On Aqua's table was Lira's crystal; it sat on the parchment she used to document her new spells. She sat on the chair and crossed her legs as she fiddled with the crystal with her fingertips.
It constantly hummed.
"Lira, Lira…" A small, sadistic smile formed on Aqua's lips. "It hurts, doesn't it… being my enemy~"
Those who dared touch what she cared about would suffer a fate worse than death. It was a promise.
She cared about the girls whom she now called friends.
Aqua wrapped her fingers around the small crystal and brought it close to her eyes.
That vile woman would suffer as long as Aqua needed her to. She would experience pain and excruciating agony until she learned everything she needed about Rolan's spell.
Am I overdoing it? Didn't I wish to avoid unnecessary cruelty ever since I punished Gabriel?
The cruelty she wished to inflict upon Lira and Rolan was much like what Divinity always strived for.
"No… I will do what I need to, and after I punish her, she will be free in death." She lifted the crystal, and her expression saddened.
A vow she had made when she became divine was that she would not become like them; she would not allow herself to become like the parasite that hunted her.
"I hope I can resist the corruption…" Despite her desire not to become like the gods she hated, the sadistic satisfaction she felt from tormenting Lira was like a drug.
She gripped the crystal, and the humming intensified. Just before it cracked, she threw it into her pocket dimension and gripped the back of her head. "Aqua… do not become like divine parasites, I know you can do it!"
While she rationalized it by the fact that some deserved such cruelty, it was exactly this philosophy that the divinity operated on.
A small tear welled up in her eye, "I do not want to lose what I care about anymore…"
Knock.Knock.Knock.
The knock made her ears twitch as she quickly wiped her eyes. Is it morning already?
She had promised Azure she would help her with her hair, and she would not dare miss it. Her lips formed a thin line as she stood up and approached her door.
Her eyes closed, and a sigh escaped her lips before she wrapped her fingers around the knob and opened the door. In front of her was a girl she knew well.
"Azure." Aqua smiled as she looked her over. Her long white hair was a mess, and instead of her usual armor, she wore a simple green dress. The champion's face wore a slight red tint as she held her hands in a V shape before her.
"Hey… Aqua…" Azure stumbled over her words while fidgeting, "Sorry for seeing me so disheveled."
"Don't be silly." Aqua grinned, "Please enter, I expected you."
With a nod, Azure moved past Aqua into the 'Servant's' chamber.
Her gaze wandered from the girl's bed, then to the table, and finally back at Aqua.
"Sit, please." Aqua pulled out a chair and motioned for Azure to sit, to which the girl promptly obeyed.
"S…sure!" She gripped her dress and stared at the floor.
"No need to be nervous, you know I will not hurt you."
"It's not that, I am just nervous, I have never had someone take care of my hair before."
Aqua stepped back. It was an unexpected development; it was much like her. Her hand disappeared into the storage and retrieved a small and elegant hairbrush. "And it's the first time I am doing it to someone else, so I guess it's the first time for both of us."
The girl chuckled, "I will be in your care, Aqua."
"Of course~" Aqua moved her hand underneath Azure's long and lush hair and pulled it over the chair, "Please lean back, and I will do my magic."
With a nod, Azure relaxed and let herself get taken care of for the first time in her life. "Aqua, I wanted to ask you something."
The brush moved gently through the hair as Aqua tilted her head, "What is it, Azure?"
"First… would you mind just calling me Azu? Sheira made it up to tease me, but I think it has grown on me recently. I would like it if you would accept it."
"Oh?"
The girl's face became red as she continued, "I just believe it's unfair for someone who has done so much for me to call me by my name instead of a nickname like Sheira does."
"I do not mind." Aqua leaned over to Azure's ear and whispered, "Azu~"
Azure's eyes widened and ears twitched, "Thanks…"
"But of course," Aqua slowly and gently pulled back Azure's hair and split it in two. She then slowly pulled the brush through it, "I don't really have any nicknames I can give to you, but you may call me however you wish."
"Really?" Azure snapped back, yanking her hair away from Aqua's hand.
"Yes, I don't think any of my titles would suffice for a friendly nickname." Aqua chuckled slightly as she picked up where she stopped.
"Hmmm… I guess I need to work hard, just for you."
"Azure, you really are adorable."
"Not something people usually say about me, thank you." She smiled as Aqua approached from her side.
"Surprising." With a final swipe, the tangles and disheveled appearance were flattened, and Azure's hair returned to the proper shape.
"Is there any style you would like me to make for you? I am decent with most."
"A…A style?"
"Yes, maybe a braid…"
"I will let you decide, Aqua." Azure stared at the floor as if it were about to open under her.
The champion brought her hand to her mouth and coughed, "Then the second thing I wished to ask was." She paused for a moment. "Would you spar with me? I know you trained me at casting and improved my reactions, but I want to see if I can do anything more than the first time we fought…" She stopped, patiently awaiting a response.
