Over a dozen years had passed.
A grown woman stood in front of the mirror, looking at the tall figure inside.
Her long brown curly hair hung down to her calves.
Her bangs covered most of her face, revealing one bright red eye that gleamed faintly under the light.
She reached up to push her bangs aside a bit, looked at her full face, and then let them fall back.
She wore a mustard yellow turtleneck knit sweater, the fitted material outlining the lines of her waist.
Over it, she draped a loose, dark green long coat, the hem hanging below her knees, swaying gently with her steps when she walked.
On her lower half, she wore dark brown shorts, and black pantyhose wrapped from her waist to her toes without a single gap letting light through.
She turned to look at her profile.
The silhouette in the mirror was slender and tall, more than a head taller than that skinny little wild child from over a decade ago.
She wouldn’t be mistaken for a child anywhere anymore.
Especially since she couldn’t see her own feet when she looked down anymore?
And she didn’t dare to run anymore either.
(T/N: There was an image here, but I don’t have it, and even if I wanted it, they wouldn’t let me pay for it.)
● Over the years, you are no longer that bullied little kid, because now you are a big kid =• ֊ •=
Flowey poked his head out of the flower pot.
“You’ve already looked in the mirror three times today.”
Chara didn’t argue.
She buttoned up her coat and turned to walk to the bed.
“Chara, when are you going to change my flower pot to a bigger one?”
“Didn’t you say this size was just right?”
“That was over ten years ago.
My stem and roots have grown a bit more now, and it’s really cramped.”
Chara glanced at him.
“Alright, alright, I’ll change it tomorrow.”
Flowey shrunk back into his petals, satisfied.
Their way of getting along over the past decade and more had barely changed at all?
Flowey was still that flower, planted in his pot, sleeping, eating, and sunbathing every day.
Occasionally, when Chara went on missions, he would wrap around her arm and go down with her.
Chara had never thought about leaving Flowey anywhere else, taking him wherever she went, like carrying around a chattering flower pot.
The only change was that Flowey didn’t dare to stay in the bathroom while she took a bath anymore?
Once, Chara called out to him from the bathroom.
“Didn’t you refuse to leave back then?
Why don’t you dare to come in now?”
Flowey’s voice came from outside the door.
“That was when you were a kid!
You’re an adult now!
I have shame even if you don’t!”
She laughed in the bathroom and continued to tease him.
“You’ve seen everything anyway, isn’t this normal?
It’s not like this one time matters?”
“No way!”
In the eyes of the others on the train, she was indeed an adult now.
Her height had grown to over 1.7 meters, standing at the same height as Dolly.
Her figure was clear and sharp, but the loose coat hid most of her shape, though the tight inner wear still highlighted her good feminine lines.
When she walked down the corridor, those who had boarded the train a few years earlier would occasionally freeze for a moment before realizing this was the little girl who couldn’t even read the menu back then.
And the new recruits even secretly had crushes on her and confessed to her?
She had already started taking on more responsibilities on the train. This story is hosted at g.com.
Placing Space Anchors, exploring, and liaising.
She could independently complete most of the Trailblaze procedures.
The trace of power Akivili had injected into her SOUL over a decade ago had completely fused into her body.
She could feel the subtle vibrations of the train and distinguish the weak fluctuations on the star rails.
Although she hadn’t reached the level of a Navigator yet, she believed she would reach that step one day.
Dolly hadn’t taught her music in these years.
Her level no longer required Dolly to teach her hand by hand.
She would occasionally go to the Parlor Car at night to play the piano.
Her playing style was 85% similar to Dolly’s, and of course, Dolly was very satisfied with it.
Sometimes Dolly would stand at the door and listen to the end.
Sometimes Isee would sit in the corner holding a teacup, listening from start to finish.
Life over these years had been quiet and stable.
Until that day.
That evening, Chara was sitting in the Parlor Car, Flowey’s flower pot placed on the table next to her.
Outside the window was a planet approaching, its orange-yellow surface covered with large swaths of storm clouds.
It didn’t look very suitable for a stop, but the star map marked an ancient star rail branch here, worth exploring.
Akivili walked in.
