43 Family matters (1/2)
Part 1
Ria and Ashley were casually shopping in the city looking for a store that would sell them some fabric. They've been looking around all day for a place that could provide a material that would satisfy Ria's demanding tastes.
”Ria, why are we looking for fabric again...?”
”I want to see if I can have Evlin use her magic to create something nice to wear with it! Everything she creates always ends up looking so cool, I want her to try doing something related to clothes as well!!”
”You wanna trust that girl with stuff related to fashion...?”
”Why not? She can transform anything into whatever she imagines right?”
”Yeah, to whatever she imagines it... But all she ever thinks about is fight-related matters... She has no sense of style...”
”Come on... It can't be that bad...”
”She keeps asking me to help shave her head because her hair keeps falling into her eyes during battles... You think that girl will have any idea of how to make a nice looking dress...?”
”I see... But I'm not worried... It's not for me after all...”
”It's not...?”
”Nope! I want her to make something for Sphinx to wear!!”
”Sphinx!!?? You want to dress up a griffin??”
”Of course!! Once she hears about it, I know she will be just as excited!!”
”Huh... Probably... But do you think Sphinx will like it...?”
”Maybe not... But you see, Ashley... Dressing up your animal is one of the many joys of having a pet! It would be a waste not to!!”
”I feel sorry for Sphinx...”
The two girls kept looking around a little more. Evlin and Lilith were in their hideout located inside the forest close to the city sparing with each other and sharpening their combat skills.
Daren, Auren, and Gustav were also in the city but on a different location trying to sense the presence of any hidden blessed metal nearby. Sphinx was nearby Evlin and Lilith keeping watch.
Ria finally managed to find and buy a large piece of fabric that suited her desire after looking around so much and was ready to return to the hideout with Ashley.
”I can't believe I finally found it!! It's perfect!!”
”... Isn't that just like the others we saw??”
”Silly Ashley, they might have the same color but try just touching it.”
”Oh, wow! That does feel good! I guess Sphinx might like it after all...”
”Of course he will! It's a present made with love and-”
”...”
”... And...”
”Ria?”
Ashley realized that Ria was paralyzed staring at something behind her while trembling. Ashley turned around to see what she was looking at and saw a young girl who looked exactly like Ria but much smaller.
”Oh hey... That girl kinda looks like you...”
”... We... We should leave now...”
”Eh...? What's wrong?”
The small girl turned around and had her attention captured by the large piece of fabric Ria was carrying. She then decided to approach it out of curiosity.
”Oh wow!! That cloth is beautiful! Where did you get-”
The young girl's eyes met with Ria's and the two remained in silence for a few seconds. The young girl then proceeded to tear up and start crying.
”Big sis...? Is that you??”
Ria remained silent trying to hide her face behind the cloth but to no success. Ashley was observing the situation in confusion.
”BIG SIS!!!! I FOUND YOU!!!”
”Argghh!! Stop it!”
The young girl started to hug Ria like a bear and almost made her drop the fabric. Ashley kept enjoying the scene and would probably find it very emotional if it wasn't for the fact that she didn't know how that girl could be Ria's sister.
”I can't believe you're back after so long!! I missed you so much!! We all did!!”
”Mia let me go!! You're embarrassing me!!”
”No!! I'm never letting you go again! If you try to teleport you will have to take me with you!!”
The girl knew about Ria's wind-scar ability and Ria knew her name. Even if they weren't sisters they clearly knew each other. Ashley still didn't know how that was possible. Mia finally noticed Ashley looking at her and released Ria.
”Ah! You must be big sis's friend! Nice to meet you! I'm Mia, her younger sister!”
”Younger sister... But... Ria was stuck as a statue for two-hundred years... How is that possible?”
”What!!?? Ria you were turned into a statue?? How did that happen?”
”Huh... It's a long story...”
Ria noticed the confused look on Ashley's eyes and finally started to explain things.
”Ash, this is my younger sister, Mia... She's an immortal...”
”... Excuse me...?”
