Lucia Tries Using Soap

I had my head down, but he didn’t respond. I’m scared. I knew it was me forcing this whole thing, but his silence was still scary. Did my magic really need to be kept secret that much, though? Was it wrong for me to want to save people? I couldn’t save my mother, despite my very best efforts. I didn’t want to be told I shouldn’t try to save someone when I finally got the chance.

“Lucia, did you come to help Grampie?” Dahlia broke the silence, looking up at me with her big brown eyes.

“I want to... Please, Sir Celes!” I pleaded.

He sighed, “...That’s not fair.”

I jumped at his response. Not fair? That may be true. I was the one making a scene because he was so nice. He must have been fed up with all this.

“I have one condition. And I’m not letting you do anything unless you accept.”

“Alright.”

Dahlia and Mister Giotto watched us silently.

“Once you use your magic, you run away. Okay?”

“Huh?”

His condition was way too simple. Was that really enough? Did he just want me to stay far away, since it’s dangerous up close? Almost disappointed, I accepted, not realizing what he actually meant.

“If you think you can do it, I’ll believe in you. Dahlia, it’s dangerous, so you should stay far away. Giotto, please keep the details of what she’s about to do a secret. Understood?”

“U-Understood. But are you sure about this? You’re gonna attack a Fungus...” While Mister Giotto looked unconvinced, Sir Celes smiled at him silently.

“Okay, Lucia. You stand by the door. Once you cast it, you’re gonna run.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll be outside the shed too. Now, if this is going to happen, hurry it up. Dahlia, we’ll call you when we’re done, so can you go over where you’re upwind?”

“Okay!”

Why did he accept so easily when he was so against it? He said he’d believe in me if I believed in my magic. The words just rolled around in my head as I watched Dahlia move away from her grandfather, just like Sir Celes asked.

“Lucia, go to the doorway.” Sir Celes put his arm around my shoulders, leading me outside of the shed. “Remember — whatever happens, you need to run away once you use Soap. Just run to where Dahlia is. Don’t go downwind. I know you can do it.”

He touched my face, and I was shocked at how cold his fingers were.

“Go ahead.”

“Ah... Okay.”

I turned to face Mister Giotto. I was worried about how Sir Celes was acting, but I had to focus on Mister Giotto for now. Still looking unconvinced, Mister Giotto turned to look at me. I took a deep breath while focusing on the Fungus growing on his head. I can save him. This is different from what happened with Mom. I’m not as powerless as I was then.

“Soap!” I exclaimed.

“Run!”

The moment I cast it, Sir Celes pushed me from behind. Seeing the rainbow-colored bubbles in the corner of my eye, I did as he asked, running away.

“Lucia!”

Once I had made it to where Dahlia was waiting, I turned back towards the shed.

“...Sir Celes!” I called out to him.

He wasn’t behind me, but instead still at the shed holding the broken door shut. Why!? I was so confused. Why didn’t he follow me!?

“Don’t come back, Lucia!” he shouted.

“No... Sir Celes!”

“Lucia, it’s dangerous!”

His sharp voice felt like he hit me with a whip. Hearing it, Dahlia clung to me, stopping me from running. Was that what he meant by believing in me!? Why? Why couldn’t he have run with me!? Leaving us behind, he opened the shed door and walked in.

“Sir Celes!” I shouted back at him. “Dahlia, let go of me!”

“No! He said not to go!”

Both of us were pale as she clung to me. Dahlia held my hand with her cold ones, and it reminded me of what Sir Celes had just done. No. I didn’t want this! The moment felt like it lasted forever. All I could think about was him disappearing through the door while my ears rang in the silence.

Then, Sir Celes’s calm voice cut through the quiet of the night, “Lucia, Dahlia, everything’s fine... You can come over now.”

Seeing his golden head looking out the door, with nothing on top of it, made me sigh with relief. He was okay. He didn’t get infected by the Fungus!

“Lucia?”

Holding back my cheers, I came back to reality when Sir Celes called for me. “Sir Celes!”

“I’m sorry, Lucia. But everything’s fine. Giotto’s waiting.”