Phoenix mildly froze as a hand touched her shoulder slightly. Slowly, she turned to look at who touched her.
"R-red, how you doing?" mumbled Phoenix.
Behind Phoenix, a lady's face was to the floor, breathing heavily and panting, with her hands on Phoenix's shoulder. "Ha ha, I thought you were running away but it turns out you didn't notice."
The lady said and raised her face, revealing her fair skin and bright red eyes. "It's been a long time, Phoenix."
She stood up abruptly and heaved her last. The lady dusted her blue dress, arranged her long lemon hair and muttered, "It's been a long time."
"You already said that." Phoenix said.
"Oh, did I?"
"Red, what do you want?"
Phoenix asked, stopping her at her tracks.
"Me? Can't I—
"What do you want? Oh, let me rephrase it. What are you doing in a place like this? This isn't somewhere you come on a whim." Phoenix said. "What are you doing here, Red?" Red created some distance, scratched her hair for some seconds and replied, "Huh?! You mean I can't come to a place like this! What do you think of…m-m-m-m-m?"
Phoenix immediately moved forward, used a red scarf to tie her mouth. "Sorry," Phoenix whispered.
Phoenix then raises her hand. "Ride, Come here!"
A carriage came dashing in from the distance. A tall brown horse was placed at the front and a middle aged man saddled the horse forward.
"Where to, Miss?" said the man.
Phoenix packed up Red and threw her inside. Red's screams could be heard from deep in the scarf. Phoenix then carried Moonlight and placed him gently on the wooden floor of the carriage. Then she herself jumped in.
"Market district, Lodging Street, the Third junction; for the price, however you like." Phoenix said to the rider.
As she finished speaking, the rider made no haste. He gave the signal and the horse ran full sprint.
Red lay on the floor, trying desperately to untie the scarf on her lips.
"Let me help you."
Phoenix said, helping her untie it completely. "Sorry, I just knew this would have turned into a stream of conversation if I let you continue speak."
Red leaned on the walls of the carriage and folded her arms. "Hmph, well, I did get to smell your scent one more time. So I'll let this go; for now…"
Phoenix then sat, "Now that's all cleared up. What were you doing here?" She said in a now colder tone.
Red's lips rose slightly. "Going to the real deal huh?" Red said.
She then took a deep breath and continued, "Phoenix, I have some teeny-meeny something I need your help with."
"Tiny, huh…Let me guess, it involves your stall."
"It's…how did you know?"
Phoenix shook her head. "I know everything. Let me guess, you made some kind of dish and you want me to taste it. You then came here to ask for my location and whereabouts, right?"
Red shifted to the wall. "How did you know?"
"I know everything." Phoenix replied.
"That is indeed true but, you missed one point."
"Huh? Which?"
"I did not make the dish. It was my one-year-old daughter." Red said.
Phoenix eyes widened slightly. "You have a daughter?"
On hearing that, Red suddenly stood up. Their rider took a stole a glance, Moonlight's attention was focused elsewhere. The carriage rattled as they crossed through another junction.
"Yes yes, her name is Star. She's just a year old but she's super smart. You know, even I did not believe I will birth a genius like that. Also…"
They passed through groups of children playing under the afternoon sun. The ride met with another street but the street lacked one thing, life. A child sat on a doorstep with his head covered, probably crying. A woman's face could be seen from a window and a man grinned behind her.
"You see, there are so many things I want to say about her but tongue won't be enough to explain her greatness. She is my blessing, and having her was a feat even you haven't accomplished…"
"What's that?" murmured Moonlight.
"What's what?" Phoenix replied as she crept closer to Moonlight.
"Hey where are—Ah! Who are you?! Who is he?" screamed Red.
Moonlight turned to face her, he wore a puzzled look.
A little smile formed on Phoenix's face. "I'm sorry to tell you this late but this is my younger son, Moonlight." She said.
"Son?!" inquired Red. "You already had one!"
"Yes, I did. I just felt no need to tell you." Phoenix replied while her hands found Moonlight's hair.
"Huh? Why? Why?" Red lamented.
She fell to the ground and broke to tears. Her hair was pulled by her while she threw a fitting rage. Phoenix crept over to Moonlight, leaving Red to her own demise.
"What did you see?"
Moonlight hummed, shook his head, raised his arm and pointed to a space outside.
"That's the location of—Moonlight, here's an accurate description of where you are pointing. It can be seen as heaven and hell."
Moonlight tilted his head, puzzled, "Heaven and hell?"
"Ma'am we're here!"
Then the carriage made a hard stop.