<center>-Prologue-</center>
Shiroi walked down the streets of Breedables Alley, trying to find the stationary shop once again. Although she had been there several times before, she still couldn't remember where the small store was located. Turning around a few more corners, she spotted the familiar storefront, and entered the building.
The sound of the door chime ringing indicated someone had entered, and absently Huni wondered where her son was. But she wasn't worried, Linneas was unusually responsible for his age.
The red head smiled upon seeing Shiroi, "Oh, hey there." she greeted, "I was just on my way to the kitchen. Care for a bite or something to drink?" she offered.
"I've eaten already, but perhaps some water." Shiroi said, following Huni into what she guessed was the kitchen.
"Sure, it'll just take a second, you can wait in the shop front. Look around, you might see something you like." Huni smiled as she gestured to the woman the various things they had on display. "I'll be back in a few minutes."
A lot of things can happen in a few minutes... such as the Study door ever-so-silently opening just as Huni exited into the kitchen.
As Shiroi turned back towards the shop, an open door caught her eye. "I wonder what's in there," she mused to herself, unconciously stepping towards the room.
On any other occasion, Shiroi probably would've been extremely creeped out, but now... she felt as if she had to look inside, and see what secrets the room held. Shutting the door behind her as she entered the room, all she could see was a solitary book lying on the table.
The room was dark and dusty, the floors and walls were bone-dry as if they had never been cleaned in years. The lighting in the room was old, almost as if it was a prototype that actually functioned even up to now. Still, the dim, foreboding atmosphere did nothing to deter attention away from the Tome lying atop the writing table. Shiroi gently opened the book, almost afraid to see what would be inside. Hearing nothing breaking or exploding around her, she cracked her eyes open and looked inside.
The Tome easily slid open, allowing the woman to leaf through its pages until it grew restless. Eventually, words began to fade onto the paper, written in neat calligraphy it asked Shiroi
"Why can't this be real?"
Shiroi stared at the tome for a second, slackjawed. The book was asking her a question? Finally, she fished around in her bag for a pen, and wrote down the answer to the question she had always asked herself, and now, in turn, was being asked.
"What makes you think it isn't?" she wrote, a small smile coming across her face.
As if in response, two Tomes appeared on either side of the original. If Shiroi were to try to touch them, she would find her hand passing through the two new Tomes. Directly in front of Shiroi was a duplicate of herself, exactly like her to the last detail. It was like staring in front of a mirror, albeit one that did not move if Shiroi did.
There seemed to be more of everything in the room, two new doors, five new rugs, a dozen bookcases, it was getting crowded in there. What was even more odd, was that they kept multiplying. Pretty soon, there were half a dozen Shiroi's inside the Study. And they all turned their attention to the original.
Instantly all the duplicated items started to move towards Shiroi, converging and unanimously lunging for her.
Close your eyes
And once Shiroi would re-opened them, she would find everything had reverted to their original state. All the copies were gone, nothing or no one remained... Save that is, for a little girl holding two tomes.
Wait... two tomes? The violet one in her hand suddenly leapt up to hide behind the little girl who held her hand outstretched to Shiroi.
For a second, Shiroi could've sworn she was staring into a mirror. But reflections moved when you did. And then there was the matter of everthing else in the room duplicating. The young woman felt a force weighing on her eyes, closing them, and then suddenly - everything was normal again. Well, save for the little girl with the unicorn horn now sitting on the table where the Tome had been.
Shiroi slipped her hand around the girl's outstretched one, taking in all of the child's features.
"Hello," she said in a small, shaky voice. "My name is... Miako."
