Sha Sha and Tian Tian’s promise
“The Isrock Disease was created by the nuclear and magnetic radiation released during wars and the pollution that has gathered for thousands of years. Humans are greatly reliant on nature, but they are taking care of it less and less. If this continues, even if there weren’t anymore nuclear battles, the Isrock Disease would have developed regardless. It isn’t wrong to say that the Isrock Disease is nature’s revenge.
“What I gave Ling Chen is something that can cause the Isrock Disease to disappear from the world, but if the world continues to destroy nature like before, something more terrifying than the Isrock Disease will appear soon.”
Shadissika looked out at the water as she spoke in a calm but melancholic tone, saying things that a girl of her age should not be able to say.
Ling Chen looked over at the girl beside him in shock and nodded his head, then shook his head. “Sha Sha, you’re completely right. Humans realised this, so we signed the Hundred Year Armistice Convention. However, there are more and more people on earth, and no matter how we control it, it’s impossible for us to slow down the destruction of nature. Something like the Isrock Disease is fated to appear once again in future.”
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“Ling Chen, this is for you.” Shadissika suddenly stretched out her hand, and within it was a small, metallic chip the size of a fingernail.
“This is… a memory chip?” Ling Chen held it in his hand, looking at Shadissika with curiosity. This was a very ordinary memory chip. Although it was incredibly thin, with the 31st century’s technology, this memory chip was able to store 300 terabytes on it.
“On this are ways that the earth can use to avoid things like the Isrock Disease from appearing again. Ling Chen just needs to give it to big sister Xiao Xue – she’ll know what to do,” Shadissika said as she smiled.
“Really?!” Ling Chen was once again greatly shocked. The shock at what Shadissika had just said greatly surpassed how he had felt when she had given him the bottle that could save everyone who was infected with the Isrock Disease. He was unable to remain calm anymore, and his eyes widened as he asked, “Just what’s inside this? Where did you get it from? Is it really as amazing as you said?”
“Mm!” Shadissika vigorously nodded, then lowered her head and said in a softer voice, “If, if I had just met Ling Chen, I would just say that these things are in my head and that I don’t know how I knew these things. However, now, now… I don’t want to lie to Ling Chen… but I… really can’t answer… I…”
Shadissika looked so flustered that Ling Chen could only shake his head and say, “It’s fine. Sha Sha doesn’t need to tell me. I know Sha Sha has an important reason why she can’t tell me, and I believe that Sha Sha not telling me is for my own good. I’ll give this memory chip to your big sister Xiao Xue tomorrow.”
A sweet smile reappeared on Shadissika’s face. She happily nodded. “Mm! I knew that Ling Chen was the best, best person in the world… alright, I’m going to sleep then.”
Ling Chen’s words made Shadissika’s burdened heart feel at ease, and her mood became much better as she more or less skipped away. Watching her leave, Ling Chen held the bottle and memory chip in his hands, unable to quell the massive waves within his heart.
Sha Sha… just who are you…
Shadissika lightly returned to her room. Just as she closed the door, she saw Tian Tian rubbing her eyes, asking sleepily, “Sha Sha, where did you go… eh, where’s big brother?”
“Ah? I couldn’t sleep just then, so I went out for a bit. Big brother’s still outside; he’s probably too excited to sleep.” Shadissika smiled as she returned to the bed.
“Oh…” Tian Tian replied before kicking the blanket. “I’m so sleepy. Sha Sha, hurry and sleep.”
Shadissika pulled over the blankets, covering half of her small body, but she did not lie down. She silently looked at Tian Tian for a while, her gaze flickering as she suddenly said, “Tian Tian, if you had to leave Ling Chen for a long time to do something very important, would you be willing?”
“Of course not!” Although she was quite sleepy, Tian Tian answered without any hesitation. The more time she spent with him, the more she became attached to him. This was especially so after they had lost Shui Ruo – the trauma she had suffered made it so that she did not want to be separated from Ling Chen for even a day. As such, she automatically gave this answer in response to Shadissika’s question.
“Then doesn’t Tian Tian miss her mummy? And doesn’t she want to go back to the place called the Xiya Star?” Shadissika softly asked as she looked at Tian Tian’s partly-opened eyes.
