"What?!" Noble was very glad she was facing away from her daughter at that point. "Rain…"
The young woman burst out laughing. "I am kidding. I know you don't make a habit of following me around on hunts."
"What a strange habit that would be!" The mother continued to keep her head perfectly still. "Though maybe I should take it up. I might learn a thing or two."
"Ha, very funny." Rain rolled her eyes. "If you really want to come sometime, we should go out together. I would love to show you what I can do."
"That would be nice." Noble felt the pressure lighten on her soul. Rain wasn't trying to avoid her. She was trying to protect her mother the same way that she had been protected countless times.
"There. All done!" Rain stepped back to admire her handiwork.
Noble climbed off the bed and turned around. "How do I look?"
There were no mirrors in the house, but Noble didn't need one to see that Rain was pleased with the job she had done. Her eyes practically sparkled with delight.
"I'll put it this way: if becoming an Awakened warrior doesn't work out, I should think about a job as a cosmetologist."
Noble touched her head. Her long locks were swept back and twisted before being pinned at the back of her head. A few stray curls still hung about her face, tickling her temples.
'Not too fancy or too simple. I'll have to use Nectar to give it a once-over when I reach my dormitory, but it feels good!'
"Cosmatologist or mighty warrior, I will support you. I'm proud of you, Rainy." Noble meant those words from the bottom of her heart.
The dark-haired girl wrapped her arms around her mother's neck, careful not to muss her hair. "Thank you, Mom. That means a lot."
The floating Saint held her daughter close. "I love you."
"I love you too."
They stood there for a moment, and Noble felt tears form in her eyes. She blinked them away, unable to determine if they were happy, sad, or both.
"Good luck tomorrow, Rainy." Noble wished her all the safety in two worlds.
While she couldn't guarantee Rain would have the strength to complete the task, Noble offered her all the mental fortitude that the young woman would need to complete whatever task would come. Their bond, which was already deep, solidified into something almost tangible.
Noble kissed Rain's forehead, then pulled back and brushed the girl's hair from her face.
Feeling the warmth of her mother's affection, Rain sighed happily. "Good luck to you tonight and tomorrow, Mom. I cannot wait to swap stories with you when we both get back."
"And don't forget about that hunting trip. We will have to get that on the books. I need to go out before you take Brock anyway." Noble was secretly very excited about the prospect.
Sunny wouldn't mind if she checked on his work, would he? If he did, there wasn't much he could do to complain.
"It's a date," Rain promised.
The pair went downstairs and was greeted with a myriad of compliments.
"Wow, Mom, you look ready to conquer the world."
"That committee won't know what hit them, figuratively, of course. I know you wouldn't hit anyone, Mom."
"Just when I think you couldn't look more stunning, Bee, you prove me wrong."
Noble kissed her husband. "You coached them well."
"On my life, they speak the truth." Fort held up his hand, ready to swear on any book her wife deemed worthy.
"Keep up the good work. I'll see you tonight." Noble kissed him again, grabbing her coat by the door after she did so. "Love you all!"
"Bye, Mom!"
"You're gonna be amazing!"
"Have a great time!"
"See you tomorrow!"
After blowing her family one last kiss, Noble shut the door behind her. She knew Rain would not be far behind her, so the professor hurried around the back of the house.
"Take care of her on that hunt. I mean it." Noble spoke to the shadow below the windowsill.
A shadowy hand came out from beneath and gave her an affirmative gesture. It seemed that the other Saint wasn't in a talkative mood. Perhaps he was worried about being seen in the late afternoon light.
Whatever the reason, Noble had gotten the answer she needed. Rain would be safe in her absence.
Floating across the frozen bridge toward the palace, Noble noted the weather. It was clear for now. Hopefully, it would hold, especially if her daughter was planning on spending the night outside.
'I didn't ask how far Rain was going. I suppose Sunny could take her farther than she could walk.'
Somehow, Noble doubted he would. If Rain genuinely thought she would Awaken tomorrow, then she would have to work harder than she ever had before. What better than a brisk hike across the Song Domain to warm her up?
'Sunny is an interesting instructor. I wonder what he has in store?'
Did he have the same confidence as his pupil that she would finally awaken? She should have asked him. He always answered her curiosity, even when he did not seem to want to.
It was too late now, and Noble reluctantly had to let her curiosity go unanswered.
As she reached the Jade Palace, Noble came for a landing and smiled at the Song soldier guarding it. She gave the newcomer a strange look.
"Excuse me, ma'am. I wasn't informed of a formal event tonight."
"I'm heading to the gateway," the professor assured her.
"Master Noble?" The guard blinked. "I hardly recognized you."
The lady tried not to be offended. "My daughter did my hair for a gala. Does it not suit me?"
The soldier shook her head. "No, you will be the belle of the ball, I'm sure. Enjoy your evening!"
'I won't.' Noble smiled politely and headed to the gateway. Soon enough, she was in her dormitory at the Academy.
'Alright, Nectar, show me how I look.'
The Soul Bloom appeared amid its usual glowing sparks, giving Noble a chance to view what had given the soldier pause.
"I clean up well," Noble had to admit to herself. "And Rainy did a beautiful job. She's come a long way since that time she helped me for the Valor Ball."
That seemed like a lifetime ago. In spite of the less-than-stellar ending, that evening had some beautiful moments that still made Noble swoon.
Who knew what tonight would hold? Hopefully, there would be no assassins or people being sent to fight Nightmare Creatures due to Noble's impassioned plea.
It was just a celebration put on by the government, not by a great clan.
All Noble needed to do was relax, and she could have a decent time.
'I've decided I'm going, I may as well choose to enjoy it.'
Nectar came to land in Noble's hair, buzzing softly.
"You would make a good hair ornament. No one would ever suspect you were a tiny little spy."
After thinking over the possibility for a moment, Noble discarded the idea. The little creature seemed to have a mind of her own, and the professor wasn't ready to reveal her Aspect Legacy to the world just yet.
As Nectar returned to nestle in the iridescent light of Noble's core, the floating woman headed out of her room.
The party was about to begin.