cold as ice swift as wind the whole world i'll acquire

Above her was a stretch of sky, and though the pale blue colour was inviting in its own right, leering into it echoed nothing but forlorn thoughts, lost in the transition of cloud to puff to nothingness over the short span of a few moments. Her mind almost wandered off immediately, to a place no one could reach. For a brief moment, the noises that surrounded went silent and all she could hear was the soft whistle in a far distance until a sudden gust of strong wind swept past her petite figure that her brain waves suddenly reacted with a jolt. The youth glanced around frantically, only to receive awkward stares from the people who walked passed her. It was then, she recalled herself standing in the middle of the streets, gazing up into the sky as if the answers she had sought were written all over it.

To begin with, Snowflake was not sure how she had ended up in the location she was in. It was an aimless bout, where the cyborg was already considerably lost among the streets of Magnolia, though she knew she wasn’t the type to openly admit to her negligence that initially placed her there, anyway. A soft, warm touch against her calves caused her to search for the source, only to see a fluffy, white creature staring up at her with her huge eyes. Snowflake seemed to have been standing in the same position for a while since the moment she started to move, her legs have almost failed her. While she was lost in her own thoughts, the girl had yet to notice that the ache growing within her legs. ”Tsk.” The mage clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth with a frustrated expression, clearly annoyed by the fact that her legs had gone numb.

Reaching over her legs, Snowflake massaged her calves, still unable to move her leg due to the numbing pain that shot up through her leg – not to mention, the blaring sun was making everything worse. The blistering heat has made her sweating bullets as her thick clothes clung onto her body, mimicking how several strands of silver hair were stuck to the corners of her face in a grubby fashion. They tangled over her slowly reddening complexion insistently, framing her visage with the notion of exhausting reaching her bones. The black cloth that rested around her eyes remained stuck against her skin and she could feel her eyes warming up immensely. Sooner or later, she would have to take it off to let her eyes breathe at least.

”I think we should get some ice-cream before I melt in this heat.”

Her eyes would glide down to her feet, in which Vysella was curled up upon. After purchasing two cones of chocolate ice-cream from a nearby vendor; one for herself and another one for her companion, she did not waste any second to devour the dessert. She savoured the sweet taste of the ice-cream on her tongue before it slid down her throat, soothing her chest before the cool feeling expanded throughout her entire body. Vysella finished her share with just a single lick of her tongue, which made her wonder if she received any brain freeze from the cold albeit, the thought crossed her mind that Vysella originated in the colder regions and was probably the reason why she was used to the freezing temperatures.

The two roamed the streets, slowly edging through the crowds that were littered across the streets, unsure of where to head and doubtful if she had anything to do in such a crowded area. The android had her eyes on the sky again and it was until she bumped into a stranger, throwing her cone of ice-cream right into the stranger’s face. The scene had attracted attention from the people who strode past her, some giggling before shuffling away from her still figure. The day was not going well from the beginning and now she had to make it even worse herself.

cold as ice swift as wind the whole world i'll acquire

Snowflake started, her bright blue eyes making its way onto the features of the stranger’s face and it was until a sudden surge of surprise and shock passed over her that all her movements froze. Strands of silver hair fell into view, as the numbers of the person’s statistics flickered in front of her eyes. The android was someone who barely showed any emotions yet, her mouth was slightly parted open and her eyes wide, although they were hidden behind the black cloth that rested around her blue orbs. The youth had truly been astonished upon seeing the figure, a familiar one that is, and someone whom she has not seen since gods remember. A sudden gust of strong wind swept past her form that her brain waves suddenly reacted with a jolt, her head whipping back with force.

Words began to penetrate into her mind and Snowflake was finally brought out of her reverie, regaining her senses. Her attention would glide towards the large brown stain that she had spilled on his shirt and mentally slapped her forehead due to her clumsy mistake. The man attempted to reassure her with a laugh although the only thing that remained on her mind was the thought that a friend of hers was standing in front of her, after receiving no news about him for a long time. The girl had grown worried, as infrequent as it happened, although it was also partly her fault for not putting any attempts to search him or to find his whereabouts. She was merely lost in her own pursuits and ventures that she had discovered upon the few months of travelling, although it was of no excuse.

