Resonant Hearts - Part 2

Errant Star Sundries, Radz-at-Han ~ A Nervous Winter Afternoon
Perspective: Noémie Clement

---

"W-well...t-thank you, Noeimich... Noem... See you!"

The red cheeks of the girl across from me were readily visibly against the pale skin she shared with her sisters, one that seemed to be untouched by the sorching sun that graced Thavnair. Indeed, it was the first time I had seen my childhood friend like this, unbalanced, flustered, and otherwise at a loss for how to handle a situation. She was ever the optimist, and despite her eccentricities remained composed in the direst of situations.

Except for this one.

I never poked too far into her other life of being a peacekeeper from the shadows and I could never imagine the horrors she must have faced in the line of duty. But apprently, none were as so horrific or shocking enough as what I just did to her: confess my love for her.

I could only catch a glimpse of her smile and the rapid glint of her dark red hair before the cloud of dust obscured by vision. It was one of her family's secret techniques, allowing her to not just vanish, but move somewhere quickly. That she could do it despite a compromised composure and several crates in her hand was rather impressive.

"I'm surprised that even in that state she can still use ninjutsu," I sighed. My shoulders slumped a bit, but I didn't feel sad. I felt rather relieved. From the corner of my eye, there was another figure, sharing the same face and horns of Chiaki, but stood much taller and with her hair a white as snow. Fuyuki, had been watching, listening the entire time I poured my heart out to her older sister.

"We were trained well, to say the least," Fuyuki replied, smiling softly as she looked to me. "How are you?"

I shrugged half-heartedly. "Hmm, give me a bit and I'll be curled up in a ball crying my eyes out."

"I figured," Fuyuki replied. I could see a complicated expression on her face, but I wasn't given much time to ponder over it as a man's voice approached us from behind.

"About that...get out of here."

I turned around to see my boss, Quentin, hands on his hips and looking rather smug at both of us. Given that none of us were making any effort to hide it, and Chiaki's high-pitched voice being very, very easy to pick out, it should have been no surprise that he was listening.

"You said you've got about five minutes before you start curling up, right?" Quentin asked. I grimaced. I wasn't being literal when I said five minutes or curled up in a ball, but my boss simply laughed. "When that happens, you shouldn't be here. C'mon, I can handle the shop"

"Really, boss?" I replied, a bit skeptical. Sure, I wouldn't be feeling all too good, but it wasn't like it was going to impact me. Too much. Maybe. Eventually, I groaned looked to the floor in defeat. Chiaki was usually the last of our major clients to show up at the end of the day.

I heard Quentin chuckle and looked up to him as he spoke again. "Thought so. Get outta here. Clear your head."

Despite the brusque gesture for me to go away, there was a warm smile on Quentin's face. But there was little time to ponder it as Fuyuki grabbed my wrist and dragged me out of the shop.

"Alright then, come with me. I know a good place," the shorter girl said, looking side to side down the streets before pulling me along again.

"Not too far, I still want to be back to close up," I replied, following along.

"Eh, don't worry. I know a shortcut." Fuyuki turned her head back to me with a puzzling grin. I looked around. We were in an alley, with a dead end. How was this a shortcut, let alone a path to anywhere?

"What do you mean by a shortcu-?!"

---

I had no time to complete my question. The world seemed to be pulled away from me, or rather, I was being dragged along. The feeling was unlike that of the teleport spell, except instead fulling like I was being pulled by an Aetheryte, it was Fuyuki's own force that guided me along. But that begged the question: what was guiding her?

With with a sudden and abrupt stop, my feet found solid ground again. How long I was in a teleported state I really couldn't tell, but what was immediately apparent was the distance. The walls of Han loomed in the distance, and tiny specs floated across the horizon, that being the trade ships sailing oblivious to our own journey.

"This is..." I muttered in astonishment. I turned around in circles, taking stock of where I was. Next to the paved path I stood on were roughly hewn rocks, jutting out into the sea where waves crashed violently against them. Towards the setting sun was a stretch of sand, shimmering in resplendent amber before being stopped suddenly by a line of trees. A beach full of memories from my childhood, spent playing with the Fuyo sisters.

"Yep. We haven't been here for a long while..." Fuyuki said, hopping off the paved path and onto the rocks, deftly hopping between the uneven surface.

