The Tale of Two Sisters

CHAPTER TWELVE

Penelope rested herself on her bed as she was tired after visiting her sister. She somehow felt uneasy with her sister's sudden change of behaviour. She tried to assure herself that maybe it was the medicine's effect, yet it still haunted her.

"Lisa never act like that before."

Penelope said to herself. All of her life, she knew that her sister is a kind and soft-spoken person. Never did once that Lisa will raise her voice unless it was to wake Penelope up for school. She also never did harm or tried to hurt anyone before, as she prefers to settle it with a diplomatic way, as always. Seeing Lisa acted differently from what Penelope always knew, made her wonder the reason why it happened.

"Did something happened to her?"

As Penelope kept thinking about it, suddenly she remembered what Evelyn said about Lisa. Before she was rushed to the hospital, Evelyn did mention something about what happened to Lisa.

"She fainted, so we decided to bring her to the hospital."

She then remembered that, on the same day, she too, was fainted.

"Hmm..."

Penelope tried to think even harder than before, but it only made her head hurts. She put her right hand on her head, covering her eyes, just to get a few minutes nap.

"He-"

During her nap, Penelope heard something, but she ignored it, as her head needed more rest.

"Hey-"

For the second time, Penelope knew that something is calling for her, but she still ignored it because she believed that she lived alone in her house right now. She ignored the voice, but right now, she was wide awake. She did not want to take a nap yet, as she wanted to know whether the call is in her head or her house.

"Hey, sleepyhead!"

Feeling irritated than curious, Penelope stood up to search for the voice.

"Omg! Shut up! I'm trying to sleep here, Mister wherever you are!"

Though Penelope already scanned the room, she still did not see who called for her, until she turned to her makeup mirror.

"Oh, it's you."

Veldroid stood straight in the mirror while watching Penelope gone berserk.

"Wow, chill! No need to be that worked up."

Velrdoid tried to joke around as he saw that Penelope was kinda angry and annoyed. Penelope rolled her eyes and walked to the chair in front of her makeup mirror. She sat there while crossed her arms, waiting her moment to blow it off to Veldroid.

"Alright, listen!"

Suddenly, Veldroid did not felt that he has the power to protest or disobey Penelope, so he sat on the thin air, almost like a puppy. Penelope looked straight into his eyes.

"I don't know what happened or what is this, or what is even going on with me, but you're only illusion that I created. I admitted it, I'm bored, and I need an adventure, so that's why I created you."

Penelope talked to Veldroid, almost as she was treating him as an imaginary friend of her. She still believes that Veldroid is only a product of her imagination which happened when she yearns to have an adventure. Veldroid tried to cut her, but Penelope nevertheless kept blabbering about it.

"Okay, you're not real, and I'm only delusional about it, so yeah, I just need some rest. The reason why you're still here in the mirror is that my head is still a mess."

Penelope rubbed her head, pretending to be dizzy by all the confusion. Veldroid watched her like that for almost minutes, and when he cannot take it anymore, he started to speak up.

"So, you think that all of this is just byproduct in your head?"

Penelope nodded as she just wanted to go with her imagination.

"Yes, my talking imagination's product. None of it real."

Veldroid scratched his chin and started to think. 

"What if, I show you that, the world that you so-called imagination, real?"

Veldroid tried to grab Penelope's attention back, but Penelope just shook her head, still disbelief.

"Oh, wow, my imagination product wants to show me his world, where the world I created for him?"

Velddroid rolled his eyes this time. He could not help that Penelope sounded like she really thinks that all of this, including him, is still an illusion.

"FYI, Juridria Kingdom isn't your creation, it is Goddess Juvia's, so please don't get up on your head."

Penelope just nodded slowly, as she did not want to get hype for something that she did not believe. Looking at Penelope who is still sitting on the chair, Veldroid took the chance to grab her by surprise. 

"H-hey!"

When Penelope realized that Veldroid actually just got out from the mirror, it was too late for her to resist. Veldroid already grabbed Penelope and carried her in bridal style, into the mirror.

"Hang on tight!"

Veldroid warned Penelope, as the mirror in Penelope's room is not fit for two people, so Veldroid has to lower his head. Penelope held Veldroid's scales, which then it was actually his coat tightly, as she worried she might fell. She shut her eyes tightly as she did not believe in what just happened.

"Here we go!"

After listening to Veldroid's scream, Penelope did not open her eyes, but somehow, she felt a cold breeze caressed her hair and half of her face. She kept thinking;

This is not real.

This is not real.

Inside of her head, but unfortunately for her, it is real. 

"Open your eyes, will you? This is definitely something you wouldn't want to miss."

Veldroid said calmly, as Penelope still held her tightly. Slowly, as curiosity hit her, while she can felt the winds swirled around her, she decided to open her eyes.

