Other Fan Fiction ❯ Gifted Moon Spinoff ❯ Cecil! ( Chapter 8 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

After taking turns with a nice, hot, rose scented bath and giving each other manicures, Rinsi and Nakya made their way to the cafeteria. Both were starving and tired, but both figured food before sleep would be best. The training had been difficult, and Rinsi, at least, now knew why Outai demanded that they take such good care of themselves when it came to rest and nourishment.
"Man, what a total slave driver!" Nakya said, as though readinging Rinsi's mind as they walked up to the buffet bar.
"Yeah, I know." Rinsi said as she took up two plates - one for Mooney and one for herself - and began piling on the food. "But at least we should see progress soon, with this pattern."
"If it doesn't kill us first." Nakya said ruefully.
"I don't think that will happen. Outai intentionally took measures to prevent injury."
"So, ya figured it out!" Came a rough, playful voice from behind.
Nakya and Rinsi turned to find Mooney standing behind them, his eyes playful once more, rather than angered. He had a plate in front of him and was piling on more fish than Rinsi thought could fit on a plate.
"Look, don't take it so personal. Outai is strict, but that's because she wants to make sure you learn safely. Believe it or not, she's a softie at heart."
"Tch. I'll believe that when pigs fly." Nakya said, quite irritated.
"Well, if she cared as little as you think she does, then she wouldn't have given you the warning signs of stroke when she had you try to break through my mental barrier."
"Hey, I never said you could read my mind!"
"I didn't. Your tone said it all. Outai is concerned about everyone, so she sets up strict rules to protect them."
"She could at least be less rude about it." Rinsi said as they approached the cashier to pay for their meal.
"I got it!" Mooney said as he pulled out a bag from his pocket and handed it to the cashier. "Uh, those are a little old, but with the current exchange rate there should be change left. Keep it." He told the cashier. "Anyway, she does what she does for a reason."
"What reason would that be? And thanks for paying for our meals." Rinsi said, leading the small group to a nearby table.
"I can't tell you that right now. She's not very open about herself, and doesn't want me telling you until she's ready. But I can tell you this: Don't take her attitude or rules so personally, and treat her respectfully, and you'll get along with her just fine."
"She said my cat was named after you for a reason. What reason is that?" Rinsi asked as she set her cat's plate on the floor so he could eat.
"That's easy. We're both guardians."
"Guardians? He's just a normal cat."
"Almost normal. He's really well trained. Even you know this. Hey, Nakya, what's with the ears and tail? Are you a cat, too?"
"Fox demon." Nakya said simply before slurping down a mouthful of noodles.
"So can I call you foxy?" Mooney said playfully.
"No chance." she said simply. "I have someone I'm interested in, and he would not appreciate such an intimate nick name."
"Reeeeeeeejected." Mooney said, his chin dropping to his chest disdainfully.
Rinsi and Nakya couldn't help but laugh. This guy was like a kid almost, and he was so friendly that they couldn't help but like him. Besides, he was hot and seemed to have a good sense of humor, as he, too, began to laugh with them.
"So," Rinsi said, when they finally stopped laughing, "I take it you are her guardian then?"
"Yep."
"Is my cat in disguise like you?"
"No. He's just a cat. A trained cat, but still a cat. Oh, Nakya, he said to tell you he likes you."
"And I like him." Nakya said as she scratched Rinsi's cat behind the ears affectionately. "Isn't that right, cutie?"

Later that evening, Rinsi found herself lying in bed, completely unable to sleep. There had been the usual drama after lunch and the nap she and Nakya had, and though she couldn't do anything to stop it, it still bothered her. Nakya seemed to be int he middle of a very vicious love triangle, and she herself was still feeling guilty about hurting so many people. She tried thinking of her mother's voice, sining her lullabye, but it would not work. Her mother had died thirteen years ago, and the memory of her voice was no, regrettably, little more than the whisper on the wind. She hated herself for that, too, but she knew it would have happened eventually.
