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The water was cold. The water was nice. The water was calming. All-encompassing. The water was a nice break, a nice reprieve. All she had to think about was the water, the feeling of something around her, keeping her safe. Taking her away from everything. But the water wasn't enough for the peasant. She couldn't help but think back. To think about her.
The kindest soul in all of Libestal.
Immerkind.
.
.
.
“Here you go, Peasant!”
Just a hundred coins. Just a puny hundred coins. But that alone was enough to make the peasant squeal in delight. Back when she had one thing in her sights: a hat. Any hat.
Of course, she failed miserably, but that wasn't the point!
Bae had run off, immediately, to buy yet another hat box, but she'd never forgotten that moment.
Immerkind had given her a ‘capital.’ When she was at her lowest, Immerkind had given her hope. Maybe that was the start of it. The start of a selfish desire, the start of a feeling that would never be reciprocated.
But a peasant could dream.
.
.
.
Was the water getting warmer? No. It was just her going numb, she thought. It felt nice. It felt like she was floating downwards slowly, falling into a pillow, or a bed. The thought made her tired brain wonder.
If she went to sleep right now, would she wake up?
She doubted it. Nobody would come and save her, she hadn't made enough friends to do so. That thought made her want to swim upwards less, though. What was the point?
Dying wouldn't change anything, but surviving wouldn't either. Immerkind's mind was made up. She should've known not to get too attached, to let her feelings grow.
Her eyes opened, and through a blur, through the filter that was the water, she saw the bridge.
The bridge.
Her eyes closed again, trying not to think, trying not to do anything.
But it was futile.
.
.
.
“Immerkind, may I borrow you for a moment?”
The peasant called out, asking for her among the crowd of people gathered under the bridge. Bottles and cups of alcohol were in everybody's hands, for a reason the peasant didn't have a single clue about. But did there have to be a reason to drink?
Besides, after getting a part of the Hot Pink One's memories, alcohol was on everybody's minds, so, might as well!
But regardless, halfway through, the peasant had pulled Cecilia out. Why?
“I want to repay you for yesterday.”
A hundred coins. The hundred coins the peasant had received yesterday. Again, a measly amount. But to the peasant, it had been alot more. It hadn't just been the coins that the peasant had been gifted.
“When you gave me those coins, I was… in a low spot.”
The peasant admitted, recalling yesterday's events.
“You gave me hope, Immerkind. And I want to thank you for that.”
The peasant smiled shyly, watching the automaton’s expression. She watched as surprise turned to confusion, then to realisation- before a bright, kind smile replaced everything. A smile that gave the peasant butterflies in her stomach.
A smile that would brighten up her stay in Libestal.
Or so she thought.
.
.
.
Her vision was blurring. Maybe it was the water. Maybe she was blacking out. She wished it'd happen sooner rather than later, but she couldn't rush her body. No, all she could do was silently float, silently sink. She wanted to move, but didn’t feel like moving. It was a weird feeling, losing her hope. It was as if someone had torn something out from inside her, leaving her empty. And she always would be.
After all, Immerkind's loyalty to the princess knew no bounds.
The peasant knew that better than anyone.
.
.
.
Immerkind was crying. The peasant didn't know why, but her friend, the person closest to her in Libestal, was crying. Naturally, her instinct was to help. To inquire why.
But why, was complicated.
“The princess and the outlander… are-”
“Siblings.”
“Dating.”
Queen Tam wasn't helping. Cecilia insisted that they were related, whereas the queen insisted they were dating. The peasant interrupted them in the middle of the argument, having arrived at the Cliffs of Sidero after hearing word that something had happened to Immerkind. She'd expected the worst, not…
Whatever this was.
“Gohnathan said they were siblings! Would Gohnathan lie?”
Point taken. Gohnathan was a knight, after all, just like Immerkind. As a queen, Tam knew just how honourable he was, how much that title meant to him. But…
“What if Gohnathan received false information?”
As honourable as he was, Gohnathan was just as gullible. That wasn't a secret, either. In fact, almost all the heroes of Libestal knew. So it wasn't about whether he was trustworthy, but rather if his source was.
“I shall make a call.”
Tam offered.
“I shall ask Gohnathan about this… new piece of information.”
And call she did. Using the weird devices they had discovered on the first day in this Past Libestal, the queen began her (rather lengthy) conversation with Gohnathan, which hopefully wouldn't make the situation MORE confusing for the peasant than it already was.
“...”
“...Uh-”
The peasant hesitantly took something out of her inventory- alcohol, like the one they had drunk just the day before. Immerkind graciously accepted, sitting down and beginning to down it immediately- until not a single drop remained.
…Maybe not the best coping mechanism, but with the world supposedly ending in a few days, supposedly, so what the heck?
But seeing her dear friend like this broke the peasant's heart.
When the automaton was done, she tossed the bottle aside. Maybe not the most kind thing to do, but she was in a rough spot. The peasant watched as her friend buried her head in her own arms, that radiant smile all but gone.
