Book Two – Chapter Eleven – Part Ten – Tournament! (Illustration!)

This isn’t the arena…. A confused Singi thought after she woke up. Finding herself in a wide open-plain of colorful flowers and sunlight, Momo stood up. Surprised at feeling no pain, she turned around until she spotted a simple table with chairs made of the prettiest mahogany she had ever seen. But the table wasn’t empty. It had a single person sitting down, and Momo couldn’t help but smile.

She went to speak but quickly found out she couldn't. Doing the next best thing, Momo walked over and took a seat. The girl sitting across from her looked like Momo in every way, except for two drastic differences. Her ears were taller and fluffier, and her tail was longer and thicker. Neither looked anything like what a Singi would have. Still, she had the same dazzling blue eyes, the same cute smile, and the same pink hair, which had grown long in the months since she met Servi. It reached down past her shoulder blades, probably indicating it was time for a haircut. Even though her ears were different, they still twitched the same way.

That was when Momo looked down and realized she was wearing the same thing as the girl, a clean white sundress with no shoes.  She looked behind to the spot where she woke up and saw the crushed flowers were slowly regaining their shape. To her, it was like time was rewinding before her very eyes.

The Momo lookalike went to speak but frowned when she realized she couldn’t. After snapping her fingers, a stack of papers and a cup of pens appeared.

Taking one of each, the girl with the fluffy tail began to write.

I saw your match. It was something to behold, and I’m so proud of you. It couldn’t have been easy, and I’m sure you’re in a lot of pain.

Momo read the paper and teared up.

How funny… I never realized just how much I wanted to hear those words from others. I mean, I really wanted Servi to say them, and she did but having other people say that makes me feel good, too. I feel like the happiest girl in the world……or I would if Servi was awake….

The girl just smiled and pointed to a pen and paper. Realizing what she wanted her to do, Momo began to write.

Thank you. I don’t feel any pain right now. Umm…who are you? I don’t mean to be rude, but you look just like me.

Then, the two girls began to communicate via letter.

I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you because the time isn’t right. Think of me as someone who wants to see you happy.

Okay. Thank you! Then can I ask where I’m at? I was in a tournament, but I think I passed out.

This is your inner consciousness, and it’s not the first time you’ve been here. Remember? It was right after you gave a gift to Claire, the Elf with the red hair. And yes, you did pass out from your wounds. Right now, you’re lying in a bed next to your friend, Servi.

Momo teared up, prompting the girl who looked like her to write a quick question to ask why.

Because she’s my best friend. If I’m not there to be with her, then who is? Everyone else has to focus on the fights, and I was the only one who was there. I need to wake up! Momo started to panic and searched for a way out of her inner consciousness.  Her eyes looked in every direction as her breathing hastened ten-fold.

The girl tapped the desk, and Momo immediately looked at her. Smiling, she wrote a message.

Momo, please calm down! Srassa and Claire are beside both of you. I’ve been with you since you were born. I know exactly how you’re feeling. I really do. You think that only you can be there for Servi because you knew her the longest. You don’t believe that they could be there for her like you can, and that’s the reason why you felt angry when Srassa held Servi’s hand.

Momo blinked twice and touched a hand to her heart. Then she took a deep breath and felt the worry wash away like the topsoil in a hurricane. Taking another piece of paper, she began to write.

I…. I feel like a bad friend. I had no right to get angry when Srassa held her other hand…

No, you’re not a bad friend. You’re an excellent friend who cares for Servi’s well-being. And from what I’ve seen, she cares a lot about you. She’s asleep now, but I’m sure she’s thinking of you.

Momo couldn’t take it anymore, and she began to cry. The girl in front of her got up and ran to Momo before lovingly embracing her. Bring her close to her chest, the girl lovingly stroked Momo’s pink hair, making sure to affectionately rub her cat-like ears.  The sounds of her whimpering were the only noise as a smooth breeze flew by, ruffling their hair and scattering a few loose flowers.

Momo wiped her teary eyes with the back of her hand and looked up at the girl who held her. The Momo lookalike only smiled and walked back to her seats after kissing the top of Momo's head.

How do you feel? She wrote on a piece of paper.

Better. Thank you.  Momo wrote back, still sniffling a little bit. I don’t want to be rude, but I need to wake up. I need to win the tournament.

For you or Servi?

I would say for me, but I mostly want to do it for her. She’s saved my life a few times and taught me some important stuff. Is it wrong for me to do it for her?

The girl shook her head and began to write. I don’t think it is. Remember, you have your own life to live too. Your feelings and happiness are just as important. I would say they’re more important because they’re your feelings, not hers.

But I’m happy when I’m with Servi. And I think she’s happy when she’s with me. If she wasn’t, then we wouldn’t be party members.

Do you think her feelings are more important than yours?

