CHAPTER 33: BACK TO SCHOOL P4
~33.4~
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After school, Sanae went back to the palace ahead of the others. Kye and Alethea stayed at the academy to teach an after school class while Michelle went with Michael, Danielle, and Elizabeth to handle some political business back in Drachen City. Adele stayed behind at the academy, rather than going to Drachen City, telling them she wanted to do something.
She was standing atop the tallest academy building looking in the direction of the Arslade Royal District. She clenched her fist and readied herself. After giving herself a light slap on both cheeks, she jumped into the air and flew straight to Avalon Palace. She landed in the garden behind the palace, where Sanae was sitting, gazing out at the sea.
“Good evening, Adele.” She spared Adele a glance and a smile. “You have quite the serious expression.”
Adele nodded. “May I sit with you?”
“Always.”
Adele sat down, but didn’t lean back. She had a lot of questions, but was unsure where to start. As if reading her mind, Sanae spoke up first.
“You remember everything about the past, don’t you?” Adele gave her a nod, and Sanae replied with an apologetic smile. “You want to talk about that, yes?”
“Some.”
“What part?”
Adele hesitated. Sanae waited patiently for her to gather her courage. She placed a hand on Adele’s shoulder.
“It’s fine to take your time.”
Adele nodded and gathered her thoughts. “I have trouble looking at you, both of you.” She looked up and saw that Sanae was looking right at her. That gave her the courage she needed. “I understand that you and Kye are different people now, that you’ve experienced drastically different things since the Alpha Worldline. But I also think back to when you were one person. When you were Elysia. A young girl from a long time ago before any King of the World or Elysium was part of the picture. I recall a blonde girl with a big smile that was very happy to play with everybody in the park.”
“I remember, too.” She smiled at the memory. “I remember a pinky and two redheads in that park with me.”
“Yes.” A stray tear ran down Adele’s face. She went to wipe it away, but Sanae beat her to it.
“Just say it. I know what you want, and I think you know what I want.”
Adele shook her head. “Not yet. I have other things to say first.” Sanae nodded and Adele continued, “You may be two people now, two people with different personalities, but you’re both that blonde girl that played with us in the park. You’re both the beautiful princess with whom all three of us fell in love with. You’re both the bikini bombshell that stole everyone’s attention on our sixteenth birthday at the beach.”
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Sanae giggled as Adele continued to name off things from their youth in Alexandria.
“After the split and worldline shift, I had no idea. I didn’t carry memories across worldlines like you did. Adara and Maya didn’t either. But I have those memories now. In every worldline, I remember a longing for you. You were Alfia Athas, older sister of Elysia Athas, but I had feelings for both of you. In each world line, Kye and the rest of us married, and you were left alone.”
“I wasn’t alone. I was still there.”
“But you couldn’t act on any feelings you had.”
“You say that as if-”
“Don’t say you didn’t have feelings for us. I can see it in your eyes. Even right now, you’re looking at me with the same longing I’ve felt for you this entire time. Only now, after we all remember everything, does it make sense.”
“So then, what? You have something to say, or you wouldn’t be here talking about this.”
Adele shook her head, a tear in each eye. “The words don’t matter anymore.” She leaned in and tried to kiss Sanae, but she held a hand over her lips.
Adele was confused, but Sanae’s eyes said she was serious. “I want to hear them.”
Adele nodded and smiled. “I love you.”
Sanae moved her hand, and Adele tried again, sharing a long, salty kiss. When they pulled apart, Sanae saw that her bangs were a different color. “What?”
“Your hair color changed back.”
“But…”
Adele shook her head. “Just hold on to the happy feeling, love. You deserve the same as Kye.”
Before either could say another word, Kye appeared in front of them, crying. Her hair had also changed back to golden blonde. She lunged toward Sanae, who was overcome with happy tears herself. “Fia!”
“Eli?” Adele smiled and gave them room. Alethea teleported in, wondering why Kye had suddenly vanished.
“What hap-” She smiled. “I see.” She patted Adele’s head. “Good work, love.”
“Fia, I felt how happy you are. I felt it in my soul.” Kye cried while holding her sister. “When I felt it, my hair changed back. I’m so happy for you!”
Sanae smiled as she hugged her sister tighter. “I’m so sorry, Eli.”
Kye pulled away and looked at her in the eyes. “What ever could you be sorry for?”
“Ever since we split, I held on to a lot of jealousy. It was always worse when I was alone.”
Kye hugged her again, and her tears kept flowing. “You don’t have to be alone anymore. We’re at the end. No more worldlines. No more reincarnations. No more lonely time spans. No more… being alone. You have Maya, you have Adele, you have Adara, you-”
“No,” Sanae said. “We have Maya. We have Adele. We have Adara.”
“And we have each other.”
Sanae pulled away, her expression hiding none of her shock. “I don’t think we can date.”
Kye shook her head. “I don’t mean that. We know each other better than anyone can know a person, and we can support each other better than anyone else can support someone. We’re more than identical twins. Our partners love us the same. They look at you no differently than me. It is not fair to either of us to not be included, and it’s not fair to the three of them to not give them both of us.”
“You mean?”
“The two of us have a different sort of love than romantic, but we can both share romantic love with all three of them.” She smirked as she looked at Alethea and Adele. “And I just had a dirty idea.”
Sanae smiled apologetically at Alethea. “Heh.”
The pinky and redhead stood there, eyes wide, unsure how to react. They exchanged glances and said, ““We’re in danger.””
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Revision: 2024-10-28