How do I get her to understand?

That, with urgent panic, blared continuously in my head.

Every second wasted in inactivity, was another second gained for confusion to soar to even greater, broader heights. Ash kept still, but not for long. She needed an answer, an explanation… she needed something.

Even in the worlds brimming with the supernatural and the illogical, even they operate on the grounds of rationality. Everything had a reason for being. Always an explanation for their hows and whys.

So how is it then, that there could come to exist two separate entities bearing the same likeness with one another?

An Elf-Knight at one end of the bus, and an Elf-Knight in the other. How was such a thing possible?

Ash was dying to know. Her eyes steeled themselves with the intent to find out, and she was going to find out...

And if not from me… it needed to be from me.

She took a step forward towards ‘herself’.

I took hold of her arm and held her back. “Don’t,” I whispered to her.

Shock left a permanent imprint on her wide-eyed expression. The turn of her head towards me, so quick in movement… so lost in focus.

“What is this?” She whispered back.

I pursed my lips. “Later.”

“No, not later. Master, what is this? Why is she… that lady - she’s me!”

“She’s not you. She’s… she’s pretending, imitating...”

“Imitating?”

“Cosplaying.”

“Cos -?” Her eyes darted about, muddling deep in brief contemplation. “You’ve mentioned this before. When we first met… you said - “

“That I thought you were cosplaying an Elf. Yes, I remember.”

Ash turned her gaze to the trio once more. “And the other two? They as well?”

“Cosplayers too, yes.”

“I recognized their attires. That sorcerer, his robes bear the crest of the Magic School of Nilheim, purple hat… alluding to a proficiency in hexes and illusion.”

“Ash, I know. I - “

“That archer. A Ranger of the Everfields. Sworn Guardian of the Forbidden Fruit. I’ve… I’ve encountered him before. Eron... Eron was his name. Eron the Hawk.”

Disbelief. Still disbelieving, as her eyes fell back to the middle, to the Elf-knight with sword in hand. She shook her head.

“How is it that they know?”

“Ash - “

“How is it that you know?”

First time tinging her words, an accusatory tone resonated with her voice… clear and plain as the clouds were dark and murky. I felt it, felt the outrage, the dissonance she felt right then.

To me, it was already unbearable. I can’t even imagine how she was doing internally. Already, I could sense she was doing her utmost to restrain herself. I mean, she could very easily pry loose from my hold if she so wants to and I could do nothing to stop her.

The fact that she wasn’t, the fact that she stayed by my side… I’m just glad she still trusted me.

But after this sudden revelation… how long will that stay true?

“Later, Ash,” I told her. I implored her. “I’ll explain… just later.”

Later. Everything was always later. Nothing ever starts now. Just keep staving it off at the last minute, me… just keep doing it. You’re doing a good job.

“Alright?”

It was not alright. The incrimination flashing in her emerald eyes, the tight clenching of her jaw. I thought she’d say no, I thought maybe perhaps she’d go against me.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

But I should have known by now that she’ll never go against me.

“Fine…”

Quiet compliance. Never anything else.

----------------------------------------

The pouring rain had abated its sorrow, reduced to a light drizzle pattering atop of us, droplets forming and falling at the outer rims of the umbrella held high above our heads.

Simply a walk, a quiet walk from the bus stop to home. On the surface, that was all this was. I wished that all this was.

Reality was never that kind.

Ash’s gaze was burned onto me… I could feel it, her shifty glances right beside me which I’ll try to avoid. She never spoke out because she wanted me to.

Questions were asked already. They just needed answers. My answers.

The tense atmosphere that manifested never broke. It maintained all the way up to the dampened path home, past the dewy flower garden, then through the front porch, peaking finally with the resounding slam of the door shut.

I placed the groceries bags on a table nearby and took a deep breath.