I wouldn’t say more... But if it came to it, I would want her to be happy if it meant I would be sad. I care for her a lot, and my grandpa told me to find someone to watch my back. And if Servi is going to be that someone for me, I want to be that person for her, Momo wrote back after thinking about it for a few minutes.

I see. You sure are caring and loyal. Servi doesn’t know what a good friend she has in you.

Momo blushed and wrote back. I think we make the perfect party. She tanks, I attack, and I think we do a pretty good job of that.

You do. The teamwork between you two is extraordinary, and I’m very impressed, but let me ask you this. What do you know about Servi's past?

With a heavy hand, Momo responded. I don’t know anything. I know her name, and I know she wears a red ring. She’s strong and fast, but she gets angry. I think she might have an anger problem. Oh, she doesn’t get mad at me. It’s usually other people like Arty who tick her off. Not once has she ever threatened or hit me, and I don’t think she ever will. She's not that kind of girl.

The lookalike put a hand to her chin for a second, scratching it slightly.  Do you want to know more about her? She wrote.

I do. I want to know all I can about my best friend. Momo nodded as she slid her paper across the table to the girl who looked like her.

Do you think there’s a chance you will regret it? What if her past is something you don’t like or you can’t accept?

I…. Momo went to write something but stopped when the girl slid across her paper.

She’s mysterious, isn’t she? She doesn’t talk about her past whatsoever. She said she didn’t want to be dead weight when we first met... But from what I can tell, Servi was anything but that. She’s an incredible warrior.

Momo didn’t move and just stared at the girl. The lookalike's soft lips turned into a mellow frown, and she began to write again.

I know what you’re afraid of. And the reason you don’t ask is that you think it’s true. I don’t say this to hurt you. I say this to help you. To protect you.

She’s not like that! She can’t be… She…Momo hastily scribbled before her precious paper disappeared.

Suddenly, a loud voice filled the serene area, disrupting the calm atmosphere.  “Momo, it’s me, Srassa. Are you awake?  I have some good news! But you have to wake up if you want to hear it! Actually, you would want to see it.  But you gotta wake up!"

I guess it’s about that time. Momo, I’ve been here since you were born. I’ve seen the good and the bad, and I’ve seen you when you were at your happiest and your saddest. I did not say those words to upset you. That was not my intention.

Momo's lookalike stood up, pushed in the wooden chair, and walked back over to Momo. The Singi was angry, but only at herself because of her weak feelings.

Suddenly, Momo found herself enveloped in a fluffy pink mist, and that was when she realized that the girl who held her was fading away.

As Momo started to cry, words appeared in her vision, and she knew it was from the girl who looked like her.

I’ll always be here within you. I’ll always be watching and protecting, doing whatever I can to help you. I don’t know when we can meet again, but it shouldn’t be too long. Please forgive me for my harsh words.

Momo put a hand to her cold, empty shoulder. Hastily, she reached and grabbed at the floating words, but they disappeared into a pink swirl that sank into the ground.

“Momo? Can you hear me?” A voice came from above. The blue sky began to crack and fall apart. But as the pieces fell to the ground below, they disappeared without a trace.

“Servi?!?!” said Momo, who realized she can suddenly speak. “I can hear you!!” she yelled out to the sky, which cracked a little bit more.

Suddenly, the remains of the sky shattered, revealing a large hand surrounded by a black void. It was much, much, much larger than Momo.

The palm lines of the hand that descended were the same as her best friend’s hand. Both times, when Servi wouldn’t wake up, Momo sat beside her. While holding Servi's hand, Momo unconsciously traced her best friend's palm lines over and over until she memorized them.  She could even draw them in her sleep.

“I need to grab on!” Momo found herself growing bigger and bigger until she was finally tall enough to grab the descending hand. At that point, she was pulled up from her inner consciousness. The black void instantly turned pink, breaking into pieces.

And then, she found herself staring face to face with her very best friend.

The applause of the arena, the cheering of the crowd, the bashing of steel ranging against steel was like music to Momo's ears. Staring blankly at the face of her best friend, Momo turned her head to the side, where she saw two thin sticks coated with the remains of fried chicken. Beside them sat an empty cup, devoid of the liquid it once contained.

She was awake and back in the real world, but the conversation she had with the girl within herself was still engraved in her memory.

“It seems like our roles are reversed,” said Servi, with a little bit of a giggle.

Momo turned her head to face her best friend. Looking down, she saw that her hand was cradled gently between both of Servi’s hands, and the waterworks started once again.

Ignoring the non-existent pain in her chest, Momo somehow leapt from the bed and embraced Servi in a big hug. Servi figured it was coming and braced herself, catching her best friend with open arms. Her left hand slowly rubbed the pink hair of the crying girl as her right hand held her gently, cradling the crying Singi close to her chest.

"Welcome back, Momo."