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|| Fight Song|| Rachel Platten ||
Baron Pierce's smile never faultered. "I should have known you would have sensed it," he placed Alice on the ground, who had covered him in scented stickers. "I wanted to wait until she could understand just what she was." He looked at their shocked faces, Alice wondering what all of them were so surprised about. "I've been giving her yarrow root every morning to disguise her scent," Baron Pierce admitted. "I apologize, I didn't mean to keep it from you. I had the Doctor confirm it with a blood panel." He knelt down, patting Alice's head. "The truth is, I've been looking for her for a very long time. Imagine my surprise when she turned up right under my nose." He looked at each of their faces, Ophie seemed upset that she had been unable to detect the difference. "I had my suspicions," Zinnia said, crossing her arms. "It was why I gave her the seeking stone."
Alice of course, was none the wiser. She sat down on the floor, wondering why everyone was standing around. Sonata knelt down, telling Alice that she was an oracle. "Or...ac...le?" She repeated dumbly, wondering what that meant. "I don't think she's been activated yet," Zinnia spoke softly as Sonata asked Alice what she saw. "Once an Oracle knows their potential, they can typically control the flow of their visions." Of course, normally Oracles were apprenticed as soon as their identities were confirmed. They were sought after, but the last Oracle that had belonged to Constantina had passed. With the magical world sealed up, Alice had no one to teach her what it meant. "If Yue were alive..." Zinnia trailed off, but she would not go down that train of thought.
"Fi...sh?" Alice held up Dog, offering it to Sonata. "No, that's Dog." Sonata smiled, Rene entered, informing them that the press were here to interview them. Baron Pierce, sensing their unease, rose. "I have an idea, Calciferous and I will go speak to them. You ladies can go and enjoy the evening until supper is ready." Calcifer jumped at the opportunity, of course, he wanted some screen time. Alice rose, attempting to follow Baron Pierce. "No, no, no. You stay here," Rene smiled. "I think someone upstairs would very much like to see all of you." Rene turned Alice around, who reached for Baron Pierce, but he was already walking through the doorway. "I've set up some snacks, if it should please you." Rene said, closing the door behind her as she disappeared, following Baron Pierce.
Alice looked at her sticker sheet, but she had run out of stickers. She handed Zinnia the paper, wanting more. "Watch," Zinnia smiled, waving her hand across the paper, summoning more stickers. Alice's eyes lit up in delight, she flapped the paper happily, bounding over to Ophie to give her another sticker. "Let's go upstairs," Sonata suggested. "We can strategize up there on how to get Cal some more ponts." Alice followed them, almost forgetting Dog and running back down to grab him. She clambered up the stairs on all fours, like an eager puppy, stickers in one hand, Dog in the other. There was someone waiting for them on the third floor. Arms crossed, tails swishing, Zinnia froze, her heart hammering in her chest. Alice watched curiously as her eyes welled up with tears. "Blithe!" The two practically collided against one another, their hug was so tight and so fierce.
It had been two hundred years since they had last seen one another, able to sense the other, but never crossing paths. Alice wanted a hug too and so, she clung to Ophie and Sonata's legs, watching the tearful reunion between master and familiar. "It's been so long," Blithe whispered, hesitant to relinquish her grasp. "Too long," Zinnia agreed. Blithe opened up the door to Echo's room, ushering them all inside. "Just how many fugitives is Baron Pierce keeping in his home?" Zinnia inquired as Echo sat up, rubbing her eyes sleepily. She had been awake more often than not as of late, which was a good sign. "Oh, it's you." Echo yawned, sliding out of bed. Her hair was braided behind her, Alice running to play with it as soon as she saw it. "No, no, none of that!" Echo was bigger than Alice, which wasn't saying much, but it was nice to be taller than someone.
"I would answer that question," Sonata scratched her cheek, "but I don't quite know myself."