”Do you remember me?”

The white haired mage spluttered, still holding the cone of ice-cream that has already melted in the heat and disregarded all the comments that were made toward her. Although she seemed to barely notice anything, the liquefied ice-cream was slowly flowing down her fingers and her hand, much to her dismay. The question occurred to be ridiculous, even to herself, for there was no chance that Finn would remember who she was after such a drastic change in her appearance since the last time they met. ”Of course he wouldn’t, you idiot.” The maiden muttered under her breath, frustration rising within her at her own silliness. She wondered how she should tell Finn about her appearance albeit, she doubted it mattered to him that much. Whilst she struggled with her own decisions, Vysella on the other hand, did not give a care of what her owner was dealing with.

”Uh, sorry about that. Do you want me to pay for your dry cleaning?”

The change of topics would be the best, or so she assumed and pointed at the stain on his shirt as her heels tapped against the ground, irritably. She was annoyed at herself for not being able to be honest to her comrades, as much as she wished to.

cold as ice swift as wind the whole world i'll acquire

Despite how Snowflake had attempted to change the topics to cover up her blatant mistake, all was sought in vain, for her fellow comrade had did not even bother to answer her question. Instead, he began to observe her carefully from head to toe, much to her discomfort but the girl stood there, gazing at her friend. As much as she wished to walk away and pretend that nothing had happened, it would have been horribly rude. Footsteps hurried past them as eyes turned to look into their direction, mostly due to her peculiar appearance and the messy sight of chocolate dripping down the young man’s body. The android ignored the irritated stares that were being thrown at them, their reason because the mages were blocking the path of the townsfolk.

The space between them suddenly became much closer as Finn leaned forward, barely inches between them yet, the girl didn’t flinch. She blinked nervously, staring at the young man through her black cloth while he observed the features on her face though, she doubted any part of her visage resembled her of any one the blonde might know of. Considering the blonde as a threat, Vysella leaped onto her shoulder and growled at Finn, cautioning him to retreat but Snowflake would immediately ran her fingers gently through her white fur to give her some reassurance. ”I do…” The girl trailed off, not knowing how she should continue. The reason she was so reluctant upon revealing her identity was by virtue of people considering her differently due to her drastic change in appearance. Albeit, when she had confessed to Alisa and Chelvaric, they barely seemed to mind at all. Perhaps, Finn might be the same.

Her appearance occurred to be the same as any random person who walked past, or any person alive on this planet. However, little did they know, that she was merely just a walking robot hiding underneath this human façade with metallic plates and wires located inside her body, solely made for weapons. Her form had transformed completely, leaving no trace of her original body apart from her heart. Robots were something of a rare kind, just like other unique species such as, Vampires and Demons and the thought made her wonder if there were anyone just like herself and soon before, she might be considered a useful technological weapon against the country’s enemies. The question directed at her finally reached into her mind and brought her out of her own reverie.

”I’m…” a pause, hesitance causing her lips to seal before an old of hers unhinged them, ”…Snow. Snowflake.”

It took her a moment to give a response to his question, an obvious qualm hidden underneath her tone. The young woman wondered how he would react upon the declaration of her identity, but not why or how she had done so.

cold as ice swift as wind the whole world i'll acquire

Eyes wide, it took her a long time to process her thoughts in, including the things that were occurring to her at that precise moment. ”Umpfh.” The girl grunted, due to the impact from Finn’s hug which somewhat caused her legs to fumble about, if not from the shock of even receiving a hug from someone in the first place. The young woman remained still, her arms outstretched forward, not sure what she was supposed to do in the middle of a hug. Her body was stiff as Finn retreated from the hug, the expressions on his face full of joy and excitement. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from the affection that her fellow friend had shown towards her and the wave of colour that grew on her cheeks vanished as fast as it appeared.

”Erm.”

