Chapter 17: Baku’s Gift

(Setting: Crystal Fields: Baku's Home- Kitchen Area)

(Scene: Baku appears at his home after a day with his bestfriends)

*Baku enters his house and is greeted by his Mother, Mr. Luke, Old Lady Lula, Lulu and Little Lucy who are all sitting together at the dinner table.

[Everybody]: *Cheeringly* Happy birthday, Baku!

[Baku]: *Smiling* Hey, Mom! Hey everybody!

[Nicolatrice]: *Smiling* Welcome home, Baku! I hope you had a great day!

*Baku hugs his mother and is covered with a warm feeling. Being held in the arms of the woman who raised him since birth for fifteen years was the most comforting and reassuring feeling Baku could ever have his soul experience.

[Old Lady Lula]: I remember when you were just a teeny tiny baby, and now you’re so tall! What a handsome young man you've become, Baku!

[Baku]: *Smiling* I’m glad to see your doing well, Granny Lula, I heard Lulu and Little Lucy were the ones taking care of you but I wasn’t so sure about that!

[Old Lady Lula]: *Knods* Mhm, yes, they did a wonderful job taking care of their dear old granny! In fact, I feel a whole twenty years younger!

*Lady Lula was the grandmother of Lucy and her older sister Lulu.

*She was bed ridden until recently, but now she was on her feet again thanks to her family's hard work. The elderly woman reached out to Nicolatrice long ago and offered to help her raise Baku when he was very young, she also made him clothes and taught his mother how to raise her first calf. She was basically Baku's grandma too, as she's been around since the beginning.

[Little Lucy]: *Smiling* We’re way better than some silly egg-head doctor!

[Lulu]: *Blushing* It was kind of fun pretending to be a nurse… We helped Papa plant the herbs, and then we followed instructions from a book to turn it into the medicine... It was hard to understand it, but thankfully the pictures were helpful!

[Nicolatrice]: *Smiling* You did an amazing job, ladies! Maybe someday you both could become great doctors! Well then everybody, why don’t we start having dinner? There's plenty to go around, so Baku, why don’t you dig in?

[Baku]: *Smiling widely* Wow Mom, you made so much food! *Sniiifff* And it smells amazing!

[Nicolatrice]: *Smiling* I’ll do anything to make you happy on your special day, sweetheart! We were truly blessed by the last harvest with what we made from it, so this is just the best way to celebrate!

*Baku along with his guest enjoy a meal that his mother worked very hard to prepare of all of his favorite foods. The fried chicken legs and thighs are cooked to a delicious and crispy golden brown with all of the right seasonings marinated overnight into fresh, white meat to make every hot bite filled with flavor.

*The macaroni and cheese was crafted with the perfect blend of milk, cheddar, and black pepper as it is both saucy and smooth. Nicolatrice made a potato salad, it was the perfect chill and its chunky texture was the absolutely perfect combination of the warm, sweet and smokey baked beans which were in such a small round shape that they nearly melted in your mouth.

*Lastly, for dessert Baku enjoyed a delicious triple chocolate cake. It was made with sweet and decadent white chocolate, lit with fifteen candles and in a soft and fluffy whip cream was written in cursive “Happy Birthday Baku.” Spread out before him was something only his mother can do and everybody had plenty to eat and enjoy the yearly occasion. After everyone was done eating, it was time to open presents.

[Mr. Luke]: Heyyo, Baku! I heard you were into drawin’ and comic books, so I went into town and got you this as a gift! Happy birthday, kiddo!

*Mr. Luke hands Baku the complete series of Action Arts How To Draw Manga by Maku Kuriri, Baku’s favorite drawing sensei. The 3 novel lesson teaches the reader the true art of creating with your imagination and letting your soul speak with you through the art of the pen. It had 150 chapters in its pages and taught the reader anatomy and how to draw action poses along with many other lessons. It was very valuable as it had just came out earlier this month.

[Baku]: *Ecstatically* *Shouting* Holy crap, Mr. Luke! I can’t believe you've found this! This seriously must have had to cost you a bunch, even though you didn't have to...