Deciding that it was a useless task trying to fall asleep, Rinsi got up and dressed in a pair of jeans and an emerald turtleneck. It would be chilly outside, and she wanted to keep warm. She considered wearing her ninja outfit again, but decided against it. Jason had seen her in it, and might be on the look out for it again. So, instead, she dressed casually and left the room with her violin and staff in tote, her staff dimly lighting the way down the halls.
When she made it out to the training grounds, Rinsi was careful to be sure no one was nearby, watching. The last thing she needed was a spy reporting this to Outai. Or worse, Outai walking in on it. As she approached the trees - further away from the school, so she would not be seen or heard - a voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Sneaking behind my back is a good way to warm your own bottom."
"I know..." Rinsi said resignedly. "Hey, shouldn't you be resting, too? Everyone else is."
"Except you and I, of course."
"So, why aren't you sleeping?"
"Why aren't you?"
"I can't sleep. Too much on my mind. I thought I'd get a little practice in." she said, lifting her violin case as if to show proof.
"We both know you came out here to try that last spell."
"How did you-?"
"Your eagerness in class earlier. Well, I admit I do enjoy music. Put on a show for me."
The last part sounded more like an order than a request, and Rinsi narrowed her eyes at the woman. She did not like being ordered, but if she was going to learn and not be switched for anything, she would have to deal with it.
Rinsi pulled out her violin and began to play her favorite lullaby, the one that had caused her to glow before. Once again that feeling of friendship and protection washed over her more and more with each note that she played. As she neared the end of the song, those same ethereal wings seemed to bloom from her back like a spring flower caught on high speed camera. Two words echoed in her mind. They were not pleading, or begging. They were not the words of a lover. Instead, these two words sounded excited, almost hyper. It was surprising to her, and at the same time contagious. As she played the final note, she couldn't help but utter these words in the same excited, almost hyper tone.
"Celestial Winds!"
As soon as she said these words, a little pale blue creature appeared out of no where. It did a few front flips upwards from where it appeared, and just floated there. It opened it's curled up form to reveal a small animal looking thing, with feathery ears and a feathery tail. It almost resembled Carbuncle from one of the Final Fantasy video games. It was absolutely adorable! Rinsi could barely restrain herself from running up to it and wrapping it in a big hug and cooing over it.
However restrained she was, though, it didn't matter. The little creature squealed in glee and made a bee line for her chest, nuzzling its furry little head between her breasts.
"Mistress Naomi!" it squealed in an almost childlike voice, "Why did it take you so long to summon Cecil? Cecil missed Mistress Naomi!"
"First of all," Rinsi said, embarrassed as hell and just as tweaked as she carefully pulled the creature away from her chest, her face as red as a tomato, "I don't appreciate being molested like that. Second, my name is not Naomi."
"Oh?" said the creature, it's face full of curiosity, "if you're not Mistress Naomi, then who are you?"
"I'm Rinsi." she replied curtly.
"But," the creature said as it floated around her, sniffing her in various places, some of which she was not comfortable with it sniffing, "You smell just like Mistress Naomi."
"Naomi was my mother's name."
"WHAT?! Why didn't Mistress call on Cecil earlier?"
"Naomi...she and Charles...my mom and dad....they died when I was young." Rinsi said, now looking sad at the thought.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" the creature cried as it floated circles around Rinsi, eventually landing on her shoulder and crying on it, "Mommy and daddy are dead?! It can't be! Cecil is sad now!"
"Why are you here, Cecil?"
"Mistress Rinsi summoned Cecil with Celestial Winds. Cecil has served the Starlight family for centuries."
"But you're just a baby."
"Cecil's race lasts very very long. Not like Naomi's race or Charles' race."
"So if my parents are dead, does that make you my summons now?"
"Not yet. Cecil can only be Mistress Rinsi's summons on one condition."
"What is that?"