"No...not since we were kids..." I replied, following parallel along the paved path. "Why...?"

Fuyuki stopped suddenly, perching on on leg at the apex of the rock she landed on, pivoting to look at me with a tilted head. "Wrong place? We can always try some place else. I just thought a bit of shared nostalgia would be better than some dark corner somewhere.

After some thought, I replied, "I suppose...well, you're not wrong." My reply was satisfactory, and we continued to slowly walk our own paths. I glanced over to Fuyuki, who seemed to be hopping along absentmindedly from the tips of each rock effortlessly.

A few more silent steps later, I looked over to the sea. First, a sigh, then a laugh as I said. "I have good memories of this place."

"Hehe...that's good," Fuyuki replied. "I have a hard time keeping mine straight..."

I raised my eyebrows and frowned, shaking my head. For someone as keen as her, I thought her memory would be more complete. The again...she did in effect run from home. Maybe she blacked out those memories. I shook my head again, as a familiar sight caught my eyes. I pointed at a trio of rocks, forming an otherwise innocuous triangle. "I remember...Chiaki slipping on the rocks, and her tail getting stuck."

Fuyuki stopped hopping, balancing on a single foot to look at where I was pointing. "Then Natsu-neesama was telling her that we'd have to cut it off," she replied with a laugh.

"I know, that was so mean!" I laughed in return. "Chiaki really believed her and started crying."

"You know Ane-ue scolded Natsu-neesama a lot after that." Fuyuki said, crossing her arms and making the stern expression that her eldest sister Haruna was well-known for. "Even if our tails can grow back it still hurts! - she said."

"I can image..." With a sigh I trailed off, walking to the edge of the path and sitting down, letting my spry legs reach out and rest atop the rocks. "Ne, Haruna also made you do lot of swimming drills here too, right?"

Fuyuki nodded and hopped from the rock she was balanced on over to my side in a single swift jump, moving faster than what my eyes could track. "Yep. All of it shinobi training in disguise."

"Do you resent her for that?" I asked, looking up to her.

"Not at all," Fuyuki replied as she sat down next me, leaning back and wrapping her tail around her waist as she looked out to the water. "Besides, she was the one who helped me reach Eorzea after all.

I nodded in silence, looking out across the water. In the distance, I could see merchant ships pass each other in their usual hurried pace. I held out my hand in front as if my palm would magically form a wall barring their passage. Unsurprisingly, the blots in the distance continued irreverently, passing from one side of my palm to the other. Oblivious to my own turmoil, they sallied forth, the same way the world will even after what had happened at the shop.

A tired sigh escaped my lips from the revelation, followed by the shake of the head. My eyes lowered as my question finally broke the silence between and my best friend beside me.

"...Fuyu-chi...when you used your magic cards...did you...what did they say?"

From the corner of my eye, I could see Fuyuki reach up and pinch the bridge of her nose as she spoke. "Well, one interpretation would have been... 'minor misfortune in the immediate future'"

"Urgh...so you knew..." I groaned, pulling my legs in.

"I don't think the cards were necessary in the first place," Fuyuki promptly responded. "In the end...I just wanted you to go through the motions."

Nodding slowly, I drew my kness into my chest, my words barely making it past my legs. "And...I appreciate it, Fuyuki... I...I appreciate it..." I mumbled.

My breaths started to get more and more shaky as I buried my head into my knees. Unbidden, the tears started to block my vision until I could no longer keep them open. Sobs interrupted my weak breaths, themselves hidden behind my curled up form.

On my shoulder, I felt what was like a awkwarly-shaped rod rubbing against it. Undoubtedly it was one of Fuyuki's horns brushing against me. A quiet reminder that she was still there, and one that persistesed even though it would eventually slow down and be just Fuyuki resting against my shoulder.

Without any further input, I felt my tears dry up and my breathing returned to normal. Slowly I let go of my legs, letting them once more stretch out in front of me. "...I think...I think I'm good now," I whispered.

"You sure...?" Fuyuki asked, standing up.

"No," I replied, getting to my feet and dusting off the back of my pants. "But I have to get back to the shop."

