her teeth. She crumpled it up and threw it into the trash. She was the worst.

On that fateful day she had been so positive and convinced everything would be fine. Her shining smile had given her heart courage. Time eroded everything eventually. Time stopped for nobody.

"G…re..a…" The syllables escaped her throat subconsciously and she finally broke down. She just wanted to see her.

Bang bang bang!

Someone violently knocked at her door and almost made her heart stop in shock. She hastily wiped the moistness from eyes using her sleeve and then straightened her hair. Only then did she move to the door and tore it open. Who was this rambunctious in the morning?

"Princess, it's urgent! The ambassador has arrived." Owen said loudly.

"Can't this wait until after breakfast? I am not even dressed yet." Anne mumbled and rubbed her eyes to act drowsy. Her white night gown also doubled as an evening dress, but she would probably be better off dressing in something more serious for a meeting with a foreign ambassador.

"This is a matter that cannot wait. The ambassador has arrived in our territory, but their carriage has been stuck in the muddy roads. They are trying to get it out, but the ambassador has headed out on her own." He explained quickly.

"She is in a real hurry, huh?" Anne yawned. "It's not too dangerous in our forests, so she should be alright. Maybe send out some knights."

"Princess-"

"I really don't feel so good, so I will be excusing myself today. Can you tell them that?" She was too down in the dumps to act regal right now.

"Anne!" Owen called her with intense eyes.

Now she listened up. Owen never called her by name unless it was serious.

Owen's mouth moved and everything seemed to become quiet. The world turned smaller and smaller until only his words reached Anne. His lips moved and Anne's eyes widened.

Without a response she pushed the knight aside and ran off. He didn't even have time to react.

Anne ran and ran, flying down stairs and bursting through doors. Eventually she got tired of the winding hallways and just exited through a window. Just before she hit the ground she created a seal to cushion her fall. The guards were looking down from their positions with eyes like platers and panicked.

Anne paid them no heed and ran through the yard and into the forest ahead. Twigs, vines, rocks, nothing stopped her even as her feet in her big heeled dress shoes received scratches and were covered in dirt. She cut through the thicket and made her way towards the edge of the palace region.

The carriage had broken down right around the border, so assuming Owen had received the message just a short while ago, the ambassador must have already been quite a ways into the land.

She burst out of the forest and reached a small group of wagons assembled in a circle. They had just put out their campfire and seemed to be utterly in stupor when the princess of Mysteria just suddenly rolled into their camp! The travelers all backed away with sweat running down their faces. It was not every day that a girl in just a white dress came running by, but they had never even seen royalty before.

"You, how much for those flowers?" Anne asked him briskly.

"Ah, er, well, they're cheap I reckon… 'specially for you princess! Actually, ya can have 'em for free!"

"Come to the palace and you will be repaid, I promise." She snatched a bouquet of red roses from the wagon and then kicked off the sand. She disappeared as quickly as she had arrived.

"What the he-"

Anne was already out of earshot by the time the men had gathered their minds. She tightly grabbed the roses and looked determined. As she kept running she picked up her spellbook and tore out an empty page (of which there weren't many). As she ran she also contemplated what to write down. It wouldn't be much of a card, but it would have to do.

Now wielding the most important bouquet of her life she was a little more careful in her sprint. She jumped a river with magic power and dodged a low flying bird who seemed confused to suddenly accelerate towards the clouds.

Anne was out of breath, but her burning leg muscles never ceased moving.

The broken carriage was close by. She even passed it, but still had not found the one she sought. Where could she have run off too? Was her sense of direction that bad?

Her chestnut hair fluttered behind her as she pushed aside a branch and tripped into a huge field of flowers. She had forgotten that these flower hills had been so close to the castle. To venture here had been one of her favorite pastimes as a child. The maids had always taken her with great care…

In this nearly infinite field of flowers, she was greeted by the incandescent morning sun.

In a thousand colors,

a thousand dreams,

with a single ray of light on her petite face,

the red hair swaying in the air,

polished horns gleamed with pride,

the wings spread daintily,

and her tail so sublime…

Her heart was struck once more. A hundred times - a thousand times! - harder than ever before. Turquoise eyes met with red counterparts in a glorious moment of recognition.

If this was a dream, no, she already decided it was reality. They had made a promise, so it had to be reality.

Anne was the first to move and she could not be stopped even by the strength of the dragoness! She jumped to embrace her with all her might and their white dresses mingled in the emotional reunion.

The bouquet fell to the ground as Anne had lost all control and simply grabbed the dragon girl's beautiful face into both hands. She pressed their foreheads together and laughed with unfathomable happiness.

"Anne." She said as emotion overcame her.

"Grea." She replied with a hoarse voice.

"I'm back."

"Welcome home."

No more had to be said. Nothing else mattered.

They kissed without reservation in the mesmerizing sunrise, in this sea of flowers.

The blue sky seemed endless.

