'Hokkaido,' Rudolf thought as she leaned her head on Echo's head, who was currently resting on her shoulder.
She visited Hokkaido plenty of times, each time never finding it special as a city. After all, in the end, all cities are the people who live in them. So, the people are important, not the city, because a city can be replaced; however, people cannot be replaced.
This was her belief as Symboli Rudolf.
Yet, for the first time, Hokkaido feels special to Rudolf. All because Echo Eclipse was born in Hokkaido and was raised in Hokkaido. The very city which contained the trace of Echo Eclipse's growth.
The train rumbled as its travel across the tracks; the light filtered through the window, seemingly ethereal as if it wasn't the same noon sunlight she was used to.
She lifted her head and observed the train, now strangely empty except for the snoring Echo Eclipse on her shoulder. She looked back at Echo and gently caressed her bangs.
'Another dream?' she thought before hearing a ding, the same ding she would hear when racing.
She blinked while turning her head ahead of her. Sitting on the other side of them was an illusory, blurred Echo Eclipse. This mature Echo has long hair and an experienced expression, staring back with the same powerful eyes Rudolf fell in love with.
"Are you enjoying your life?"
That Echo said with a proud grin.
Rudolf instinctually glanced at her Echo Eclipse beside her, responding with a soft tone. "I am."
The illusory Echo Eclipse crossed her lips, satisfied with that answer. That answer from Rudolf came from her heart.
"You won't remember this dream, but I guess that doesn't matter to you." The illusory Echo chuckled before leaning back into her seat.
Rudolf didn't respond for several seconds, seemingly feeling like an eternity. "That's fine; that's how dreams are supposed to be."
Dreams can be remembered; they can feel real; they can feel safe, but they aren't real. They are just fleeting constructs of your mind.
That is what dreams are: no matter how cruel or hard reality is, you must eventually wake up from your dream.
After all, what would Rudolf want more? Echo Eclipse is sleeping beside her, in both reality and in dreams. She also has undefeated win streaks so far and plans to conquer the overseas races.
The illusory Echo could only chuckle with bitterness, which Rudolf could not comprehend.
"We are all living in a dream; we all have a story we are writing as we live. So, when you finally wake up from your dream, I just hope you can tell your story with triumph and faith."
Rudolf felt a strange urge to cry and scream, just to argue against that answer, but she couldn't, and the illusory Echo Eclipse smiled at Rudolf.
"You know, Echo Eclipse is living her absolute and dearest dream. From birth to now, she has been living a dream. That is the existence of Echo Eclipse."
The train seemed to slow down until coming to a halt, arriving at a station that was entirely unknown to Rudolf. The illusory Echo stood up while Rudolf watched from her seat.
"I just hope, when you wake up from your dream... You don't wake Echo Eclipse from her dream too."
"What did you mean by that?" Tears trickle down Rudolf's cheek.
The illusory Echo didn't respond, walking to the open door before stopping. She turned her head back to Rudolf; by now her facial features had completely blurred out.
"Just take care of your Echo Eclipse like you typically do. That's all." She chuckled before stepping off the train.
Symboli Rudolf could see an illusory Rudolf outside the train, hugging her Echo Eclipse.
Rudolf then glanced at the snoring Echo Eclipse on her shoulder, 'I wonder what she's dreaming so deeply...' She felt the train moving again, before closing her eyes.
Leaning her head on top of Echo Eclipse's head, slowly drifting back to sleep...
.
.
.
"-dolf..."
"-ndeer..."
"Rudo-..."
"Rudolf Reindeer!" Echo shook the sleeping Rudolf awake. Rudolf drowsily glanced around the train before looking at the station; they had arrived at Hokkaido.
"H-Huh? We're here?" Rudolf said, strangely not acting like how she usually is.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling the Christmas spirit?" Echo teased while pulling Rudolf up, carrying their backpacks.
Rudolf rubbed her eyes; she felt like she was having an important conversation with somebody asleep for some reason. Her tail sways as the cold air hits her.
"Hokkaido..." White breath escaped her mouth as Rudolf pulled her along; she was following mindlessly. Her eyes stared at the snow-covered city before at Echo, who was basically bouncing while humming happily. Leading Rudolf out of the station, going to the outskirts of the city.
She saw the Hokkaido snow before and never thought of it as special. But with Echo Eclipse, it was more special than everything else.
Echo pulled away from Rudolf and leapt from one point to another with that beautiful wide grin. Spinning around and jogging away from the station, feeling the snow crunch underneath those hooves. The sweet, joyful sounds she made sounded like soothing music for Rudolf.
Almost like Echo Eclipse was a spirit of winter, so unbelievably pure, so unbelievably beautiful, to the point it was almost a sin to even breathe in the same air as her.
The snow enhanced Echo's beauty, the way Echo spun, the way Echo laughed, the way Echo glanced at Rudolf, the way her fingers flew with each leap. Even while wearing a basic white t-shirt and a black coat, she looked like she were wearing clothes woven by the goddesses themselves.
Rudolf followed Echo's trail mindlessly, indulging this free-spirited creature, with a sweet smile of her own that not even Rudolf's parents had seen before.
Rudolf didn't remember when, but after jogging and a quick tour of Echo's neighbourhood. She was now standing in front of Echo's house gate; it was almost like she was enchanted thoroughly by Echo Eclipse.
'How dangerous...' Rudolf took a deep breath before lifting her hand, going to ring the bell. But instead, Echo just barged in, shouting.
"Mom~! Dad~! I'm homeeeee!" She hummed and tugged Rudolf's sleeves forward. Quickly, footsteps rushed to the front door and opened it.
Rudolf looked closely at Echo's mother, who was wearing an apron. Her black hair was tied up into a bun, sweating from running to the door. She locked her eyes onto Echo, and both Echo and she spread their arms.
They walked up to each other and gave each other a deep hug.
"Mom~."
"My dearest Echo~."
They separated after a minute of hugging. Her mother turned toward Rudolf with the same soft smile. "Is this Symboli Rudolf you mentioned in your letters? Your best friend?"
She walked up to Rudolf and hugged her. Surprising Rudolf with how intimate her mother was acting so intimately with someone she doesn't even know, just because Rudolf is Echo's friend.
"Thank you for taking care of my ditzy dear daughter," her mother said, chuckling as she pulled away, resting her palm on her cheek.
"Come in, I was baking carrot cake." She entered the doorway before pausing, turning back to both Echo and Rudolf.
"Welcome home." She smiled brightly, making Rudolf feel warm inside. She could see how Echo Eclipse was raised, with all the love and affection in the world.