“Oh Connie! What happened? You’re all scuffed up!”

Connie’s mother looked her over carefully, panic in her eyes, she HATED it when Connie got hurt. She tried not to be too overbearing about it, children got hurt, it was even healthy. Sometimes it seems bad and she seriously considers wrapping her in bubble wrap. Connie decided to tell her the truth, if in a way that how mother could understand.

“I- I really don’t think you’ll believe me, mom”

It came out sounding a little pathetic, she was trying to make it seem like it effected her more than it did. It didn’t effect her all that much, someone was in danger and she had a handy stick, as well as clear lack of grip on her own sanity because who charges at a monster half the size of a BUS with only a stick.

Her mother was looking at her, clear worry in her eye, and her check over finally done.

“Tell me what you can”

Connie went over the event, trying not to seem insane about it, it was clear that her mother didn’t believe her.

Just after her story finished, the door bell rang. Connie and her mother went to answer it and didn’t quite believe what they were seeing.

“Hello Connie! I take it you’re her mother? My name is Pearl”

Her mother’s jaw was on the floor, thankfully figuratively.

“Uh… Hello, miss? Connie just finished up telling me about you, I honestly didn’t believe her until you showed up. I guess… jokes on me?”

“Oh yes, that. She actually did well, very much so, it’s actually what I came here to talk about. So Connie, have you ever thought about taking up sword fighting?”

Connie had been carefully holding her Jaw shut, now it was wide open in shock. Thankfully her mother continued before she had to answer, even if it was less than coherent.

“Um, I… I- I don’t think… I don’t think I want her doing anything like that again”

Pearl looked confused for a second and then seemed to be holding in a laugh.

“Oh, you thought I meant for monster hunting? No, an eleven year old, no matter how much talent she has, shouldn’t really be doing things like that. Maybe later, with your permission. I meant it as EXERCISE, I felt it would be wasteful to meet someone with that much natural skill and not help them develop it at least as a hobby. It is a good work out, and helps build observation skills and reaction time. It’s quite rewarding even, as well as being useful for self defense. It IS a bit heavy on the minor injury portion of things, but…”

Pearl reached to the stone on her forehead, it glowed a bit, and a first-aid kit appeared in her hand.

“… I come prepared” she then seemed to put it back into the stone.

Connie’s mom shook herself out of her disbelief.

“That-, Connie, does this seem like something you’d want to do? I don’t want to force you into it”

Connie didn’t even have to think.

—————————————————

End of Part 2.