[Mr. Luke]: It ain’t no thang, lil buddy! Siderin’ all the dang things ya gonn’ done and helped out with m’family o'er the years, and after last month’s tater harvest fiddlin’, I figured this would be a worthwhile gift! 'member when you helped me repair m’families roof when that meteor shower hit last December? With your extra help, I was still able to provide during the holidays! So think of it as a sort of thany ya, Baku!

*Baku is still stunned simply by holding the book that not only cost a lot of money but was written by an author who hadn't released a drawing book in many years. The character on the front cover looked ready for battle armed with a cool anime sword backed up by his friends in the background. Just gazing upon it was giving Baku so many ideas for characters to draw.

[Nicolatrice]: *Smiling* I know that will go to some great use, Baku!

[Baku]: *Smiling* Yeah, I can’t wait to level up my drawing! This is so totally awesome! Thank you, Mr. Luke!

[Little Lucy]: Baku! Me and sissy made this for you!

*Lucy hands a Baku a small bunny-like plush doll made of cotton with beads attached to it in a loop. There are alternating black and white buttons on its feet and it’s eyes. Its ears hang low and also have two shiny rings around them as well. A pair of white feathers were sewn to the back of the doll to look like little wings, and it was wearing a frilly dress that matched the color of the buttons.

*The overall presentation of the doll and craftsmanship put into it show a lot of care and thought was put into precisely sewing every little detail. It'd make a perfect gift for a little girl, Millia would love something like this. Looking at it, Baku can’t help but smile back at its sewn smiling face as it was somewhat comforting especially when thinking about who it's coming from.

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[Baku]: *smiling softly* Thanks, you two… I… Really, really like it... It's... Actually adorable...

[Lulu]: *Embarrassed* *Blushing* W-we've been practicing our knitting skills and Lucy thought of making you a doll for your birthday…

[Little Lucy]: Huh? That's not true! You're the one that wanted to make him a present! Besides, you asked him for the beads, remember! Oh, I almost forgot, Baku, there’s another thing you should know about your gift!

[Lulu]: *Blushing* We found a crystal buried in the ground out in the fields, and we thought it was one of those sound recordin’ ones, so we tried putting it in inside the doll. That way you can record sounds and then it would say it back to you when you pull the string on the back of its dress, but we couldn’t figure out all that mechanical stuff... So, it’s technically incomplete… But we thought maybe you could figure it out since you’re all educated and such!

[Baku]: *Smiling* Aww, thanks you two! I’ll definitely fix it, and I’ll keep her close to me all the time!

*Baku immediately attaches the doll to the side of his pants using the loop of black and white beads so it hangs right beside him. It was a pretty accessory and Baku loved the way it looked, grateful for what the girls who were basically his sisters made for his birthday.

[Lulu]: *Blushing* Wh-what are you going to name her, Baku?

[Little Lucy]: *Smiling* Yeah! What are you going to name her???

[Baku]: Uhm… I’m not sure just yet, I’m not good at coming up with ideas on the spot, but I’ll make it extra special and let you guys know when I think of it, kay?

[Lulu and Little Lucy]: *Smiling* Okay!

*Nicolatrice then approaches him with a beautiful smile on her face. The woman who loves Baku with every fiber with her being looks at her child with her soft and inviting eyes.

[Nicolatrice]: *Smiling softly* Baku, I know this isn’t much, but for your fifteenth birthday, I wanted to give you this…

*Baku's mother reaches behind her neck and removes the beautiful necklace that she always wore. It was made of gold and had tiny crystals forged within its grooves. She softly takes Baku's hand, and places it gently in his palm, giving it to him, even though it’s always been very special to her.

[Baku]: *Surprised* W-wait a minute-- Mom, you don’t have to give this to me! You always said it was given to you by a friend! I can’t ever take this from you...

[Nicolatrice]: Sweetheart, this necklace is indeed very important to me… I’ve had it since you were born, after all… So, imagine this necklace as a symbolization of my unending love for you, my son. I want you to wear it knowing that our bond goes infinitely deeper than anyone else can begin to understand...

*Baku hugs his mother tightly. He didn't want to let her go even for a second.

