Another day alone. It was definitely something that had become normal in Crocus as Hecate stayed with her children in the moments that Alice needed a moment alone or a quick breath from the outside wind but mostly Jupiter had stayed with her or she had been back within the hour and if she bumped into friends a little longer. But then again at points like that she had not been alone. She sighed, perhaps it was also that she felt guilty, how she felt wonderful after being able to sleep a full night without being awoken by cries of little babies, and guilty because she was still gone while it would have been a short trip to find answers. Something that had not happened and something she had given up on because it had been half forgotten because Jupiter disappeared. The reason why they were here and why she was alone was because Jupiter had found the last link to his cousin and she ought to be here in Marigold. It was no problem to go here now that they were in Hargeon, so she let it be and let them find her, under the consequences that Jupiter brought Hecate along. Which had been a terrific idea for the two of them, no fights, all the trust and the love and so on but now she was alone again. She walked slowly around the town, it had not changed much since she had been around like a year ago, a little longer ago as she had travelled from Marigold to Era, where she had met Kon for the first time, which had been a little over a year ago. She smiled to herself, remembering the memories, she didn’t have to check her diary for that. She had been so afraid a year ago that she would forgot her memory again by leaving Phantom Lord and go on alone but look at her now; a Holy Knight. Last time she was here she had struggled with wanting to be part of the Rune Knights but not accepting it herself as a cat burglar. It was a bit childish perhaps but now she had made that decision, being tested, having fought against Grimoire Heart and deciding to fight and protect citizen. She took a deep breath, perhaps not much had changed in Marigold, some vines here and there but she had changed a lot. She was a mother of two children now, only for about a month but it was a big change, being pregnant for nine months, the first few months having heavily morning sickness, gave her some changes too. She couldn’t help but feel the longing of going home, a place that she could call home after all, pull so hard on her body, that she would almost turn around, grab the bag she had and storm off herself. Unfortunately that wasn’t possible, and she would have to find something else to do, talk to the locals or something.



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So that’s what she did, as she had been for quite a while in Marigold, working hard, fixing jobs and everything for everyone, get some cabbages, get rid of a wolf, fix some rebuilding, and she couldn’t even remember, be entertainment for a banquet? Back when she was a requip mage. Surely things had changed as she remembered another factor that changed again. Alice shook her head and walked to the little square more to the south of the town where most of the elder people would hang out. It was like a square for the small neighbourhood, all the houses having their back gardens in a small circle and a little square with a big table, most doors open even if Spring had just arrived. People would be playing card games or some chess and the like, meeting each other here, making food and just talking. She had met a couple of these people a lot of times and she hoped that the elder man recognized her as they had told her to chase her dreams and join the knights. So she stood there, watching them as they had not noticed her immediately and smile. She didn’t want to become emotional about the things that happened, sure things did change and she didn’t mind in the slightest when you looked at the red line that would wave through her life. She had someone that loved her, she would marry him soon and they had two lovely children, perhaps early and she wasn’t sure what the future would tell her but she didn’t mind at all at this point. Finally someone looked up, perhaps noticing her shade that reached almost the bench where they were sitting, playing the card game that they never taught her in that short time. They looked and started to smile, ”My my, if it isn’t Alice.” Calling their wives or the other neighbours and she couldn’t help but grin. She could stay here for a few minutes before deciding what to do, it wouldn’t be so bad after all. So she quickly took a few more steps forward and smiled, telling them what travels she had done, where she had been and that she had met someone special, that she joined the Rune Knights and was now on a break after having given birth to twins. Which made every happy, nothing judgemental that she was afraid off, no one cared, only about her happiness and she asked how the town was, how the lord was and how everything was going in general for the people that she was talking to. It sure felt nice to be able to forget some things and just talk about the positive, to have elder people, much older than her that care about her health and the danger that her job, although not hundred percent honest, have her do. She hoped Midas would soon inform her about the whereabouts of her dad. But for now she stayed here, talking about memories.