The girl began, an apparent discomfort written across her face as she stared down at the ground as if it was the most interesting thing she has ever seen in a while. Though it might have been one of the strangest reunions for her, she was happy that she was able to meet her comrade again. For a person who barely expresses any feelings or emotions, the corners of her lips were curved upwards into a small smile as her eyes wandered along the features of the blonde’s face. ”I apologize I look so different now. But, you look the same and I prefer it that way.” There were barely any changes on his face and it occurred to her that he doesn't even seem to age during the time they had been apart.

”Sure.”

Accepting his offer, Snowflake began to walk with her companion resting on the top of her head. Since Vysella had never seen Finn before, she wasn’t sure whether he would mean harm towards her owner or not, however, after watching the entire scene unfold in front of her eyes, her scepticism towards Finn had subsided and thus, Vysella decided to remain quiet. Throughout the entire time, the cyborg failed to notice that her ice-cream had been dripping down her entire arm. Immediately, she would toss what’s remaining in her hands over to the closest bin and attempted to wipe away the melted liquid off her hands.

”I’ve been travelling and exploring most of the time. What about you?”

She responded to his question, while thoughts ran wild in her head. Whether it was a long walk or a short one, that was of her least concern at the moment, for she only wished to enjoy her reunion with her comrade properly after what it seems like forever, wherever they may be heading to.

cold as ice swift as wind the whole world i'll acquire

A smile tugged onto the corner of her pink lips as Finn regarded her eyeband as a rather strange feature of her. Snowflake received the same response from one of her peers, Chelvaric, whom she have been spending most of her time with; frequently doing quests every now and then. It was a rare occasion however, the girl would catch herself lost in her own thoughts and sometimes wonder if her feelings were growing for the fellow human-cat. The man was one who had helped her to open up to people after all, which was the reason why it had been easier for her to communicate with people.

Cerulean eyes wandered around the area as the white haired mage attempted to match the pace of the taller one, his footsteps much larger and faster than her. She observed her surroundings, taking in everything that comes into her sight and noticed that the streets have become even more crowded than before. The youth tilted her head in question and wondered if there was an event being held in the centre of the city. The streets of Magnolia were as busy as ever; young children duelling with sticks in a distance, to the loud encouragement of some and the furious curses of others, older men cheering as they clanked their cups of ale and beer amongst each other and shopkeepers yelling at the top of their lungs to attract attention from the people whilst the customers bargained the items at the lowest prices as possible.

Terrorism?, the girl found herself enquiring herself as a curious eyebrow raised by the sound of it. It was a topic that hasn’t been discussed to her nor did she heard of it but then, she had been missing almost everything that had been occurring around the country. Perhaps, she should consider catching up to recent news soon enough. Beyond her was the sky, stretching for eons without seeing the end to it and her thoughts would almost wander off immediately until Finn’s voice registered into her forlorn thoughts. ”Huh?” The android blinked and recalled the words that were spoken to her just a moment ago.

”Oh. Yes, things are fine.”

Half truth and a half lie – she couldn’t find the courage to openly admit what had actually happened to her, not at the moment. The mage had her eyes on the sky again and she fears it’s now an impulsive habit of hers to commit to the clouds when she had a lot of things going on her mind. Despite being distracted, Snowflake noticed a riot of colour lighting up the summer’s day beyond her. Music filled the air, festive beats lifted the spirits and the scent of food lingered in the air. Booths were set up by the side of the roads, some for clothing, some jewellery and some for food.

”Five takoyakis, please.”

The young woman gestured with her hand towards the shopkeeper, an old man who greeted her with a withering smile before nodding and chucked five takoyakis into a plate from the cooking pan and squeezed an ample amount of mayonnaise on the takoyaki balls. Handing out one over to Finn with a toothpick, the girl would say, ”You want one? It’s my treat.”

cold as ice swift as wind the whole world i'll acquire

Snowflake noticed how petite she was, standing beside the tall man walking side by side, compared to Finn. Somehow, she felt insecure about her height although, with a person like Finn walking alongside her, she felt as if he was a brother, watching over her. The thought crossed her mind and the young girl pondered how it would be like to have a brother albeit, she pushed her wild thoughts to the back of her mind and dismissed it just as fast as it was brought into topic. When she had handed out the treat, Finn would have to bend over to retrieve the takoyaki ball from the toothpick that she had handed over and a small smile would make its way onto the thin line of her lips; one of the rarest actions of hers.  