Aqua slowly pushed Azure's hair under itself and then through the loop, slowly braiding it. "I don't see why not. Did you have time in mind?"
"Umm… I thought sometime in the next couple of days, but first I wanted to see if you would like to go with me to the city." She fidgeted slightly.
"Why?" Aqua retrieved a small band from her spatial storage and gently tied the end of the large braid.
"While I was captured, I did not have a chance to spend much time with you, and I would like to compensate for it!" She placed her hands on her hips as she proudly exclaimed.
However, it did not take her long to realize what she had said, and her ears to slump down and her face to become ever redder than before.
She slapped herself and focused. She needed to stop behaving as if she were a little girl in love.
Azu, you really are adorable. Aqua shook her head, "Sure, we can go after I am done braiding your hair."
"Understood, Ma'am!" Azure saluted in an exaggerated manner.
"Why so serious?"
"You can't blame me! I am in the presence of my heroine, can't let all of my dignity just fly off to distant horizons, you know?"
Aqua's cheeks puffed up and her eyes squinted as she held the laughter, yet soon after, a hearty laugh escaped her throat.
"No need to laugh at me…" Azu grumbled and pouted as she crossed her arms.
"I am not laughing at you." The heroine took a step back and smiled.
"I know!" A sigh escaped Azure's lips as she pushed herself up and turned to Aqua.
She spread her hands and spun around. Her hair was styled in a waterfall braid, giving Azure an even more alluring appearance when combined with her simple green dress.
"What do you think?"
"You look beautiful."
"Big praise coming from you." Azu clasped her hands before pulling the chair and staring at Aqua. "My turn, sit down."
Aqua tilted her head before Azure approached behind her and gently pushed her down on the chair. "Let your Azu return the favor and style your hair too!"
Huh? Aqua was left speechless as Azure became more assertive and gently pushed her down on the chair. She then spun her and tenderly grabbed her hair.
"Yours is always so nice and without knots, but I would like to brush it." Azure smiled. "May I borrow your brush?"
She merely nodded before handing her the brush. "Thank you, Azu…"
"Hey, it's only natural for me to return a favor." She pushed her tongue out slightly as she focused on her heroine's hair.
The brush moved through the red silky strands, "Any style you would like?"
"Anything you want…" Aqua blushed slightly while her fingers gripped the fabric of her skirt as Azure slowly moved the brush through her hair without any effort or resistance. The white haired girl used her fingers to streak through it, making sure to relish the sensation.
Then her eyes fell on a small blue hairpin. "Aqua, didn't know you used hairpins."
"Ah, this?" She slowly moved her hand up and removed the pin, "Lucia bought it for me as a gift."
The revelation made her widen her eyes for a moment. "I need to step up…" she muttered; fortunately, Aqua ignored her. "It's very pretty."
"I know, I like it." With a smile, Aqua placed the pin into her storage, "I'll remove it for now."
Azure pouted slightly as she glided through the lush red strands. She handed the brush to Aqua, who promptly threw it into her storage.
"I have an idea what style would work great for you!"
She seems strangely ecstatic about merely helping style my hair. She couldn't help but smile as she leaned her head back and relaxed.
Azure's fingers nimbly worked around her hair and slowly shaped and braided it into a Geisha braid style.
"Aqua, may I borrow your pin?"
Aqua turned slightly, and her ears twitched. "Sure," her hand disappeared into her storage, and she retrieved the small pin, which she swiftly handed to the girl behind her.
With the precision of an experienced salonist, Azure used the pin to secure the braid and clasped her hands. "Done!"
Aqua pushed herself up and turned to Azure, "Thank you, Azu. I never had someone do my hair for me before… I appreciate it, truly."
She placed her hands on her hips and proudly raised her nose. "You did the same for me, that's what friends are for!"
"I suppose." Aqua turned her gaze down, and her ears slumped slightly. She really is an amazing person.
Her hand plunged into the dimensional void and retrieved the same magic mirror she had used to stalk Azure's whereabouts; however, this time it was an ordinary mirror.
It looks so good. Azure is really talented. She moved her head left and right, gracefully admiring her new style.
In a way, she had regretted not protecting Azure more from Lira.
However, the situation was over, and Lira had finally served a useful purpose other than being a thorn in Aqua's backside. Yet my inaction made the goddess act, how unforgivable.
She shook her head before her lips widened into a smile. She then grabbed Azure's hand and smiled. "You really are talented."
The words made Azure widen her eyes and her face turn into a shade of red comparable to Aqua's hair.
"It's the least I can do. Let's do this for each other more often."
"I would love that." Aqua nodded as she let go of Azure's hand. "I guess we have some free time now."
"Indeed, perhaps we can go to the city as you wished."
"Now?" Azure stepped back in shock.
"Why not not like I have much else to do?"
"If… if you are sure." Azure fiddled with her fingers for a moment.
"Of course I am. Just give me a moment, and we can head out."
"Okay!" Azure squealed slightly as she exclaimed. She finally had a chance to be alone with Aqua after days of isolation.