Aguamelon away from home

“Ugh, I'm so tired…!” Lia complained to the sky, with large drops of sweat rolling down her forehead. It seemed as if she had just participated in a marathon.

“Me too, the manager is really such a pain,” added Kit, no less disheveled than his sister.

The two siblings trotted wearily through one of the dimly lit hallways of the Golden Half Library. They had just “dealt with” Manager Melonwater in one of the rooms in that wing of the library. It wasn’t the room where Melonwater usually slept, but it was the most comfortable one they could find at the moment.

No matter how hard they searched the library, they couldn’t find the manager’s room. After many attempts, they had no choice but to leave her in a royal guest suite.

“I hope this works…” thought Lia, looking down and dragging her hooves.

Lia had set a small trap for Melonwater when she woke up. It wasn’t something new for her; she had already devised similar schemes to get rid of those who bothered her or her brother. If everything went as usual, she wouldn’t have to worry about anything that had happened.

However…

“Everything will be fine! Trust your star, Ruberlia!” Lia tried to reassure herself. Melonwater’s severe gaze still lingered in her thoughts, along with the doubt whether this trick would work again this time.

Suddenly, from the bright other end of the long hallway, a fresh breeze came along with the unmistakable murmur of falling water.

The siblings looked at each other and immediately remembered with joy what awaited them at the other end of the hallway.

“Last one there is rotten hay!” whinnied Lia before dashing off at full gallop. She left her brother and all the fatigue she had shown until then behind.

“Wait for meeee!” Kit responded, trying to catch up with his sister.

Lia and Kit ran towards the bright light at the end of the hallway. After a few seconds of faint blindness from the intense sunlight surrounding them, the white walls of the magnificent room they had entered welcomed them.

A large glass dome rose on the ceiling of the room, displaying the clear blue afternoon sky. Statues of wise unicorns holding candles surrounded the walls of the vaulted circular hall, accompanied by beautifully crafted wooden balconies. Staircases descended along the walls, connecting the four floors of the library, down to the marble floor, where there was a large bowl-shaped fountain spilling water from all sides.

It was a richly decorated hall, a testament to the library’s glorious past. Any visitor would be dazzled by the magnificent architecture or by the striking fountain made from a single piece of jade crystal, shining as if it poured out the living light of the sun.

This meeting point within the library was called the 'Heavenly Cup' and was designed to be a place of recreation for visitors, a worthy spot to chat with friends or spend time away from work, casually reading a book on one of its benches.

However, at that moment, for Lia, it was the best place to take a good bath.

“Cannonball!” Without even thinking of taking off her clothes, Lia, with a wide grin, dived into the pool of the fountain, splashing water in all directions.

Her brother was quick to follow and did the same. Laughter and playful splashing filled the 'Heavenly Cup.'

“Ahhh... I really needed this,” exclaimed Lia, lying on her back on the water, speaking like a salaried worker finally on vacation.

After laughing and playing in the water, Lia finally felt relaxed. Taking a good bath in a pool always relaxed the mind, as her mother used to tell her, and she was right.

Slowly, she began to take off all her clothes with her magic, placing all her garments on one of the pedestals of the fountain. Contrary to common sense, Lia’s clothes were barely wet, thanks to the expensive materials they were made of.

Yes, Lia and her brother belonged to a very wealthy social class.

Suddenly, water splashed onto Lia, and she turned her gaze to the other side of the fountain.

“SHARK! SHARK! SHARK!” Kit shouted as he dived into the water again and again, creating playful waves.

“Hey Kit, I want to rest, so… DON’T BOTHER ME, OKAY?”

“Huh? Yeah, sure, whatever you say… SHARK! SHARK! SHARK!” her brother replied nonchalantly.

Lia rolled her eyes, put on some sunglasses, and lay back on the water again. Her gaze fixed on the hall’s ceiling. There was no point in thinking about her brother; all she wanted to do at that moment was rest...

A cloud began to slowly cross the sky, beyond the glass ceiling... splashes could be heard in the distance.

Peace... so much peace... Lia thought as her senses began to numb.

Another cloud started crossing the sky... the splashes sounded even further away.

"Peace, enjoy every moment of this peace..." Lia thought, finally closing her eyelids.

There were no clouds in the sky anymore, nor any worries related to her brother...

Suddenly, a deafening roar resounded beside her. "SHARKKKK!" someone shouted, making Lia let out a shriek and dive underwater for a moment. Upon emerging, she found her brother laughing on one side.

"Kit! I told you not to bother me!"

"Ah, yeah, but it's getting late, Lia; we should go somewhere else."

"What do you mean late? I just..." Lia stopped and looked around in surprise. Kit was right. The sunlight was slanting several degrees on the hall walls, showing how late it had gotten.

"Oh... How much time has passed?" Lia asked aloud, still not understanding what had just happened.

"Like two hours, I think. Hehe, you fell asleep like a log again! You're just like Grandma, even when you snore," Kit laughed at his sister.

"Wait... was I snoring?" Lia responded, uneasy.

"Yup, like a drill, heehee!"

Lia blushed. A few days ago, she and her family had gone to the theater, where she had accidentally fallen asleep during the (boring) play. Soon, her snores caused such a commotion that her parents almost found out. Fortunately, her brother covered for her and ended up getting scolded himself.

"Was it very loud?" Lia asked fearfully, her ears drooping.

"Oh yeah! GROOOOOOOOOOO! hehe," Kit laughed.

Lia neither smiled nor got mad at her brother; she just looked disheartened in another direction. This was a problem she simply couldn't solve by herself. Those snores were really troubling for her. They had started to appear recently and, if everything was as her brother described, they were becoming more intense and frequent.

How would she explain it to her mother, known for having the highest standards of manners in all of Maretonia? Lia couldn't imagine confessing it to her mother without her having a panic attack. She might even end up being hospitalized.

She was left with telling her father, but he was always traveling...

A worried Lia, whose imagination was consumed by her fears, slumped down on one edge of the pool. Her brother, who had just come out of the water, was no longer laughing and was now silently watching her.

Kit didn't like seeing his sister like this. He thought about cheering her up, but nothing came to mind. After several minutes of silence and a great mental effort, Kit, who was unconsciously rummaging through his pockets, finally had an idea.

"I've got it! I've got it!" Kit exclaimed excitedly, spinning in circles and wagging his tail.

"Uhmmm? What's up?" Lia responded, coming out of her thoughts.

"Are you hungry?"

"Well, I guess a little."

"Then... how about we go to the cafeteria and try the special pastries there! Then we can... go to the forbidden section! You wanted to go there before, right?" Kit proposed, very animated, fiddling with the library's master keys.

A smile lit up Lia's face at that moment. "Mmm yes! Yes! Let's do that!"

With a leap, Lia jumped out of the pool, excited by what could be the best idea Kit had had all day. After a quick dry-off and getting dressed, both siblings hurried off down the hallway.