Chương 202: Chapter 201
[Third Person's PoV]
"Wakey, wakey..." Cid said teasingly to the bodies on the ground. Shadows began to rise and kneel before him in submission, awaiting his orders.
"So, who was the one that sent out the hit on me?" Cid asked curiously.
"It was the camp nurse, my lord. Yuuka-sensei."
"Eh? Really? It wasn't Akane's brother?" Cid was genuinely a bit surprised. "I knew Yuuka was the big bad here, but I thought it would have been Akira who sent out the hit... color me surprised."
Cid began rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Ah, I see the plan now. Because of the argument Akira and I had, if they attacked me, the first person I would have suspected would have been him. She was hoping I would confront him, possibly hoping that I would kill him in revenge for the attack. That would have driven me out of the camp and pushed Akane into further despair, having lost her brother to someone she supposedly trusted. Not a bad plan. If I didn't know what I know, and didn't have the powers I have, I might have fallen for it—"
Cid abruptly stopped, feeling something land by his neck. He looked ahead with a small smile as two tiny hands covered his eyes.
Snapping his fingers, the bodies and bloody scene disappeared. "That's strange... I seem to have gone blind."
He heard soft, suppressed baby giggles, causing him to smile. "Sigh... Now that I'm blind, how will I ever see my cute little princess? Her cuteness will be lost to me forever. What a cursed world to live in. How can I possibly go on without seeing her adorable little face? Woe is me."
He heard more giggles before the hands moved away, and tiny fingers grabbed the sides of his head for support as two little feet stood over his shoulders.
Celeste leaned forward, upside down, in front of Cid on her tiptoes.
"Boo!" she said, grinning widely.
Cid let out an overly dramatic gasp, which made Celeste laugh. However, as she laughed, she lost her footing and almost fell headfirst, but Cid caught her just in time.
Holding her upside down, Celeste covered her mouth with her hands and giggled in amusement. Cid sighed, shaking his head, before flipping her over and holding her properly in his arms.
Celeste raised her arms proudly, looking at Cid, and said, "Dwddy!"
Cid covered his mouth in mock shock. "Did you just call me what I think you just called me?" he asked, uncovering his mouth slightly.
"Dwddy!" Celeste repeated, even louder.
"You did!" Cid exclaimed, raining down kisses on her cheeks while she beamed with a proud, smug expression.
His face then turned serious. "Quick question: did you say 'Mommy' or 'Daddy' first?"
Celeste hesitated, looking away as she pursed her lips, pretending to whistle.
Cid just stared at her as she glanced at him, then quickly looked away with a nervous expression.
He rolled his eyes, chuckling in amusement, and kissed the top of her head.
Bopping her nose, he said, "Well, it seems someone is a fast learner."
Celeste nodded proudly, tapping her head to signal she wanted to talk telepathically.
*"Yeah?"* Cid asked. *"Is something the matter?"*
*"Nothing. I just can't talk properly yet and can only say one word at a time. It's annoying,"* Celeste pouted.
*"I see. Here's another question for you: did you get your mother's permission to leave my shadow and come see me?"*
*"Uuuuuhhh, yes?"*
"Celeste… Now don't go lying to me, young lady," Cid said, wiggling his finger at her.
Celeste puffed out her cheeks. *"Alright, no. But it's boring inside your shadow… And you hadn't visited me... I was missing you."*
Cid's heart melted at seeing Celeste's downcast expression, and he held his chest. "Alright, I apologize. Let's spend some quality father-daughter time."
Celeste smiled and nodded, growing even happier as Cid lifted her onto his shoulders, her favorite place to sit.
"So, what do you want to do?" Cid asked, wondering what she had in mind.
*"Can we go flying and watch the stars?"* she asked softly. *"I love looking at the stars. Since all I could remember was staring at the hospital ceiling, looking at the stars gives me a sense of freedom like no other!"* She spread her arms and gazed upward, her eyes shining with excitement.
Cid smiled. *"Alright, star-gazing it is. Hold on tight."*
Celeste clung tightly to Cid's head as they blasted off into the sky. *"Wheeeeeeeee!"* she exclaimed, laughing happily as they soared through the air.
Suddenly, Cid halted mid-air, making a sweeping motion with his hand. The sky cleared instantly, free from air pollution, revealing the breathtaking expanse of stars.
Celeste's eyes widened as she marveled at the sight. The starlight reflected in her sparkling eyes as she held onto Cid tightly. *"They're so beautiful…"*
"Say, do you know much about the constellations?"
*"A tiny bit… I know about the twelve: Aries, Leo, Taurus, Virgo, Pisces, Gemini, Sagittarius, Aquarius, Libra… heh, can't forget Cancer. Um, what else…"*
"Scorpio and Capricorn," Cid finished for her.
*"Yeah, those…"*
"Shall we try to find them?"
*"Really?!"* Celeste asked excitedly.
Cid smiled as he began tracing the constellations among the stars for Celeste. They spent their time drawing them together, and each time they finished, Celeste clapped happily.
"Now, did you know there are constellations beyond the twelve we just mentioned? For example, this one here is known as the Big Dipper," Cid said as he drew it in the sky.
"This is Ursa Major, and its little cub, Ursa Minor."
*"What's an Ursa?"*
"It's another word for bear," Cid chuckled.
*"Ah, I see... Is there a doggy constellation?"* Celeste asked hopefully.
"There actually is. Let's see… Ah, here it is. It's called Canis Major, and it starts right here, near the brightest star, Sirius," Cid said, drawing the constellation.
*"Oooh, a doggy in the stars! I want it!"* Celeste giggled before lifting her arms toward the sky, playfully shouting, "AWISE, DOWGGY!"
Cid burst out laughing at her silliness, which made Celeste giggle as well. But suddenly, both their laughter came to a stop.
They watched as Cid's drawing was blasted away, and a line shot out from the Sirius star, rapidly connecting to others. When the constellation fully formed, it glowed brightly, and a beam of light shot toward them like a shooting star.
As it approached, a gust of wind rushed past them, and the shooting star stopped right in front of them. The light slowly dimmed, revealing a little puppy sitting down, panting, with its tongue sticking out.
The puppy had fluffy white fur with blood-red tips, glowing red eyes, small red claws, and a bright red tongue. It sat, happily wagging its tail, looking up at Celeste.
Both Cid and Celeste stood there, mouths agape. Cid ran a hand down his face before chuckling in disbelief. "Haha... You actually just earned a few titles for this feat. Congratulations, Celeste. You've just become: The Monarch of Space, Queen of the Stars, and Celestial Commander of the Constellations."
But Celeste didn't care for any of that. She threw her hands up and happily shouted, "PWUPPPY!! YAY!!"
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