He hadn’t changed much over the years, still looking the same: grayish-white long hair, black clothes with golden decorations, and an androgynous face and voice.
But when He walked in, Chara felt that something was different.
His steps were a bit slower than usual.
Although the difference was small, she could tell.
Akivili walked to the window and looked at the planet, standing quietly for a while.
Then He spoke.
“Chara.”
“Yeah?”
“Come here.”
Chara stood up and walked to His side.
She followed His gaze, looking out the window at the planet.
The storm clouds were moving slowly, the clouds at the edges scattered by the wind and then gathering again.
“There are some things I need to tell you, but I’m not sure how to start.”
Chara didn’t respond, waiting for Him to continue.
Akivili was silent for a moment, then turned to look at her.
Those light-colored eyes reflected the starlight outside the window, calm as water.
“I’m leaving.”
Chara looked at Him.
“Leaving?”
“I know you won’t be able to find me for a while.”
The carriage fell silent.
Chara’s breath hitched for an instant, then she heard herself say, “What do you mean?”
“Because some things have reached their end.”
Akivili’s tone was still as flat, like talking about something He had known for a long time.
“The path of Trailblaze is long, but the end will always be reached.”
“What about the train?”
“The train will keep moving forward, and you all will keep moving forward.”
Akivili raised His hand, just like over a decade ago, His fingertip touching Chara’s chest.
“You’ve grown up.
You’re much bigger than when I first saw you.”
Chara looked at Him, her mouth opening slightly without making a sound. Get faster updates on g.com.
“Before I leave,” Akivili said, “there is one more thing to do.”
He withdrew His hand, turned around, and walked back to the star map.
His finger traced a flickering dot of light.
“Tonight, let everyone have a meal together.”
His voice didn’t change when He said this.
…
That night, the dining car was full of people.
The long table was filled with food.
Hot soup, steamed bread, and roast meat were piled on plates, and a few bottles of wine, who knows where they came from, were placed in the corner.
Almost all the Nameless came, some standing, some sitting, some leaning by the window holding cups.
Akivili sat at the very front of the long table, a peaceful expression on His face.
He raised His cup and clinked it towards everyone.
“Eat,” He said.
“Today, no talking about star maps, no talking about missions.”
Someone laughed, though it wasn’t very natural.
Others gradually started moving, some getting food, some pouring wine, and some starting to chat about things unrelated to Trailblaze.
The atmosphere slowly warmed up, although that warmth carried something indescribable.
Chara sat in the corner, a bowl of soup in front of her, but she didn’t drink it.
She watched the Nameless, watching Dolly sitting by the window chatting with someone, a smile on her face, but it was different from her usual smile.
Isee sat at the other end, holding a teacup, not drinking it.
Akivili stood up, holding His cup, and clinked it towards everyone.
“Before I leave, I have a request.”
Everyone’s eyes turned to Him.
“Smile.”
He said it very casually, a slight arc on the corners of His mouth, as if talking about a simple little thing.
The carriage went quiet.
No one smiled.
Some lowered their heads; some looked away.
Dolly’s smile froze, then slowly faded.
Isee’s teacup stopped at his lips, the tea not going in.
Chara looked at Akivili, looking at that faint smile on His face that was almost invisible.
She didn’t smile, nor did she lower her head.
Akivili looked at everyone, silent for a moment, then smiled Himself.
Very lightly, without a sound, just the corners of His mouth curving slightly.
“Forget it,” He said.
“I won’t force you.”
He put down His cup, turned around, and walked out of the dining car.
Almost at the same time, all the Nameless made their signature gesture towards Him: “May this journey lead us starward!”
He paused for a moment.
The golden decorations on His cape flashed slightly under the light.
Then, with a loud laugh, He disappeared at the door…
No one spoke in the dining car.
Chara lowered her hands and her head, looking at the bowl of soup that had already gone cold.
● You seem to know something…
but you are still filled with DETERMINATION.
After Akivili disappeared, Pom-Pom came in from the door, his voice somewhat choked.
“You jerk…
come back early!
Or Conductor Pom-Pom will punish you with a week of sweeping!”