Fuyuki chucked and grinned as she grabbed my wrist again. "Alrighty~!" She exclaimed as the wind started to pick up around us. The wind started to pick up around us as she prepared her 'shortcut', that mystery spell again. I braced myself for that pulling of being pulled along, as the wind reached its peak, I could hear my best friend shout -

"Hold on a bit and here...we...go-!"

---

Once more, I felt that rough sensation of being dragged along. How long it lasted, I couldn't tell, and was probably better not knowing. But the next moment where I was fully lucid, I found myself standing at the front entrance of the Errant Star.

The shutters were already closed and the outside stands brought inside; indeed Quentin had done much of the work of closing up the shop. However, there still seemed to be a few more things to move around, as evidenced by the crate that he was carrying as Fuyuki and I stepped into the shop.

"Well! I have some good news for you, Noemi!" Quentin said even though his back was turned as she set down the crate.

Fuyuki raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms. "That attitude doesn't sound like good news," the white-hair girl said, with a hint of amusement in her voice and expression.

"Listen to what I have to say first!" Quentine replied, dusting off his hands before turning around. He matched the wry expression of amusement as raise a single finger on each hand. "Chiaki...came back!"

"...eh?" A scoff of disbelief escaped both my and Fuyuki's lips as she looked at each other.

"...that still doesn't sound like good news," I responded, adding, "Did I forget something in her orde-"

"Let me finish, girls," Quentin said, cutting me off, though he still retained that mad sense of amusement. "Chiaki came back, red as the sands still and said...she wanted to talk about about Noemi's...'proposal'."

It was very obvious that Quentin's faux dramatic pauses were for humour, but after crying found myself too drained to respond with anything but snark. "I asked her out, not proposed."

"Her words, not mine." Quentin replied, raising his hands defensively before dropping the act. "But...she wants to talk to you again, apologize, try again, and, well..."

It was Fuyuki's turn to be exasperated. "...well...?!"

She cut herself off after that and ran out," Quentin said with a shrug.

Fuyuki sighed and nodded before her white glowing eyes grew wide with shock. "Hold up. She -ran- out of the shop?!" she almost shouted. "As in...you saw her...with her own to feet...as in..." In disbelief, Fuyuki made the motion of running in place.

A wide grin spread across Quentin's face as he nodded in affirmation. I stood, rather dumbstruck. Chiaki was able to use her ninjustu earlier despite carrying that crate. That she -didn't- do so again...

"So...!" Quentin shouted, shaking me out of my state of shock. "You still got a shot. Anyways. I'll finish up closing shop. You have something more important."

Quentin pointed at me, then to the front door with a wink before picking up the crate he was carrying earlier. Still processing my sudden turn in fortune, if it was a turn for the good, I barely nodded. I felt a little pressure on my shoulder, and I looked to my side to see Fuyuki smiling up to me. I had opened my mouth to ask Fuyuki for guidance, but Quentin had to sneak in one last quip as she walked into the storeroom.

"And for the record...I knew."

"You knew -what-?" I shouted back, but Quentin had already disappeared out of sight. I glanced over to Fuyuki who caught my gaze and immediately looked away, gritting her teeth with an expression telling me she was thinking very deeply on what to say next. "W-what does he mean by that? Hold on...I...I figured Fuyu-chi would know about me and Chiaki but...oh..."

My voice trailed off as realization hit me. Was it really that obvious? It must have been. That means...everyone...

"Urgh...bloody hell..." I groaned, a defeated sigh slipping past my two hands that were rubbing against my face in frustration. This was all to much to take in at once within an hour, but...one step at a time. It took another sigh to calm myself down and let go of my face, and as my arms fell to my side, Fuyuki put her hand on my shoulder again.

"Fuyu-chi? L-let's go..." I weakly stammered.

Fuyuki nodded with a gently smile on her face. The wind started to swirl around me as Fuyuki spoke up. "We can take that shortcut again, make it all go faster."

I shook my head again with a weak smile. Fuyuki smiled as well and nodded in understanding, much to my surprise and the wind around me died down quickly.

"No..." I replied, my voice sound a bit more more confident. "As much as I do want to have it be done with...I think for something like this...there's no shortcuts."

Resonant Hearts - Part 1

Errant Star Sundries, Radz-at-Han ~ A Nervous Winter Afternoon
Perspective: Noémie Clement

---

"W-wait what?! S-since when?!"

