46 Stage 46: Sweet Sadness

Lixin and Berry Fairy darted through the streets, staying away from the main roads and using the side roads to their advantage. Although they knew they needed to be discreet they pushed themselves to move faster so that they could make it to the library before it closed.

Even with their caution, their haste caught the attention of a patrolling guard who stopped them in their tracks. Lixin felt himself tense up as he watched the guard approach and knew that any wrong move could get them both into trouble.

"What are you two doing?" The guard asked, looking suspiciously at both of them.

"W...We're having a race," Berry Fairy said swiftly as she subtly moved in front of Lixin. "We made a bet with each other to see which one was the fastest."

Even though it was an obvious lie the guard seemed to buy it. Lixin knew that it was because of their Personas. To the guard, both of them grew up in the town so his affinity for them would be high.

However, he had a feeling that if this had happened in another town where the residents didn't know them they would have been locked up quickly. He could only thank his lucky stars that he got the quest here.

"Racing? Wouldn't it be better to do that in the daytime?" the guard asked, amused by their silliness.

Seeing that the guard was buying it, Berry Fairy shook her head and said, "No, we got to do it at night. It's more challenging that way."

"I see, I see," the guard laughed, humoring her. "Alright, continue on your way but make sure not to stay out too late and go home afterwards."

With that, he let them pass. Lixin and Berry Fairy continued on their way until they were out of the visual range of the guard. Once they were they let out a huge sigh of relief. That was close!

"Good job, Berry," Lixin praised.

"Thanks. Did I ever tell you how I wanted to be an actress? But you probably already guessed after seeing my talent."

Her randomness made Lixin laugh. "You know what? I did have a feeling that you might have been training to become one."

"Of course you did," Berry Fairy smiled happily. "My skills are just too prominent to hide."

After their playful exchange, they continued on their way, taking extra care not to draw attention to themselves again. It took a few minutes but they eventually reached the library without incident.

Lixin took a quick glance at the sign and saw that the library was open from 1 a.m. to 8 p.m. Relief washed over him knowing that they made it with 30 minutes to spare.

"We made it!" Berry Fairy exclaimed. "I was scared that it would be closed."

Lixin nodded in agreement. "Me too. But it looks like we made it in time."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's give Zinnia's body to her mother."

~

Lixin and Berry Fairy climbed up the steps to the library, their hearts filled with determination, eager to give Zinnia's mother closure. But when they neared the door a sudden thought struck Lixin's mind.

Before reaching out his hand to open the door, he stopped in place. Noticing his hesitation, Berry Fairy looked at him quizzically.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"We can't go in there like this," Lixin replied, his eyes filled with worry. "If we just handed the skeleton to the woman and said 'Here we found your daughter.' I think the NPC will freak out and it might affect the completion of the quest."

"You're right. What should we do?" Berry Fairy questioned. Her own worries are beginning to surface.

After a few moments of thoughtful silence, Lixin came up with an idea. "We will ease her into it first."

"How will we do that?"

"First, I will show her Zinnia's present," he said while handing the skeleton over to her. "She will be in a state of shock after receiving it but after that, she will be curious about where I found them and if I have seen her daughter's body. That's when I call you in."

Berry Fairy nodded, realizing that would be the best way to go about it. "That sounds like a good idea."

"Alright, wish me luck."

~

He pulled Zinnia's bag from his inventory and carefully opened the library door, so as not to make too much noise. His eyes darted around the dimly lit room, taking in the towering bookshelves, and finally settled on Mrs. Mayflower who still sat at her desk.

His heart hammered in his chest as he slowly approached her, rehearsing the words he wanted to say over and over in his head. As his footsteps sounded against the floor, she glanced up and met his gaze.

The librarian stared at Lixin, her arms crossed in confusion as to why he had returned so late. Then she noticed the purple bag that was held tightly in his hands.

She leaped up from her desk and marched towards him, her eyes glued to the bag. Her fingers trembled as she grabbed it, and she gasped audibly when she read the name tag inside. "Where ...Where did you find it?"

"I think it would be better if you sat down," he said cautiously.

"No, tell me where you found it!" Mrs. Mayflower exclaimed in desperation.

Taking a deep breath, Lixin began spinning a story—weaving truth with fiction until they became one. He explained that when he left earlier he was preparing to meet his friend. He told her how his friend told him she might know where to find the book he was looking for.

However, she wanted his help in looking for something first. He told her that when they were in the forest the ground began to shake and how they tumbled down into some dark tunnels, where they discovered the bag in a corner.

"This is what we found near the bag," Lixin said as he pulled out a book and a Whooselit flower from his inventory and handed them to her. He then motioned for her to open the book, which revealed a birthday card made by her daughter.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she read it, clasping it to her chest tightly. She then took the flower from his hand, thanking him for finding it.

"No, thanks is needed. I just did what I thought was right."

She looked at him, her eyes shining with gratitude through her tears. She knew he would never know what this card and flower meant to her. It was a symbol of her daughters' love, something she never thought she would experience again.

Mrs. Mayflower missed her daughter dearly. These last few years without knowing what happened to her were agonizing. But now because of this boy, she finally knew and felt closer to the closure she needed.

As she clutched the flower and card to her chest she wished she had some way to repay the young lad. Suddenly she remembered the book she was holding.

"Here take the book. I know my daughter would want you to have it," Mrs. Mayflower said.

Taking the book from her hand, Lixin smiled softly. "Thank you."

[Cora:] [Quest completed!]

[Cora:] [You have gained: 100 EXP]

[Cora:] [You have gained: Truth and Discovery volume two]

~

Author Says: Poor Mrs. Mayflower.