I slowly walked to her and stood behind her. She supported herself with her hands on the console, taking deep breaths.
“Arsenal…” I extended my hand and placed it on her shoulder. She let out a light chuckle, asking, “Am I childish? I am jealous of something beyond my reach…” She lifted her head, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. She said, “Luo Bing, sometimes the goal is right in front of you, and it is very near…” She extended her hand forward as though there was a vague figure. She continued, “If you could see her, you’d think that you can surpass her if you were to work harder. Back then, I could still see your back, and I wanted to surpass you. I worked really hard for that, but… suddenly, one day, when I woke up from my dream, I realized that… you had disappeared long ago and I couldn’t catch up to you….” She slowly put her hand down on the console in front of her.
“The world I see is too small… Too small… I am trapped in this world…,” she said dispiritedly.
I looked at her rough braids, saying, “No, Arsenal. You trapped yourself.”
Her shoulder quivered in my hand, replying, “You’re right… I trapped myself. My own jealousy and narrow-mindedness trapped me. Luo Bing, do you know that I really hated you when I found out that it was you who attacked Silver Moon City. You completely shattered my dream. You broke the world I was in. But… when Silver Moon City really fell and disappeared from the sky, my heart… went blank… His Highness Xing Chuan disappeared from my heart… Silver Moon City disappeared from my heart… I suddenly felt… some sort of freedom….” She slowly turned and finally looked me in my eyes.
I removed my hand from her shoulder, and she held my hand. She held my hand gently just like in the past, saying, “I’m sorry, Lil Bing. I should have come to ask for your consent back then instead of acting willfully. I wanted to go to Silver Moon City so badly, to leave Noah City and be as free as you. I treated you as myself. No, I imposed my expectation on you. I hope that you could leave Noah City on my behalf, to go to Silver Moon City on my behalf, to be with… His Highness Xing Chuan… on my behalf…” She looked to the side, and her eyes were welled up in tears. She continued, “I was too stubborn and too obsessed… I hoped that you can fulfill all my wishes, but when you did, I was jealous. I… was contradicting my myself.” She looked at me, and I saw her struggle and agony in her quivering tears. She said, “I am pestered by such agony for very long. That was why instead of happiness, I was terrified when you returned. I was afraid that you would take Noah City away from me and take away everything that I have…."
“Arsenal…” I held her hand tightly. I understood that kind of agony when a woman was pestered by emotions. I comforted her, “You’d be fine after letting it all out. I was at fault, too….” Arsenal was still the kind Arsenal after all. Because of her kindness, her feelings of jealousy and hatred were bothering her.
Arsenal smiled faintly, saying, “Your fault is… that you are too outstanding. So outstanding that all girls are jealous of you.”
I looked at her dumbfounded, but she smiled at ease. She said, “I was dissatisfied because of the moon….” She looked up as though she could see through the thick metal plate at the high-hanging silver moon. “My heart was tied to it. I was far more stubborn than I imagined. I only recalled that we were… once sisters… when it was destroyed…. I should have apologized to you long ago,” she said, looking at me again. She was wearing a relaxed and calm expression then.
“It’s okay. Everything is in the past. Just like Silver Moon City, it’s in the past,” I said, holding her hands happily. We looked each other in the eyes for very long. She smiled. It was her first time wearing such a relaxed smile over the years.
“Bing, as Silver Moon City is gone and the Ghost Eclipsers are gone too, Noah City should begin its new life,” she said, placing my hand on a big green button on the console. Her eyes were twinkling like the Arsenal, who was always fueled with anticipation. She looked at me, saying, “Press this button and let Noah City be reborn. You are the hope of the people in Noah City. You should lead them into a new life.”
I looked at the green button for very long. Could this button be the one that removes Noah from underground?
Elder Alufa said that there would be a day when Noah would go above the ground. That day would be when the Ghost Eclipsers disappeared and when Silver Moon City came back to the ground. Everything was fulfilled like a prophecy.
However, I couldn’t take away the opportunity of rebirthing Noah from Arsenal because she was the Queen of the people of Noah. She was the Queen!
It was a brand new era. Her obligation was no longer to give birth and to reproduce for Noah’s population. There was a greater responsibility on her!
I reined my hand, and she looked at me in confusion. I smiled and pressed the broadcast button, saying, “Noah, my family, and friends, attention, please. Please hold on tight because today, our Queen, Queen Arsenal, is going to lead us through the gate to a brand new life. She is going to bring Noah City into a brand new era! Go ahead, Queen Arsenal!”
Arsenal looked at me dumbfounded.
I covered the mic, hushing, “Arsenal, what are you waiting for? You are the Queen of Noah City! It is your duty to lead your people into a brand new world. Do you still want me to do it for you?!” My voice grew stern, “Arsenal, don’t forget that you are the Queen! Your duty is not only to give birth to more children!”
Arsenal’s emotions overflowed through tears in her eyes. She suddenly pounced at me, choking with sobs, “Thank you. Thank you, Luo Bing!”
She let go of me and took a deep breath, wearing the dignity of a Queen.
I let go of the mic, and she announced loudly, “Is everyone ready? We, Noah City, have had enough of hiding. We are going to rise in this new era.” Then, she lifted her hand and slammed it on the green button. The clinking gear and whirling engine noises resounded in the Noah City.
The whirling engine was like an awakening sleeping dragon. Suddenly, the ground shook, and I could clearly feel Noah City ascending slowly.
I was thrilled with excitement, and passion was boiling in my blood. My heart raced as we ascended towards the ground faster and faster!
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