"Mistress Rinsi must have a partner!" Cecil said cheerfully.
Rinsi blushed at the thought of this. The last boyfriend she had ran away in fear when she started glowing while dancing, and she wasn't sure if anyone here could accept her now that she had hurt so many. She cast her eyes on the ground and sighed softly.
"I'm....alone...." she said quietly, "I...cannot be accepted anywhere. Not even in a school filled with gifted people like me. Why must I have a partner for you to be my summons?"
When Rinsi looked back up, Cecil's eyes looked like they were full of tears that were threatening to break through the flood gates. Its cute little paws were covering it's cute little mouth, which she could tell was quivering.
"Cecil needs a mommy AND a daddy. Cecil cannot have just a mommy or just a daddy. Cecil needs both."
"But why?"
"Cecil needs to connect to Mistress Rinsi's mind and soul, but Cecil cannot do this when Rinsi is all alone. Rinsi will open up on her own when she has a partner."
"What kind of summons are you, anyway?"
"Cecil is a healer!"
"Yeah, so am I. What good does that make you?" Rinsi said, immediately regretting her words. "I'm sorry..."
"It's okay! Cecil is used to it. Each new master Cecil gets says the same thing. Rinsi can heal physical wounds, right? And with a spell she can restore energy. But Cecil can do more than that. Cecil heals body, heart, mind, and soul. Whereas Rinsi heals the body only, even with spells, Cecil heals everything. Cecil was chosen to be the Starlight family summons because of this, because the Starlights have a special power that can make everyone happy. But that power can also kill their soul, meaning no afterlife or anything. Cecil is here to keep that from happening, when Rinsi's world is finally ready to accept peace, so that when a Starlight performs the spell successfully, Cecil can keep them from dying completely."
"Wait...successfully complete the spell? You mean, it's never been successful, even when it's small?"
"That's right!" Cecil said cheerfully.
"So it wasn't just me."
"Hey, how does Rinsi not know Cecil? Someone should have told Rinsi."
"I was raised by my mother's sister and brother-in-law, my aunt and uncle. They didn't want me knowing about my powers, so they never told me. I only found out recently that the dances they taught me were spells."
"Ignorance leads to injury." Outai said, shaking her head. "Even your aunt and uncle should have known that."
"M-mistress Outai!" Cecil said, suddenly anxious, almost afraid really, as was evident by his/her quivering little body.
"Relax, Cecil. I've never once hurt you, and I'm not about to start."
"I-is mistress Outai here to teach mistress Rinsi?"
"Yes, I am. Rinsi, I'm glad to know that you know this spell. I was afraid you hadn't been taught it, even without knowing what it was.
"How do you know Cecil so well?" Rinsi asked, now in a daze, "You knew all my spells from the beginning? Why did you have me perform them?"
"So you would learn for yourself, in a safe environment. I will change my latter rule: You are allowed to summon Cecil as you see fit, and you are allowed to use Moonlight as needed, but only in an emergency."
"Why is Cecil so afraid of you?"
"We are kindred spirits, so to speak. But I have something...extra. S/he's afraid of that. And I do tend to be strict, but I will never hurt this little summons."
"Something extra?"
"I don't intend to talk about it. Now knowing what your last spell is, is your mind at ease enough to rest now?"
"Not really."
"Cecil, see her back to her room, and do something about that busy mind of hers."
"O-okay." Cecil said.
Cecil flew behind Rinsi and this time planted him/herself between her shoulder blades, pushing as hard as s/he could manage. There was little more than a gentle push to Rinsi, though, but she got the message. She turned and walked back to her room, and as soon as she was in bed, Cecil was between her breasts again, cuddled up like a child. It made her blush furiously, but at the moment she couldn't bring herself to care. Nakya was asleep, and it was just them anyway. Soon she found her busy thoughts melting away, and her body relaxed as though her muscles melted away with them. Within moments, she was drifting into a deep and peaceful sleep.