Picking another freshly-cooked takoyaki with a toothpick, she would slide it into her mouth and chewed onto it with all her might until the hot food burned her tongue. Her eyes widened from the burn, tears almost welling up in the corners of her eyes as she immediately covered her mouth with her gloved hands and forced herself to swallow the food down her throat. As clumsy as she was, she made a mental note to herself to blow out the steam from the food before she eats.

Snowflake had always been a big-eater, especially for sweets and desserts. With all the food located left and right in the booths, she had the entire day to try all of them out and stuff herself. The youth had never been worried about gaining weight, for she had an extremely high metabolism and would lose all the weight just as fast as how she would have gained. Her eyes wandered around the area, taking in everything that came into her sight, her cheeks puffed out from all the takoyakis that she had thrusted inside her mouth. Despite how she hated bizarre and crowded places, she enjoyed anything festive; bright colours and lots of food. Lamps dangled off the ropes and wires located above the booths, left unlit. Even without the candles and lamps, it was already bright enough from the blistering sun rays that shone upon the town.

Distracted by all the activities, Snowflake almost forgot that she had a company right beside her until he murmured something at her. Overwhelmed by the loud noises that occurred at the festival, it took her a brief moment to register the words into her head before she responded.

”Just…travelling. Are you planning to go anywhere?”

At best, Snowflake was a wanderer by accident – not because she wanted to, but it was almost as if her significantly awful directional sense granted her encounters by chance. The white haired mage was also curious where Finn might possibly be going though, only if he had intentions to do so. If he had decided to travel, she would have hopped in on the journey and tagged along with him as well.

cold as ice swift as wind the whole world i'll acquire

Snowflake turned to face Finn as she continued to finish the rest of the takoyaki from a plastic plate held in her hands. His response was almost immediate, as if he had been planning his journey for the entire time unlike her. For the white haired mage, she never had set plans for herself although one of her goals was to explore every single town in Fiore, which she hadn’t accomplished yet. Home – he said, the word that is almost unknown to her. No matter how hard she tried to recall her memories of her hometown, it was impossible and she would only receive horrible flashbacks of what happened on that certain day. Snowflake had never attempted to remember what her home looked like ever since, not that she did not want to but because she did not wish to reminisce those painful memories. Nevertheless, she had let go of her past and now, she was a free spirit, a wanderer, but her goal was still unobstructed by anything that might stray her off her path.

”…I see.”

The young woman mumbled, lost in her own thoughts although she was still paying attention to what Finn was saying. The pause in between felt like it was eternal. Seconds plodded by, each separated by an eternity and she would find herself staring up in the blue yonder above once again, which was now tainted with hues of orange and red; bright fire red. She wondered how long they have been walking down the entire road, and even then, the festival was well-lit and alive. ”I’d like to visit your hometown, sometime.” The android continued and bore him a light smile, and this time it was genuine, as her eyes sparkled under the sunlight behind the eyeband that she wore. Snowflake had only spent a day with him, talking about almost anything and somehow, having him as a company was comfortable and soothing. Now that, she was able to know more about him, even if it was just barely, she could find herself trusting this man.

Perhaps, in the future, they might be something more than friends.

Before she knew, the pathway had come to an end. Snowflake kicked a stray pebble at her heel and watched it rotate over the dust for several turns before finally turning to face Finn. ”It’s a shame we have to go our separate ways.” One last time – she let her sapphire orbs wander over the features of his face, slightly dimmed by the shadows casted on his visage before she threw herself against his chest and wrapped her arms around him, followed by a gentle squeeze by the end. A bright crimson colour rushed over her pale neck, cheeks and ears as she withdrew herself but she did not give a care in the world and gave him a bright grin: the one that would cause your eyes to crease into a crescent shape and where her dimples crinkle.

”I hope we meet again.”