“Princess…”
The peasant wondered why Immerkind was so… obsessed over this. Whether they were siblings or lovers, why did it matter to her so much? But she didn’t dare ask. They merely waited together, sitting next to each other, for Tam's response.
…The silence was awkward.
To break it, the peasant suggested-
“Why not kill cows?”
Immerkind looked at her, dumbfounded. Before she could ask, the peasant elaborated:
“When I feel down, I find that killing cows is a wonderful way of brightening back up. You should try it!”
Immerkind's expression turned amused, then thoughtful.
“...Why not?”
Maybe it was a choice influenced by the alcohol, but Immerkind wanted to give it a try. ‘A try.’ The peasant watched as Immerkind's expression turned from sad to nigh-malevolent. It was kind of scary, honestly.
But seeing her friend cheer up brought a smile to her face.
.
.
.
Was someone calling for her? The peasant didn't bother to check. There was no point in checking, no point in trying. Why try, when the water could take all her troubles away? It was better this way. Kouseki Bijou could take care of the children. It'd make her happier, anyway. The Hot Pink One would probably be delighted with her gone - the suppliers, too. The more she thought about it, the less she tried.
The best course of action would simply be to sink. To drown. To let the water take her.
Especially after today's events.
Especially after Immerkind's rejection.
.
.
.
Flowers. A bouquet of them, something the peasant never thought she would've been able to afford before coming to Libestal. Or maybe she would've been able to, as a genie, or whatever she was. Her memories were still jumbled up, confusing. A life that was so different from her current one. But today, the present was more important.
After all, tomorrow, some would stay and some would go.
They met at a bridge, thanks to some… intervention from Gohnathan. Not just any bridge, but a memorable one. After all, they'd solidified their bonds here, drank the night away. And just like that night, for different reasons, the peasant was shaking. But she calmed her nerves.
And she walked forward.
“Immerkind!”
She called out. Her friend turned, greeting her with a smile. That radiant smile that spread to her face as she approached, flowers in hand. Stopping in her tracks, she thrusted the flowers forward, offering them to Immerkind.
“Immerkind-”
The smile had turned into surprise, then confusion.
“Immerkind.”
That was the third time she'd said her name, the peasant thought. It was a nice name, a beautiful name. It really did embody her kindness.
“There is something I must say to you.”
She was sweating. Who wouldn't be in this situation? But if she didn’t say what she wanted to, she'd regret it for the rest of her life.
“For a while now… every meeting we've had has brightened my spirits.”
Her hand was still outstretched, but Immerkind hadn't taken them flowers yet. She continued regardless.
“You have been truly kind to me, when many others have not. A breath of fresh air in the pollution that is the ruination.”
Her heart was thumping, hammering against her chest so hard the rat thought she would've fallen over. But if she had the resolve to save the world, then she would have the resolve to say what she needed to.
“Immerkind… for the longest time…”
Her eyes focused on her own hands, gripping tightly around the rose bouquet.
“I've been in love with you.”
Finally, her eyes raised. The peasant looked up at her friend, her savior, the person who stole her heart…
The peasant looked at how she smiled.
…a smile that was far sadder than the peasant was used to.
“Peasant…”
It was now Immerkind's turn to look away.
“I’m sorry.”
The peasant's eyes widened. The hand holding the flowers faltered, even before Immmerkind pushed them back towards her.
“I have sworn loyalty to the princess.”
The hand gripping the flowers tightened. The princess, again. Why was Immerkind so obsessed with her? Why did Immerkind care so much about Iphania?
The same way…
…the realisation hit her harder than her memories did.
Immerkind was in love with the princess.
“I'm sorry.”
Immerkind repeated. The peasant's hand lowered, hanging loosely by her side. The bouquet dropped onto the floor.
Yet, she forced a smile.
“I understand.”
Yet she didn't. She didn't understand why Immerkind was so smitten with the princess of Libestal, especially after all the princess had done was break her heart. She truly didn't understand the loyalty of the knights.
…And it seemed she didn't understand love.
Immerkind looked concerned. It appeared she hadn't believed the peasant's blatant lie. That look of concern made the peasant's heart ache more than it already did. Turning away, the peasant opened her mouth one last time.
“I- I must be leaving now. Goodbye.”
She took off before Immerkind could stop her, ignoring the worried shouts. Ignoring the regret pooling in her mind, the intrusive thoughts that clouded her head. She tried to ignore it, tried to stop thinking. But she couldn't, curse it all. She couldn't stop tears from falling from her eyes. She couldn't stop the choked sounds coming out from her throat.
And so she ran. Immerkind wasn't following her, but she ran, eyes closed. But when she opened them…
She saw the water. Crystal clear as ever, reflecting the colour of the clear sky. The water could help her. The water WOULD help her.
And so she stopped running.
And fell instead.
.
.
.
She couldn't open her eyes anymore. But it was alright. A sense of calm washed over her, as she thought to herself. It was all going to be over. The water would take it all away.
And so the peasant sank.
Deeper and deeper.
Until she couldn't anymore.
Until she didn't know if she sunk, still.
Until every part of her body stopped moving.