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Cerena never thought she'd be so happy to wake up this early.

The sun had just risen, bathing the landscape in a soft orange glow that warmed her inside. She was grateful to see that her surroundings were normal -- normal trees. Normal grass. Normal sky. Normal pine needles and soft lace poking into her stomach--

With a startled jerk, Cerena flopped herself over on her side and off the soft squishy thing, curling up to inspect it with a mixture of awe and curiosity. The bundle was nearly all white lace that seemed to be turned on its side. Cautiously reaching out, the young girl slowly turned the bundle towards her.

It was a baby. Not just any baby, but a baby that looked like that girl who'd put her through the Trial.

"Oh-oh..." She breathed, pressing her fingers to the cold porcelain cheek of the sleeping infant. "You're real...."

She wanted to stay there for a little while longer, watching the tiny girl sleep and revel in the fact that she'd just been part of a miracle. However, common sense finally prevailed and she realized that either one of them could end up sick if they remained in the cold unprotected like this -- her pajamas were still damp to the touch, besides.

And so carefully gathering the baby in her arms, the shock not quite reaching her yet, Cerena set out to follow the grassy road back to the Hotel.

Koyuki was taking her usual daily walk. Or rather, to find someone to converse and talk to, or to bully. Whatever suits her fancy.


"Let's see, I haven't se-- Cerena!" She rushed over to her long-time friend, to see that she had an oddly shaped bundle in her arms.

"Hey what is that you're ca-- ... oh my," murmured Koyuki quietly once she had realized it was a baby that Cerena was carrying. Where did a baby come from?!

Koyuki rolled her eyes, muttering something about children being abandoned in the forest, left to die, except for when Cerena miraculously managed to stumble on them.

"Uh... Cere," using her nickname for her friend to talk to her, Koyuki continued, "so, you disappeared last night and... found, persay, this baby?"

She quirked her eyebrow and looked at her friend. Cerena was not mother material. She'd probably trip over her own baby, and then.. well, wait. I shouldn't be talking. It's not like I can do any better. She thought to herself as mused and gazed at the bundle and Cerena. The baby was beautiful, and her skin was a pale porcelain, and so very smooth. Could Cere take care of this one?

Koyuki smiled. She knew that her friend would react like this. And her little lie didn't work very well, because they were friends long enough for her to notice little clues that she hadn't exactly left this morning. She didn't look like she slept in a bed anyway.

"Calm down, Cere!" Koyuki whispered, gently and firmly, but emphasized enough so that Cerena would know that she should, "You don't want to wake up the baby up!"

Koyuki reached out to steady the baby, and support Cere, because it looked like that the poor girl was going to topple the baby over any second.

Despite all her good intentions to seem not like a mother, Koyuki's instinct took over and the "cold and uncaring" side drifted away, furious that it had lost yet another battle to the real Koyuki.

"Cere, dear, you are COLD," she murmured, "Why don't we head over to my suite and get you warmed up? And prepare for whenever this bundle is going to wake up." She gestured at the baby.

"I can carry her for a while too, if you want -- oh, what's her name?" She added as an afterthought.

Smiling, Koyuki deftly, but carefully, took up the bundle. Lethe stirred a little from the exchange, but was still asleep -- at least, for now.

"Lethe. It's a beautiful name," She cooed softly, "C'mon, Cere, let's go up to my room, and I'm sure you could do with some hot chocolate, coffee, or something else warm. I have plenty in my room."

With that, she started towards The Lilithia building, carrying the little bundle that seemed so delicate, yet emitting a powerful sense of aura that meant something else. Something that Koyuki probably didn't understand.

"Koyukiiiiiiiiii!" Came the familiar squeal of a very hyper-energetic girl. Approaching from the front entrance of the Lilithia, Cerena broke out into a run and promptly threw herself at her best friend.

It was only after sliding down and releasing herself from the black-haired young woman, her chattering about something or other (bunnies?) trailing off, that the young girl realized there was something... amiss.

Well, not so much amiss as it was like riding a train and realizing you were in China when you really just wanted to go to Amsterdam.

"What's wrong?" She asked concernedly, gazing distractedly at the panicked state of her friend -- she put her shoes on the wrong feet. Well, that's what she thought anyway -- she made 'L's with her fingers to check and still couldn't determine if she was actually right or not.