”When Mia was young... Er... Our parents would take us to the church every day to pray... Most of my sisters would just get bored to death by it but Mia really enjoyed it for some reason... Every time she went there, she would pray for the gods to let her stay as a kid forever...”
”Let me guess... She received a blessing from the gods to never age...?”
”That's right hehe!! I'll be young and beautiful forever!!”
Ashley was wondering what kind of god would just hand out the power of immortality to a small child so easily. She also realized that this means Mia is the only person from Ria's family who's still alive after all these years. You would think Ria would be jumping of joy at hearing this news, but she looked like she wanted nothing to do with her younger sister. What kind of relationship did the two have in the past?
”So does this mean she is over two-hundred years old?”
”As of right now, I'm two-hundred and fifteen!! That makes me your senior!!”
”But... She still talks like a kid...”
Ria looked at her with a look of ”This is such a pain...”. It was rare for Ashley to see Ria so restless.
”That's because she stopped aging when she was just twelve... So despite being technically older she never really matured...”
”Of course I matured!! Don't talk like you know me after disappearing for two whole centuries!!”
”Oh please... You look and act the same way you did the last time I saw you... You didn't change at all... I bet after mom and dad died you just lazed around all day for all these years...”
”Big sis... Your words hurt... We reunited after so long and you act so cold towards me!!”
”Well... I was pretty much sleeping all this time... For you it has been centuries but for me, it's just been a few months...”
”Oh right! What's this about you becoming a statue?? How did that happen??”
”It's a long story and I don't feel like talking right now... I rather listen to what you have been doing for all this time...”
”Huh... Well...”
”So you really have been lazing around all day huh...?”
”No!! Not at all!! In fact, I managed to get a new job not too long ago!”
”A job...? With that appearance?”
”Yeah!! One where I could spend all day with my boyfriend!!”
”Your boyfriend?? You got a job and a boyfriend??”
”Yeah!!! Aren't I amazing? He even introduced me to his mother.”
”Eh...?? Hold on, slow down a little, you're going to fast! How did you got a job and boyfriend in the first place while looking like you are twelve?”
”Oh, his mother helped me with that! My beloved asked her what did she thought of me and she was all 'She's perfect!!'. Imagine how much I blushed at the moment, hehe!!”
”Wha... What...?”
Ria was about to lose her mind. Her younger sister was apparently dating a guy who was old enough to work despite the fact that she looked like a small child. Was she dating a man who was interested in little girls?? And on top of that, his mother was ok with it as well? Ria wanted to find this guy and smack him in the face the more Mia kept talking.
”She offered me to work with her son and now we spend every day together as one lovely couple!! Isn't it romantic??”
Ria looked like her soul was about to leave her body from the shock of the information. ”My little sis was defiled...” Is what she was thinking. Ashley tried to speak for the dead-eyed Ria.
”Huh... Mia... This boyfriend of yours... Does he know how old you really are? And how old is he exactly??”
”Oh, don't be silly... Even if he is a little younger than me, Love transcends all barriers!! Even age!”
”... I think that barrier is a little too big Mia...”
”You just don't believe in the power of love!! You non-believer!!!”
Ashley grabbed Ria who was still out of reality and tried to speak to her in whispers.
”Hey, Ria... Is that ok...?”
”How could this be ok??? Look at her!!!”
”But... Technically they are both adults right?”
”Can you really look at this face and call her an adult?? She just lived for a long time but she's basically still a baby!!”
”I can hear you you know?? Who are you calling a baby?”
”Mia!! I want you to introduce me to this guy right now!!”
Part 2
The three girls walked around the city with Mia guiding them as they moved towards the location the 'boyfriend' was waiting on. The lad was surprised to see the young girl accompanied by two friends by her side as they approached him. He was in the middle of reading a book sitting on a bench under the shade of a large tree located in the center of the city next to a fountain.
”Oh, Mia! You're... Back...?”
”Hello, my darling!! Guess what I found while strolling around the town!!”