"Ufff, I'm tired...!" complained Lia to the sky, large drops of sweat sliding down her forehead as if she were participating in a marathon in the middle of the Golden Half library.
"Me too, the supervisor is really a handful," added Kit, no less disheveled than his sister.
Both siblings trotted exhaustedly in the middle of one of the dimly lit corridors of the Golden Half library. They had just "dispatched" Supervisor Aguamelón in one of the rooms in that wing of the library. It wasn't the room where Aguamelón usually slept, but it was the most comfortable they had been able to find so far.
No matter how much they searched the library, they couldn't find the supervisor's room. After much searching, they had no choice but to leave her in a guest suite fit for royalty.
"I hope it works..." thought Lia, lowering her head, dragging her hooves.
Lia had set up a small trap for Aguamelón when she woke up. It wasn't something new for her; she had already devised similar stratagems to get rid of those who bothered her or her brother. If everything went well as always, she wouldn't have to worry about anything that had happened.
However...
"Everything will be fine! Trust your lucky star, Ruberlia!" Lia tried to comfort herself. Aguamelón's stern gaze still lingered in her thoughts, along with the doubt of whether this trick would work again this time.
Suddenly, from the brightly lit other end of the long hallway, a refreshing breeze arrived accompanied by the unmistakable sound of falling water.
Both siblings looked at each other, and immediately, they remembered with joy what awaited on the other side of the hallway.
"The last one is a rotten egg!" neighed Lia before sprinting away. She left her brother behind and all the fatigue she had felt until then.
"Waittttt!" Kit responded, also starting to gallop.
Lia and Kit ran towards the bright light of the hallway. After a few seconds of mild blindness from the brilliant sunlight surrounding them, the white walls of the magnificent room they had entered welcomed them.
A large glass dome rose on the ceiling of the room, displaying the clear blue sky of the afternoon. Statues of wise unicorns holding candles surrounded the walls of the vaulted circular room, accompanied by beautifully crafted wooden balconies. The walls descended in tiers across the four floors of the library, reaching the marble floor where a large cup-shaped pool spilled water on all sides.
It was a truly beautiful room, a testament to the library's glorious past. Any visitor would be dazzled by the magnificent architecture that surrounded them or by the striking pool made from a single piece of jade crystal, shining as if pouring forth the vibrant sunlight.
The 'Celestial Chalice Room' had been created to be a recreation spot for visitors, a worthy corner for chatting with friends or spending time away from work, casually reading a book on one of its benches.
Although, at that moment, for Lia, it was the best place to take a good bath.
Without even thinking about removing her clothes, Lia, with a grin from ear to ear, plunged into the pool of the fountain, splashing water in all directions.
Her brother quickly caught up and did the same. Laughter and splashes of fun filled the 'Celestial Chalice.'
"Ahhh... I really needed this," exclaimed Lia, lying back in the water, speaking in the same way as a salaried worker who finally reached her vacation.
After laughing and playing with the water, Lia finally felt relaxed. Taking a good bath in a pool always cleared the mind, as her mother used to say, and she was right.
She gradually began to remove all her clothes with her magic, placing all her garments on one of the pedestals of the pool. Contrary to common sense, Lia's clothes were barely wet, and this was due to the expensive materials from which they were made.
Yes, Lia and her brother belonged to a very wealthy social class.
Suddenly, water splashed Lia, and she turned her gaze to the other side of the pool.
"SHARK! SHARK! SHARK!" Kit kept diving into the water, creating playful waves.
"Hey Kit, I want to relax, so... DON'T BOTHER ME, OKAY?"
"Huh? Yeah, okay, whatever you say... SHARK! SHARK! SHARK!" responded her carefree brother.
Lia rolled her eyes, put on sunglasses, and once again lay back in the water. Her gaze fixed on the ceiling of the room. There was no point in thinking about her brother; all she wanted to do at that moment was to rest...
A cloud began to slowly cross the sky, beyond the glass roof... the splashing sounds were distant.
Peace... so much peace... Lia thought as her senses began to numb.
Another cloud started to cross the sky... the splashing sounds were even farther away.
"Peace, enjoy every moment of this peace..." thought Lia, finally closing her eyelids.
There were no more clouds in the sky, nor any concerns related to her brother...
Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed beside her. "SHARKKKKK!" someone shouted, causing Lia to scream and submerge in the water for a moment. When she emerged, she found her brother laughing by her side.
"I told you not to bother me!"
"Ah, yes, but it's getting late; we better go somewhere else."
"What do you mean late? I just..." Lia stopped and looked around surprised. Kit was right. The sunlight was angling several degrees on the walls of the room, indicating the advanced hour.
"How much time has passed?" Lia wondered aloud, still not understanding what had just happened.
"Like two hours, I think. Hehe, you fell asleep like a log again! You're starting to resemble grandma, even when you snore, hehehe," Kit teased his sister.
"Wait... was I snoring?"
"Yesss, like a jackhammer, hehehe."
Lia blushed. Days ago, she and her family had gone to the theater, where accidentally, in the middle of the play, she fell asleep. Soon, her snoring caused quite a ruckus, almost exposing her to her parents. Fortunately, her brother covered for her, taking the scolding himself.
"Was it really loud?" Lia asked fearfully, her ears drooping.
"Oh yes! LOUDDDDDD! Hehe," laughed Kit.
Lia didn't smile or get annoyed; she just looked disheartened in another direction. This was a problem she couldn't solve on her own. Those snores were something that truly bothered her. They had started to arise recently, and she hadn't paid them proper attention. However, if everything was as her brother described, these snores were becoming increasingly intense and frequent.
How would she explain this to her mother, known for having the highest standards of good manners throughout Yeguadelfia? Lia didn't know where to begin. Most likely, she would have to tell her father first, but knowing him, that would likely end up in a hospital.
A concerned Lia lay silent and dejected on the edge of the pool. As Kit left the water, he stopped laughing and watched his sister with concern.
Kit didn't like to see his sister like this. After several minutes of silence and great mental effort, Kit, who was unconsciously rummaging through his pockets, finally had an idea.
"I got it! I got it!" exclaimed an excited Kit, spinning in a circle and wagging his tail.
"Hmm? What's going on?" replied Lia, snapping out of her thoughts.
"Are you hungry?"
"Well, I guess a little."
"Then... What if we go to the cafeteria and try the special pastries there! Then we can go to... the forbidden section! How about that?" proposed Kit, very excited, playing with the library's master keys.
A smile appeared on Lia's face at that moment. "Mmm, yes! Sounds great."
With a leap, Lia exited the water, invigorated by what could be the best idea Kit had had all day.