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Soon enough the people started to talk about the vines that came from Farmer Jim and that they were very strange and it reminded her of Orchidia, so even though they shortly talked about that and it gave her a painful memory off Eva, how she missed her dear friend and what a trouble they had with the anklebiters or her loss of magic. Her magic that at first they thought the anklebiters had taken away but in the end happened when Evangeline met one of her parents, such a contract that she had, it was a very interesting concept, it was a shame she got no answers and Alice didn’t want to dwell in the unknown painful hole that was her missing friend. If she wouldn’t find her soon, as well as Selena, she would not have them at her wedding, which didn’t pain her in her heart. But postponing it again because of.. her best friends not being there, it would be heart but she got Tori and Alisa and a beautiful dress made by Arisa. She would marry her best friend, she could do this. Alice straightened her back and tried to focus again on the conversation which she found hard, she had no idea anymore what it was about and in the end suggested for her to go and have a talk with Farmer Jim, see if she could do something for him. She had done many jobs, if the citizens of Marigold still recognized her, then so would the old farmer. She thanked the people here for their lovely conversations, the tea they offered her and she would surely see them again. She was young, she heard them stay, people like her wouldn’t be able to stay on a place long and it was actually sad that it was true, because she would have to learn to do that, with the twins. And she was sure she would be able to, at the moment she only wasn’t able to, to clean up her mind and get over these sad feelings. She had not even been able to talk to Jupiter and Hecate about her issues as they had found the last missing link and had wanted to go off. Well here they were now and she would hope to find them soon again in the inn where they stayed, a little away from the centre as she was leaving Marigold town now. Strolling through the grasslands towards the farmer’s house a little further away. When she arrived there, she noticed that the vines got thicker here and noticed Jim and his wife trying to get rid of them by sweeping them away but it didn’t work. ”Hello there Jim, need any help again?” to which the two indeed recognized her, his wife even asking for Ophelia, but she informed that their ways had split and she had new companions that were now having their own task. Soon Jim turned the conversation for his own good.



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The old man explained the situation, that the vines were alive and bothering him for quite a while now but they didn’t go away, no matter what he did. He pleaded her for her help, as he remembered her well, perhaps not her name, he was honest but the jobs she did and her bright red hair, he didn’t forget. That was enough for Alice and although she had no sword or spear to use, she would have her fire part of her solar magic and she took a deep breath and stepped into the vine infestation that formed the grassland now where she had once protected his sheep. She felt the vines slither around her legs and pull her closer into the woods, forced to walk because she also didn’t want to get them higher on her legs, she kept an eye on them and waved Jim and his wife farewell, she would be fine. She would be able to use fire. The further she walked, the pattern of the vines became more clear, where the little ones had pulled her closer, she could now see thicker ones, stronger for sure and she was not even a hundred percent sure if she would be able to take it down. She could see blood, old blood and clothing and fur, did the vines do that? She tried to avoid them as much as was possible as the little vines still pulled on her legs, once she had enough of that she let her body get heated up by the solar spell that she could use, Cephei, would warm up her body with the solar magic and burn everything that she would touch or would touch her in case the vines that slithered away from her. Now that she finally could see around her, she found the blue orb, she couldn’t touch it obviously too far from her still but it would be the source of the vines and she moved her hand up above her head, ”Solaria.” and the wave of solar magic came crashing away from her against the orb, breaking it and kicking the vines away. Soon enough she could see it better, slowly more cracks appeared and would go on like little tear drops through the orb before breaking it and shattering it into thousand small pieces. Why it went like that Alice didn’t understand but the vines seemed to be moving away, exactly what would be necessary. She was glad that her method worked, if she would have fought immediately, she would never be finished and perhaps be killed. Shaking off the last leaves, twigs and vines from her clothing and hair, the red head headed back to the farmer. He had already noticed the difference, the vines were slowly retreating and she told him and his wife what she found before heading out back to the inn to find some strange new creature, that looked a lot like the other two in her hotel room.



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