Normally, I would be far more composed. Due to growing up with the Fuyo family, I had gotten used to much of the shenanigans that the sisters were capable of. But I was not prepared for the sudden revelation that, despite all odds, my childhood friend Fuyuki who seemed too busy with work had somehow managed to find herself a girlfriend. The shock of it was such that I had almost dropped the crate I had in my hands, so I had channeled it all into my voice, which in turn reverberated in the storeroom of the Errant Star.

"Nngh...Noemi-chi...please..." Fuyuki replied, gripping her horns and grimacing in pain with a soft pant. "J-just...no need to shout...?"

I nodded and apologized weakly. Fuyuki was always weak to sudden loud noises when she had her guard down, and the echoing of the storeroom didn't help one bit. Calming down slowly, I was able to set the crate down in the corner, turning around to sit down to face my friend, smiling nervously.

"S-sorry...I just thought...of all people...you'd be the last, if at all..." I said. "I mean, with your nose constantly in a book or...teaching your students. But you ended up being the first among your sisters."

Fuyuki chuckled as she walked over to a nearby crate, picking one a little higher than mine and jumping up to sit down on it. Despite the difference in the crate's height, my own height as an Elezen still overpowered the Raen's stature, and I found myself still looking downwards awkwardly as Fuyuki grinned at me. "And you, can make Chiaki-nee the next one."

"F-f-fuyu-chi..." I stammered, pulling my legs up onto the crate and hugging them, giving my the opportunity to curl up and bury my head into my knees. "Don't say it so glibly like that...!"

I took a deep breath to try to keep myself calm. Like Fuyuki, Chiaki was a childhood friend, though by virtue of being Fuyuki's older sister. Not that it was obvious Chiaki was older than the very calm and composed woman next to me. While I could say all the Fuyo sisters incredibly near and dear to me, Chiaki was the one I had clicked with the most easily. She was an unending font of energy, ceaselessly optimistic, ready to power through even the more dire of circumstances with that unbreakable smile.

And yet...

"I...I can't..." I sighed breaking the silence, looking into my hands. "I'm...afraid..."

Fuyuki shuffled closer, placing a scaled hand on my shoulder and saying with a smile, "And that's normal, you know?"

I shook my head in response as I looked too my side. "I'm no...brave soldier or fighter, like you and your sisters and..." I trailed off as I started to chuckle, but then cut myself off as I noticed the hand on my shoulder lifting and the fingers curling, threatening to flick my forehead. Fuyuki grinned at me and I started to lean away; she rarely made threats, and what threats she made she always followed through. I braced myself for the inevitable impact and closed my eyes.

The storeroom echoed with the sounds of the shop filtering in, yet I had no idea how long I had closed my eyes. It wasn't like Fuyuki to rescind a threat, but curiosity got the better of me and I opened my eyes. Of course, as soon as I processed that the pale fingers were still hovering near my nose, I felt a sudden but light tap between my eyes. Reflexively, closed my eyes again and flinched. As always, Fuyuki followed through, even if it was obvious she held back.

"Ufufu...that's what I told myself too," Fuyuki replied, as she chuckled. "I would sooner throw myself into mortal peril for someone else's sake rather than confess my feelings."

Gingerly I rubbed my forehead, daring to open one of my eyes at first. Fuyuki had already withdrawn her hands and was seated cross-legged on the crate next to me, trying to be me as encouraging a smile as possible. I got the point she was trying to make, yet...I still didn't feel convinced.  But it was my fault, and I fumbled over my words trying to explain it as I rubbed my barely smarting forehead.

"...I don't...if it goes wrong...I'll...I still see her, every day, when she comes to pick up whatever ingredients the Four Seasons needs to today, and it'll just...eat at me..."

"It's already eating at you, Noemi-chi."

Such a swift and immediate delivery, as if Fuyuki had prepared such a retort before hand. Honestly, it felt good to be rebutted so fast, as if Fuyuki knew me well enough that she had to counter that. But the joy passed quickly and I found myself curling up again, holding my hands over my pointed ears as I groaned.

"I just...I do want to know if..." I blinked, a sudden realization striking me. I turned to the younger sister of Chiaki, looking at her hopefully as I asked, "What do you think, Fuyu-chi? Do you think Chiaki has f-feelings for me?"

"Chiaki loves everyone."