“Ash I - “

“You’ve never mentioned this,” The stomps of her heels echoed across the living room walls as she strode deeper in. “This world… it’s extensive knowledge of Asteria… you claimed to me magic was but a fantasy here. A tall tale.”

“It is a fantasy.”

“How much do you know yourself?”

“Not much, I - “

“How much?”

“I said not much, Ash!” I placed a hand on my forehead. “I only found out myself recently… like only right after we met.”

Desperation was an emotion that rarely showed on her face, so it utterly terrified me at just how far its influence reached at her right then.

“After we met...” she whispered back. “Asteria... what does that mean for Asteria?”

The question was vague, but I knew what she meant.

“You claimed... you said magic… elves, my kind were all but myth,” she continued, creases forming on her forehead. “Tales to astonish.”

“I did.”

“But I exist. My likeness - your people had imitated me, the people of my world, they’ve imitated them! How is it that they know so much of us? Asteria. What is Asteria to this world? What am I to your world?”

“What’s… happening…?”

From the couch, Adalia sat upright, her sullen misty eyes being rubbed over by small pale hands as a quiet yawn escapes her lips.

Our ruckus evidently had assailed her peaceful slumber. She wasn’t supposed to be getting up yet, there was still another four more hours before that time comes around.

Admittedly, I had actually completely forgotten that a vampire was resting just to the side of us. After everything, because of everything… habit and routine were completely strewn about, the status quo of our ‘normalcy’, completely out the window, and apparently, I wasn’t the only one with a few things slipping his mind.

Ash was staring at Adalia, tight-lipped, and with eyes in a quiver, slowly, subtly retreading steps back. Caught off-guard.

Now Ash was very wary of her presence… very wary of it.

Adalia drifted her sluggish eyes over to Ash, oblivious to the piercing gaze directed at her, and spoke, “Hello… Ash…”

Ash kept mute, her fingers slowly folding into her palms, cautiously.

“I haven’t... seen you… downstairs in quite long,” Adalia continued. “Did you… go somewhere?”

The Matriarch went ignored once more. Ash turned to me, a stern glare - one that I haven’t seen on her since we first met - was hurled my way.

“Master, I… you hiding this from me. I'd like to believe you had good intentions for it.”

“I did,” I told her. “I have very good reasons for it."

“But you shouldn’t have. These kinds of things, do you not think I deserve to know about them? Or did you believe you were acting in my best interest in mind?”

The resentment in her voice. I could hardly stand it.

“I always have your best interest in mind.”

I took a step towards her.

She took a step back.

Another step forward.

Two steps back.

Right back to where we have started this morning.

“It’s not something I can just casually lay onto you,” I said. “It… the truth, it’s complicated and painful and… I didn’t think you’d needed that, especially not right now. I was just trying to be - “

“Kind… you’re always kind.” Ash finished in a disheartened tone, shaking her head at me. “But just once, Master - I beseech you, just this once please… enough with the kindness, the pleasantries... let me know what I need to know.”

There was no later for this, no putting it off for another time, another day. No flimsy reason to hide behind. The truth, once and for all. I had to tell her. She had to know.

“I need time,” I said.

“Then whenever you’re ready…” Ash said, a foot onto the staircase. “You know where to find me.”

One last resentful glance my way before she was gone up the steps, disappearing with an echoing slam of the bedroom door, leaving me standing there, bearing there, the weight of finality pushing down against me.

Today was not a very good day.

“What… happened…?”

Adalia looked to me, a little bit of curiosity, a little bit of confusion, tilting her head ever slightly.

I let out a heavy sigh. I don’t know how many I already let out just for today alone.

“Neplims, Adalia,” I said. “Have you seen any before?”

“Few… very few…” she answered.

“How were they?”

Adalia paused briefly in recollection.

“I recall… they weren’t very nice… to my sister…” she said. “Amelia felt very sad… afterward.”

“And you?”

Another pause.

“I petted them...”

I sighed again. “Okay, thanks.”

Where do I even begin now?