Chapter 20: Baku’s Promise

(Setting: Crystal Kingdom: Royal Palace- Baku's Bedroom)

(Scene: The maids show Baku and Nicolatrice to their new rooms)

*Baku and his mother appear in a large and beautiful bedroom that connects to a second one just like it. The beds are extra soft and comfy thanks to all of sheets and pillows made of royal fabric, and the nightstands are made out of the finest wood and have large mirrors on them.

*The rooms also have spotless windows that gave a great view of the Royal Center as well as balconies that let you sit outside and enjoy the weather with a cup of tea. It was a complete turn around from the makeshift beds they were used to. In fact, their entire lives might as well have been flipped upside down.

[Maids]: *in unison* Here are your bedrooms, master and mistress! We pray that everything is to your liking! If there is anything that troubles you, please do not hesitate to call us!

[Baku Cree]: Uhm... Thanks.

[Nicolatrice Cree]: *Amazed* My goodness, this is all so elegant for a single person... It seems they brought over all of our stuff from the fields too.

*Nicolatrice sits on the huge bed, it was made of memory foam, so she sank into it almost immediately, surprising her delightfully. All of the technology she had been exposed to today seemed like it could only exist by the use of some sort of magic she had no idea how to understand, let alone think it was possible to exist. All of their personal belongings, including Baku's newer clean clothes were stored delicately in their respective closets.

*Baku notices his Action Arts How To Draw Manga collection stacked neatly on a dresser gifted to him by Mr. Luke. He then looks at the doll made by Lulu and Lucy he’s had on his side the whole time. Its smile is unchanged and Baku smiles back softly at it thinking about his friends both in the fields and the Main City.

[Baku Cree]: I bet this is nothing compared to what the King sleeps in, but it is impressive nonetheless...

[Nicolatrice Cree]: *Sigh* ......... *Smiles softly* ...

*Nicolatrice silently stares at Baku with a comforting smile on her face.

*She looked incredible in her new clothes, as she was cleaned up and dressed like a true royal by the maids in ways she never knew were possible. This was all well and good, but deep down she knew that things were changing for her beloved child and had to accept that she truly had no control over it. Because of this, a warm feeling swelled up from within her. Baku sensed something was wrong with his mother who seemed lost in her thoughts.

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[Baku Cree]: Whatcha thinkin about, Mom?

[Nicolatrice Cree]: *Smiling* Oh, I'm just thinking about how much everything has changed for us in the last couple of hours... Who would've thought this could all happen to us as fast as it did?

[Baku Cree]: *Sigh* I know what you mean... All my life you've worked endlessly to provide for the both of us... You worked hard every single day in the farm garden to make sure food was on the table without fail... You never even got mad at me for skipping school or having terrible grades...

[Baku Cree]: Even though you would ask me how my day was... And I would still lie to you... You were always so patient with me no matter how many times I messed up, got in trouble or didn't learn from my lessons of past mistakes... And now... We're in the Royal freakin’ Palace… And I'm the World Guardian...

[Nicolatrice Cree]: *Jokingly* I guess you were right about saying that you didn't need school to be great, huh? ... *Sniff* …

[Baku Cree]: *Teary eyed* ... Mom…

*Nicolatrice pulls her son into her arms hugging him tightly and begins to cry. Baku's mother who was normally a figure of strength and inspiration, let go of everything and broke down into her child.

[Nicolatrice Cree]: *Sniff* I always knew you were going to be someone amazing... I never doubted you once even for a second... But... I just wasn't expecting it to happen so soon... *Sniff* ... I am so incredibly proud of you... That I can't even put it into words... Aventurine... my dear child…

*Now Baku, who was usually full of courage and confidence began to crumble.

[Baku Cree]: *Sniiifff* M-mom... I promise... that no matter what happens... I swear that I'll never stop being your son... I won't let being a hero get to my head... I'll never forget where I came from, and I'll try my hardest to complete my mission as fast as I can so that I may come back home to you and we can have a normal life again... Because... B-because *Snnniiifff* ... *Crying* You worked so incredibly hard my whole life to give me your all... A-and now... It's my turn to finally provide for and protect you…

*Nicolatrice gently and lovingly wipes the tears from Baku's face and smiles. The look on her face was comforting and healed Baku just as it always did without fail.

[Nicolatrice Cree]: *Smiles* Baku, I know you can do it! I believe in you and will do everything I can to support you for as long as you take to come back home to me. I love you, and don't you ever forget that…

[Baku Cree]: I love you too, Mom, and I'm sorry for not telling you that enough…

*Baku and his mother finally go to bed for the night in their separate new rooms.

*As he laid in his giant soft bed that conformed to his bodies position, Baku's mind raced in all directions. He didn't know what to expect in the near and far future alike. He didn't know when he would see his bestfriends again, and he didn't know what he was getting into, outside of stories he heard in school. One thing he did know for certain, was that his life was never going to be the same now that he was the World Guardian.