[Baku]: *Teary eyed* *Sniffling* ... Mom... I love you... And I'm sorry for not telling you that enough…

[Nicolatrice]: *Smiling* Baku, you are my rejuvenation... Your smile is all I need from you for myself to be happy!

*This is the woman who raised Baku, and the only one fitting to do it. In her soft and caring arms was her one and only child, raised and nurtured single handedly into the young man he is today.

*knock* *knock* *knock*

[Everybody]: ...???

[Nicolatrice]: Hm? I wonder who that could be? I wasn't expecting anymore guest…

*Nicolatrice answers the door. To her great surprise, a squadron of Royal Guards of the Crystal Palace appear on the other side.

[Royal Guard]: Good evening, Ma'am... I realize that it is very late, but the presence of your son, Aventurine X. Baku, is required immediately by the Royal King Jeremiah Cree and Queen Anastasia Cree.

[Nicolatrice]: *Shocked* *Gasp!* ... Wh-what!?

[Old Lady Lula]: My Goddess!

[Mr. Luke]: *Surprised* Ya say what now!?

[Baku]: ............

*Nicolatrice turns to Baku and faces him with a scared look on her face and takes hold of him as he depressedly stares only at the floor unable to look at his mother, who is right in front of him.

[Nicolatrice]: *Scared* ...B-Baku?... Aventurine! Y-you didn't do anything wrong... D-did you? Aventurine, please tell me, did something happen!?

[Baku]: ...... M-mom... I-I......

*Baku's mother slowly kneels to the floor in front of him shaking as tears fill her eyes, frightening thoughts running through her mind as to what could have happened to require the king and queen themselves to demand her child’s presence. She knows her child isn't a criminal, however Nicolatrice couldn't help but imagine what could've happened while she was unaware that would bring the highest authorities' attention to their normally peaceful lives. The Luke's were also afraid, as they watched and were worried for Baku and Nicolatrice.

[Lulu and Little Lucy]: *Scared* Wh-what's going on, Papa!?

[Mr. Luke]: N-now hold on, maybe there's a mistake... Surely their majesties must be confused for someone else, r-right fellers?

[Old Lady Lula]: *Worried* Can't we at least get an explanation, for heaven's sake?

[Royal Guard]: Ma'am... It is absolutely imminent that the both of you appear in front of the Crystal King and Queen immediately…

*Baku places his hand on his mother’s shoulder who is beginning to cry. He knew she didn't deserve this stress and heartache, and couldn't bare to watch her be afraid like this, but the young boy could only figure to say what he thought to sort of comfort her.

[Baku]: Mom, please listen to me... I'll try to explain everything, I promise... I just need you to trust me…

[Royal Guard]: Both of you, please come with us…

*Nicolatrice wrought with fear of something bad happening, manages to collect herself and agrees to come with Baku as the guards take them onto a chariot headed for the Royal Center, leaving the Luke's behind. They left their home and began to pray for their good friends.

(Setting: Crystal Kingdom: Main City- Grand Plaza)

(Scene: Baku and his mother appear in a royal chariot headed for the Royal Center)

*Baku and his mother ride through the Main City as many people stare at the family from the Crystal Fields riding a royal chariot. The silence coupled with the overwhelming tension and eerie aura lingering in the air is enough to make anybody shiver in uneasiness. The white broncos galloped by the citizens who were still congregated on the streets where the stage and podium stood as well as the royal flags hung swaying ominously through the wind.

[Citizens]: *Whispering to each other* ... *Psst* ... Who's in that chariot? ... I don't know... I think it’s coming from the Crystal Fields…

[Nicolatrice]: *Whispering to herself in prayer* I don't understand what's going on... Oh, Goddess, please watch over and protect us…

[Baku]: *Sigh* .........

*Suddenly, Baku hears shouting. It's his friends Barrtio and Finn chasing after the chariot.

[Barrtio and Finn]: *Shouting* *Running* Baku!!! What the hell's going on, dude!? What's happening!?

*The chariot moves too fast for them to even come close to try catching up. Baku and his mother move deeper and deeper into the Main City, until they finally arrive at the crystal wall gate that separates the commoners from the royals.