“Mummy…?” Tian Tian repeated this strangely, and her eyes suddenly opened wide as she stared at the ceiling, as if she was trying to remember something. After a while, she turned to look at Shadissika with a hazy gaze. “Mummy… Xiya Star… did they really exist… or was it just a dream… I don’t know why, but I can’t remember them anymore. Mm, forget it, let’s not think about it anymore. Sha Sha, let’s sleep.”
“So it was like this…” Shadissika inwardly thought. “Her memories were scattered due to the crash, but they should have recovered a long time ago. However, Ling Shui Ruo’s death dealt a massive blow to her mind, making her feel that she could never leave Ling Chen. As such, she subconsciously suppressed those memories from surfacing because she was afraid that she would have to leave Ling Chen if she remembered… however, her power will awaken sooner or later, as will her memories. Even she won’t be able to stop that. When that time comes…”
Shadissika gently placed her hand on Tian Tian’s eyes and came closer as she smiled and said mysteriously, “Tian Tian, I’ll give you a present.”
“Present? What present?” Hearing the word ‘present’, Tian Tian felt much more awake.
Shadissika mysteriously smiled and stretched out her hand. She then drew a line around Tian Tian’s snow-white neck before taking her hand off Tian Tian’s eyes and saying, “Look.”
Without the lights on, only some dim light came in from outside. Tian Tian excitedly sat up, and she immediately saw the dim violet light in front of her chest. Her eyes instantly lit up, and she held it with her hands as she cried out, “Wow! It’s so pretty!!”
In front of Tian Tian’s chest was a beautiful crystal pendant, which hung from her neck by a thin, transparent string. Although it was evening, it gave off a dreamy, violet light.
Seeing how cute Tian Tian looked, Shadissika happily laughed, “This isn’t just any ordinary pendant; it also contains a mysterious power.”
“A mysterious power?”
“Mhmm! Tian Tian, you need to remember my words.” Shadissika held Tian Tian’s hands, which were cupped around the pendant, and her gaze became serious. Looking at Shadissika, Tian Tian tilted her head curiously.
“Tian Tian must wear this pendant every day, and you must never take it off. This is even when Tian Tian’s showering or sleeping.”
“Okay! Since it’s a present given to me by Sha Sha and it’s so pretty, I would never have taken it off anyways,” Tian Tian confidently promised before Shadissika finished speaking.
“Mm.” Shadissika nodded, and her expression became even more serious as she said, “What I’m about to say next is even more important… one day, if you face danger and big brother and I are not around, you just need to put this violet pendant in your mouth… okay?”
“Eh?” Tian Tian looked quite confused. “Sha Sha, what you’re saying is so strange. Big brother will never leave me, and I won’t let myself get into any danger. Plus, even if there is danger, why do I need to put it in my mouth? It’s not a lolly.”
Shadissika knew that no one would be able to understand her words. She couldn’t explain it, so she grabbed Tian tian’s small hands and said earnestly, “Of course, I understand how Tian Tian feels, so let’s just treat it as a promise between us, alright? Just a small promise between us that doesn’t need any reason… alright?”
Tian Tian still looked quite confused. “Alright, even though it sounds very strange, since that’s what Sha Sha wants… I’ll listen to Sha Sha then. This is Sha Sha’s present for me and my promise with Sha Sha, so I’ll definitely keep it.”
“As expected from my best big sister Tian Tian. I like you so much!” Shadissika said in a cute voice and hugged Tian Tian as she laughed.
“Hehe… what a pretty pendant. I like it so much. In the future, I’ll also give Sha Sha a pretty gift… yaawn~” As Tian Tian spoke, she yawned and then said with drooping eyelids, “It’s already so late, and I’m so sleepy. Sha Sha, let’s sleep.”
“Mm.” Sha Sha covered both of them with the blanket and lay down and closed her eyes. “Sleep time!”
Soon, Tian Tian was sound asleep. When she fell asleep, Sha Sha, who was not intending to sleep at all, opened her eyes and looked up at the ceiling.
Only that method is able to cause the Isrock Disease to vanish from this world, but that will allow them to easily find me… however, this is his greatest wish, and this is the only way I can achieve it.
Tian Tian, if that day comes, protect Ling Chen for me.