The cosmic dust settled, and I, ever the pragmatist, decided to cut to the chase. "By the way," I said, like I was asking for the time, "one last question."
Her smile could have powered a small galaxy. "Ask away, Naofumi, you adorable little speck. You're my favorite." I resisted the urge to check my pockets for loose change; being a deity's "favorite" sounded suspiciously like a cosmic timeshare pitch.
"Right, so," I began, gesturing vaguely, "the whole...form thing. Why the gender-bender routine? Is this a divine costume party I wasn't invited to?"
She tilted her head, those starlight eyes twinkling. "Do you honestly think I could have a serious chat about the universe's existential dread with a young lady with the male form and the opposite. You, Naofumi, are immune to the usual 'wow' factor. My forms are usually for the dramatic flair, you know, the sparkle."
"So, you're saying it's a divine fashion show?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Can't you just admit you like to show off?"
Her smile remained, but I swear I saw a flicker of offended glitter. "Do you have a problem with my aesthetic?" she purred, and I could feel the temperature rise a few degrees.
"Look, it's just," I stammered, "a bit confusing. One minute, you're all 'wise' and the next, you're... this," I gestured vaguely, "and are... well, not exactly seducing me, but..."
"I wasn't seducing you!"
"Okay, okay, don't be mad," I said, trying to diffuse the situation. "You're behaving like a completely different person."
A delicate hand fluttered to her chin, a thoughtful expression settling on her features. "Alright then," she declared, her voice regaining its melodic quality. "From now on, I will meet you only in this form. Fine?"
"I would prefer the male form," I replied, a hint of honest discomfort in my voice.
A sudden, sharp look pierced me, a question hanging heavy in the air. "Are you gay?"
"I'm not!" I blurted, the denial echoing a little too loudly in the vast, silent expanse.
"Or that you fear you'll succumb to my charms if I remained in this form?" she asked, her voice a silken thread woven with amusement, her starlight eyes gleaming with playful challenge. A subtle, almost imperceptible shift in the air, a whisper of cosmic energy, hinted at the power she held, the potential for manipulation that lay beneath the playful facade.
"Do what you want," I retorted, the frustration bubbling up, a hot, unwelcome surge in the face of her capricious nature. "You're not going to listen to me anyway. Just send me back."
"Thanks. Oh yeah, looks like it's time to send you back," she said, her smile widening, a flash of something unreadable in her eyes. The air shimmered, the swirling remnants of the universe coalescing into a blinding, iridescent vortex. A sense of vertigo, of being pulled apart and reassembled, washed over me. The deity's form flickered and darkness enveloped me.
A hazy warmth seeped into my awareness, the world slowly resolving from a swirling kaleidoscope of nothingness. My eyelids fluttered open, revealing a sight both comforting and unexpected: the soft, silken expanse of Fitoria's lap. The gentle rise and fall of her breath, the subtle scent of wildflowers and something akin to pure, untamed magic, filled my senses.
"Are you okay?" Her voice, a melodic chime, resonated with a deep, maternal concern.
"Yes, thank you." I managed, my own voice raspy and thin. "By the way, how long was I sleeping, or was I unconscious?" A creeping dread began to coil in my stomach.
"For a whole day." She sighed, a hint of playful exasperation in her tone. "My lap is aching now."
"Really?" I asked, my eyes widening in disbelief, a blush creeping up my neck.
"Yes." She affirmed, a playful pout tugging at her lips.
A jolt of guilt shot through me. A whole day! Time had slipped away like sand through my fingers. Raphtalia and Rifana... their faces, etched with worry, flashed through my mind. They must be frantic. I had abandoned them, left them to grapple with their fears alone.
"I'm so sorry, Fitoria. I have to go. I've been gone too long." I started to rise, a wave of urgency washing over me. "And Fitoria, about the future... don't worry. I promise, I will do everything in my power to protect it."
"Wait," she said, her large, luminous eyes locking onto mine, a flicker of something profound within them. "There's something I need to discuss with you."
But the pull of my responsibilities, the desperate need to reassure those I cared for, was too strong. Before she could elaborate, a surge of raw magical energy erupted within me. The world dissolved into a blur of swirling colors, the familiar sensation of teleportation engulfing me, whisking me away from Fitoria's gentle embrace and into the unknown.
The abrupt shift of teleportation slammed me back into reality, the swirling chaos of magical transit resolving into the familiar, if slightly disheveled, interior of my own house. now felt heavy with unspoken anxiety.
My gaze snapped around the tent, taking in the scene. Raphtalia sat hunched near the small, makeshift hearth, her normally bright eyes shadowed with worry. Rifana, her small form curled into a tight ball on a pile of blankets, trembled slightly, her face buried in her knees. The silence was thick, broken only by the crackling of the fire and the soft, shuddering breaths of the younger girl.
"Raphtalia," I began, my voice a low rumble, instantly drawing her attention.
Her head shot up, her eyes widening in a mixture of relief and reproach. "Naofumi-sama!" She scrambled to her feet, her expression a complex tapestry of emotions. "You're back! We were so worried!"
"I'm sorry," I said, my voice heavy with guilt. "I didn't mean to be gone so long. Something... came up."
Raphtalia's gaze flickered towards Rifana, then back to me. "She's been terrified. She wouldn't stop crying until she finally exhausted herself."
Rifana looks much more scared than Raphtalia.
I knelt beside Rifana, gently placing a hand on her trembling shoulder. Her small body flinched, then slowly uncurled, her tear-streaked face revealing the depth of her distress.
"Rifana," I said softly, "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."
Her large, watery eyes met mine, a silent plea for reassurance. "You... you were gone for so long," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "We thought... we thought something bad happened."
"Nothing bad happened," I reassured her, my voice firm. "I just needed to... take care of something. But I'm back now, and I'm not leaving you two."
Raphtalia moved closer, her hand resting lightly on my arm. "We understand, Naofumi-sama. But please, next time, let us know if you're going to be gone for so long. We were so afraid."
The raw vulnerability in her voice, the unspoken fear that had gripped them both, pierced through my hardened exterior. I had been so focused on my own concerns, on the weight of the future, that I had neglected the very people I was fighting to protect.
"You're right," I admitted, my voice thick with remorse. "I was careless. I promise, I'll do better."
The tension in the tent began to ease, replaced by a fragile sense of relief. The fire crackled merrily, casting warm shadows that danced across their faces. I pulled Rifana into a gentle embrace, feeling the small tremor in her body slowly subside.
"Tell me what happened," Raphtalia said, her voice soft but firm, a hint of steel beneath the concern. "Where did you go?"
...
The silence stretched, thick and heavy, as I hesitated. Raphtalia's gaze, unwavering and filled with a quiet intensity, held mine captive. I saw not just concern, but a deep-seated need to understand, to share the burden I carried.
"It's… complicated," I paused, carefully choosing my words. "You don't have to worry," I said, my voice softening. "Just focus on your growth now"
Raphtalia nodded, a small, reassuring smile gracing her lips. "Umm, okay. But promise us you won't leave us again." Her eyes, now filled with a vulnerability she rarely showed, pleaded for reassurance.
"I promise," I said, my voice resonating with a sincerity that came from the depths of my being, with a bit of deception. "I won't leave you two 'alone'."