"Wow..."

That was the first word that came out from Penelope when she saw what the mirror world or the Juridria Kingdom looks like.

Big trees with bizarre colours, such as purple and indigo, a large lake, where some magical creatures, playing around in it, few dragons, soaring on the skies with other unique looking flying creatures. Everything looks unreal for a moment for Penelope to digest. Everything seems like it just came out from fantasy books, but no, it is real, and Penelope did see it.

"Is-is this real?"

Penelope asked unsure, as she is watching a group of satyr and minotaur ran across the woods, as they are having some sort of, running training. Veldroid looked at Penelope who still observed his world, with a smile. He thought that she looks cute when she fascinated about that.

"Now, do you still think that all of these creatures, and those flying dragons, are byproducts of your imagination?"

Veldroid's question was ignored by Penelope, as she still amazed with all the things inside the mirror world. Penelope did not say much, as her tongue was tied.

And her mind was focusing on the new images that she saw.

"Are those dragons real? I want to touch them..."

Penelope said something under her breath, sooner caught Veldroid's attention.

"What do you mean you want to touch those unevolved dragons? You're holding me right now, so you practically already meet one."

"Oh, yeah, really?"

Penelope replied without noticing that Veldroid is talking about himself. After a moment, then Penelope realized it.

"Wait?! So, are you like a real dragon, I mean, like a real dragon, which spits fire and stuff?"

Veldroid nodded as he spread his wings even wider to soar upwards to the sky. Penelope held her tightly, as she was afraid that she might fall.

"Ack!"

She left out a little shriek. Veldroid chuckled as he watched Penelope trembled. Penelope then pinched on whatever part she held, as she wanted to get back to Veldroid.

"Ouch!"

After that, Veldroid flapped his wings slowly, as he wanted to show Penelope the view from above.

"Look!"

Veldroid gestured to Penelope to see the scenery that he brought her to with his mouth. Penelope then turned around to look, and the next thing she knew, her jaw dropped.

"Wow..."

As Penelope still amazed with those magnificent views, Veldroid thought that he wanted to ask her about something.

"Wait, so do you think that I'm not a dragon? Then, what do you think I am?"

Penelope giggled, and then she turned to face Veldroid.

"A lizard."

After that, she laughed happily, which made Veldroid joined her too.

"Come on! We both knew that Lizard is the lowest tier in the living creature hierarchy!"

Listening to Veldroid, Penelope laughed even more. Feeling defeated, Veldroid brought Penelope to somewhere where the severe matters can be discussed.

"By the way, the reason why I brought you here isn't only to enjoy the view, but we need to discuss something."

Penelope suddenly stopped laughing, and her smile slowly faded as she watched how serious Veldroid looked. She then nodded and held Veldroid tightly. Somehow, her stomach ached as she felt upsetting.

Later, Veldroid brought of them to a massive tree, that looks like a guild, as it has door and windows on the tree. The tree also has an emblem carved on it, which shaped like a sleeping dragon, holding a sword, in purple colour. Around the tree, it was filled with some sort of open spaces, which Penelope saw a few children, who also looked like Veldroid, currently trained something. There are also a few humanoid dragons, wearing a priest costume, are performing some magic on a practising dummy.

As Veldroid landed, most of the people, or dragons, there noticed him and ran towards him. 

"Look! The prince has returned!"

The children there shouted as they were excited to see Veldroid with their own two eyes. Penelope narrowed her eyes as she eyed Veldroid. 

Veldroid later noticed that Penelope is eyeing him, making him shrugged his shoulder.

"What?"

Penelope looked at him with sceptical looks.

"Prince, huh?"

Veldroid smirked.

"I didn't remember that you mention it during our first meet."

Penelope put her hand on her chin, pretending to remember about their first encounter. As for Veldroid, he just chuckled and put his hand behind his head, as he was feeling proud of something.

"O Prince, have you meet the Chosen One?"

One of the children asked Veldroid about the Chosen One matter, made Penelope felt weird. Veldroid then did not reply immediately, preferably, he turned to Penelope, and then shifted his eyes back to the children.

"I had found your-"

Before Veldroid could finish his sentence, the sound of the door's banged open made everyone focus to the door. As the door of the guild was open wide, a figure, more like a feminine figure of a humanoid dragon stood there in silence. She then looked breathless as her eyes are looking around, wanting to find something. Finally, when she saw Veldroid, she smiled with tears in her eyes.

"Veldroid..."

She said under her breath, as she was choking the words while trying to hold back her tears.

Suddenly, she ran towards Veldroid. After that, she instantly hugged him, tightly, which made Penelope looked at both of them, disbelief.

"Veldroid, my fiancé, I miss you."

Penelope's eyes turned wide after listening to those words.

A grand choice,

to be made.