Final Bonus:

It was quiet in the sparsely lit room. The air was dusty and dry, because the heat from the extinguished fireplace still lingered. The wooden bed creaked with each motion of the seemingly blanket mummified person lying on it. Only the occasional groan confirmed that this thing was even alive. The thin slices of sunlight breaking through the gaps in the boarded window were retreating fearfully from this dreary darkness.

That was until a dust cloud was moving like a tsunami across the room thanks to a wildly opened door.

"MORNING!" The newcomer shouted in a voice not unlike the smith's relentless hammering on hot metal.

"$/%/&!" The mummified creature cursed and rolled into a corner of the bed.

"I have super important news! You have to wake up." The small girl nearly tripped over a mountain of old bottles and whatever the black muck around the corner of the room was. She picked up one of the molten wax candles and set it down on the desk.

"Grmblfx…" The creature murmured and opened its dark eyes for the tiniest of slits.

"Liz, you-" The girl had approached the creature too carelessly and in the next moment she was swallowed. The beast had dragged her into its deepest folds and now turned her into half a mummy too.

Inside the confines a pink haired girl was trying to crush her with arm strength alone it seemed.

"Just a few more minutes…" The potion brewer said with a expression that would even make death look lively.

"You always stay up too long." The now confined girl replied and patted the other girl's head.

"Pah."

"Look, you crumpled my new hat." She somehow wound herself out of the steel grip and dragged up the brown animal ear hat.

"Don't need it. Let's sleep." She pushed her face into the tiny chest of the prisoner and rubbed her cheek against it.

"Gosh." The girl sighed sweetly. "It's reaaally important, I tell you."

"Uhuh…"

"Will you listen if I give you a massage?" Those magic words undid the binding curse and in a second Liz rolled over to show the girl her shoulders. "Hehe, so easy."

"I'll let you do it for me… only because it's you."

"I know, I know." Lou replied happily and began massaging the stiff shoulders of the gloomy girl. "I just got the newest paper."

"You read?"

"Hey! I have hobbies." Lou puffed out her cheeks and pressed her fingers deeper into the sore muscles, which only made Liz moan in pleasure.

"So what's up?" She mumbled as her body melted.

"They just officially announced it… the Queen gave birth!" Lou dropped the big magic bomb.

"Eh? That's it?"

"That's huge!"

"Who cares?"

"You sell to the palace directly, so you should be happy when they are happy." Lou insisted.

"Meh."

"Also you know her personally. Remember when she saved all of our lives at the academy?" She reminded her while drilling her shoulder blades.

"That was a looong time ago." Liz sighed. "So what's the brat's name?"

"They didn't say yet. I'm sure he will get a wonderful name that will go down in history."

"A boy, huh?" Liz stared at the black wall and turned thoughtful. "Which of them gave birth though?"

"What?"

"You said the Queen gave birth… which one?"

Lou stopped her hands and her eyes turned white. She tilted her head from one side to the other. Then she stared at the ceiling.

"I don't knooow!"

"Took ya long enough! Don't stop…" She greedily pulled Lou's hand back to her body.

"B-but I need to find out! What kind of journalist would ignore that kind of scoop?!"

"You always run 'round and 'round and 'round… do your feet never hurt?"

"I don't hate moving as much as you do."

"I move… at night." Liz replied with a sneer. Lou blushed and turned back into a small animal. "Whatever, doesn't matter who gave birth, they're probably gonna go down in history either way. Never heard of that kind of magic before."

"…what if it becomes more common?"

"The heck?" Liz looked up to the small girl straddling her waist.

"Liz… do you want to… uh… have children one day?"

"Out of the question. No way. Are you stupid? Blockhead." The abusive shower of rejection was unleashed from the girl's lips at light speed. Or maybe it was the speed of darkness in this realm.

"But when you drank that truth potion you said-"

"AAAAHHH la la la! We never speak of that incident again, got it?!" She pulled Lou's cheeks and stretched them apart like gum.

"Ohway!"

"Good." She released her and they rolled over to each side of the bed. "This kind of shit in the early morning is too much."

"But it's afternoon." Lou pointed out casually.

"Wha-?" Liz eyes sprang open like flaming volcanoes. "Why didn't you say anything?! I gotta take care of the orders! The palace probably totally wants some baby potions now!" She rolled out of bed, hit her head against the desk and then was showered by empty bottles. She ignored the pain and forced her long socks up her legs.

"I delivered your parcels already." Lou said without any desire to get up from the comfy sheets. Liz smell still lingered, so she was relaxing.

"Seriously? You are a lifesaver! I love you!" She kissed the small girl a dozen times all over her face.

"You only say that when I do you favors." Lou protested only weakly.

Their daily lives seemed to get just a bit more interesting with the celebrations ahead. The people were ecstatic whenever the popular queens did anything. This age of prosperity was like a dream.

In a thousand lives across a million possible timelines, there may not have been many that experienced this. Even just a humble potion seller and a journalist could find happiness in this world full of possibilities.

It was all thanks to the love that united the Queens of Mysteria in the past, present and future.

THE END