The next day, we follow Brynhildr as we walk through Yggdrasil, when we’re suddenly covered in a fog.
It was clear this whole time, but before we knew it, we were above the clouds.
I don’t even know when we got here, so it feels like we teleported.
“When…?”
“As we get closer to the top of Yggdrasil, it is different from the world below.”
She says, and I have a small question.
“But I can see the top from afar?”
“That is because of the light of Víðópnir, which links the worlds. That light still remains, but it won’t be visible before long.”
“Ah…”
I think back to the beasts that were the cause of the high elves’ troubles.
They were sealed again after understanding that the orders didn’t come from god, but if they were still here, they would still be sapping magic energy.
I didn’t think about it, but looking back, the top of Yggdrasil was less visible than before.
“Normally, only those accepted by the great spirits may enter here…”
“It’s so white!”
Snow’s happy voice interrupts Brynhildr.
“Of course, you are not a problem.”
We smile at Snow’s innocent reaction, and slow our pace a little so she can have a nice look at the scenery.
We can see a sea of clouds when we look down, like we’re on an airplane.
“This also really feels like fantasy.”
There’s the blue sky and the sun above us, and the white sea below. There is still more to the tree, but I can see the top after that abundance of green.
The way it feels like all in nature is in Yggdrasil makes it seem like a painting of a legend.
This sight is just as good or better than the first time I saw the night sky on this island, or when Suzaku showed me the whole island.
“…I see.”
Says Edinburgh next to me, with her voice sounding a little more grave than usual.
“Edinburgh? Did you remember something?”
“I was born from the magic energy of Yggdrasil.”
“…”
If she recovered even just some of her memories, that’s something to be happy about, but her face looks stern.
It’s like there’s something bad about those memories themselves.
“…I’m sorry. I just realized one of the reasons why I lost my memory.”
“Something bad?”
“Yes… Well, maybe it’s selfishness on my part…”
Edinburgh looks like she has mixed feelings.
“In the end, I only recognize Wilhelmina Vermilion Worheim as my mother and god. But upon reaching this island, I couldn’t accept that this was my origin.”
“…And that’s why you erased your memories.?”
“One of the reasons. I can understand these emotions, but I feel there are more substantial reasons…”
“Snow wait! They’re talking about something important stoooop!”
“Hn?”
I hear Tiltue’s flustered voice, and when I turn around, I see Snow running with a big smile on her face.
I brace for another tackle, but she runs past me and towards Edinburgh.
“Eh?”
“Bam!”
“O-oooh!?”
She lets out a rare startled voice, and they fall off Yggdrasil.
“…Wai, eeeeeeh!?”
I see them, and immediately jump after them.
I don’t know if Edinburgh can fly with magic.
I don’t even know how many thousands of meters we were from the ground, but even they can’t crash into the ground and…
“Hahahaha! It feels good!”
“…”
Snow laughs as she rolls around on a white cloud.
Edinburgh was holding her to protect her, but she looks baffled.
“…We can get on the clouds?”
When I land on the cloud, I hear a soft sound, sink a little, and a small cloud flies.
It doesn’t seem like I’ll keep falling, but it feels weird. It’s like I stepped on an escalator that stopped, without realizing it.
Once I step on it, it’s surprisingly stable.
Edinburgh gets up, and watches as Snow rolls around.
I rush a little towards them, but when Snow sees me, she runs away.
Edinburgh holds her, so I catch her before she runs again.
“Ah… You got Snow.”
“Why did you do that?”
I feel like she’s been up to more mischief lately, but this one really scared me.
I’m asking with some anger in my voice, and she raises her eyes with her fingers.
“Because Edi looked like this!”
“Me?”
“Snow wanted Edi to laugh!”
I let go of Snow, who smiles innocently. I guess that was Snow’s way of making her feel better.
I should tell her that tackling someone off a tree isn’t a good way to accomplish that, but it’s hard to be upset when she was doing it for Edinburgh.
“…I see. I looked stern enough to cause concern.”
She touches her face, and yes, I remember that she looked very worried.
But now, there’s some softness to her confused expression.
“Thank you, Snow.”
“Yes! Bam!”
Edinburgh puts her down, and is tackled again.
They roll on the cloud, and their laughs echo under the sky.
“Oh? My foot sinks here.”
“Yeah! It’s kinda soft right!?”
Tiltue isn’t used to this sort of footing, but Snow is running with her hands in the air like she’s in her backyard.
With Brynhildr’s permission she gets to play on a cloud for a while.
Playing tag on a cloud… Now this is fantasy…
Snow is fast. We’re not used to running on a cloud, but she’s doing it easily.
Even if we don’t hold back, we can’t catch up to her, and she teases us about it.
“Toryah!”
“You can’t catch Snow!”
I try diving, but she easily avoids it.
“Aaaaah! Nice nice nice!”
“Eh?”
I hear a really loud voice from above. I look up and see Miss Miriel and Miss Phi.
She already looks like an angel, but she looks even more like the real thing here.
Miss Miriel can’t hold back any longer, and dives on the cloud.
Then she catches Snow, and rubs her faces together.
“Cute cute cuteeeee!”
“Yaaaah!?”
Snow flaps her arms and legs to get away, but Miss Miriel ignores it.
If I let this go on, Snow will be mad again, and she won’t talk to her anymore.
I’d feel bad, but as I’m about to stop it, Miss Phi lands on my shoulder.
“We were waiting for you when we heard you came to visit! Why didn’t you come!?”
“S-sorry?”
“Don’t apologize, play more!”
A high-pitched voice rings in my ears a little.
It’s just like her to say to play.
“Daaaaaddyyyyy!”
“Aaaaah! Don’t cry Snooooow!”
I hear both yell on the cloud.
“…Let’s just calm down a little before we play.”
“Yes.”
I can’t see those two anymore, but I figure I should grab both, so I walk on the sinking cloud.
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