"...ehe. Ahaha...Hahaha~!" At first I chuckled, then laughed wholeheartedly and Fuyuki joined me, our mirthful laughs echoing off the walls, resonating loud enough that Fuyuki had to cover her orns again. Should I have expected any other answer? No, I understood what Fuyuki said with that and smiled, relaxing a little.

"Well, you're not wrong! But you know what I mean." I said, fully uncurling myself.

"I do. And I stand by what I said earlier. In other words, right now, I don't think she has any specific feelings towards you."

I blinked, and sighed in disappointment, then whispered in a muted tone. "...Is that so."

"Right now, she doesn't have those kinds of feelings towards anyone."

"...that's what I figured." I nodded and leaned back against the wall. "And I wouldn't be the first person she's turned down."

"Sure, but that's if she turns you down."

I gave Fuyuki a quizzical look as she hopped off her create and started to stretch her arms into the air.

"Why wouldn't she?" I asked. "You said she doesn't have any feelings towards me."

"Did I not say _right now_...?" Fuyuki replied, sharply turning her head to me while the rest of her body remained still. Her eyes had narrowed a little, and I could sense a little impatience in her voice. A faint chill seemed to reach my back, though it had only taken a moment to realize I had pressed myself against the back of the storeroom wall.

The tops of my teeth lightly grit against each other, and with a sense of terrible tranquility I had managed to gather enough courage to look into the faintly glowing white eyes of my best friend, asking with a barely-audible whisper, "...so...how do I change that?"

Fuyuki's slight and narrow glare immediately softened, then slowly turned into a worried smile. "Simple. You tell her how you feel."

"Isn't that doing things in the wrong order?" I retorted. I couldn't help but smile in return.

"There's a right order?"

Once again, my best friend had a snappy retort. "No. I suppose not," I conceeded.

Feeling a bit stiff from sitting down on the crate, I joined Fuyuki in standing up, raising my arms in a stretch. Fuyuki on the other hand started to dig for something beneath her poncho. For how long she had the poncho, I never asked, but ever since she had left for Eorzea, she was always wearing it when she visited Radz-at-Han. What was beneath it, I dared not ask, as the sound of metal, crystal, and what I believe was bits of magic activation, all echoed from beneath her cover.

After digging around, Fuyuki produced an Ice Aether Cluster. Confused, I tilted my head and opened my mouth to ask what it was for, but I had my answer as the cluster started to glow and lift into the air, spinning slightly as turned into a light blue orb that Fuyuki appeared to be manipulating and shaping.

"When I first started dating Minisaki...I didn't know as much of her as I did now," Fuyuki said as both her hands moved around the light blue orb. "I was I enamoured at her to begin with, yes, but the more we were together, the more I learned about her, the more I came to love her."

"But you started out with at least some attraction before."

I crossed my arms in confusion and Fuyuki paused...whatever she was doing with the blue orb, pushing it aside and looking at me with a comical narrow glare to fire off a blunt, "And Noemi-chi missed the point."

Once more, I blinked in silence and Fuyuki returned to shaping whatever she was trying to shape. Besides the soft hum of Fuyuki's magic, the storeroom was silent. Without distractions, I could think and eventually, I made a guess.

"The point was...that your feelings still grew after you confessed and got together."

I tried looked over to Fuyuki to gauge if my answer was correct, but the blue orb that she was manipulating had grown to about twice the size of her head and had started to a glow a faint white, blocking out my view of the Raen's face. Thankfully, the disruption was momentary as Fuyuki shifted the orb way from her front and letting it float in the palm of her left hand. Though she still seemed to be focused on whatever she was making, she still glanced over to give me and warm smile and an eager nod before the hum of magic reigned again.

"Call me a fool," I said, wanting to break the awkward silence. "But I wish there was a way to...for lack of a better word, peek into the future. Maybe that would save myself the heartbreak."

"Well...there is."

Fuyuki's smile had warped and turned into a wry grin. She held out the blue orb towards me, though, it wasn't just a blue orb anymore. There was a frame around it, though jagged like it was hewn from a giant block of ice. Metallic rings seemed to dance around that central orb, and what looked like embossed cards orbited the entire frame. The form was familiar, the name of it on the tip of my tongue, but I wasn't given a chance to think further.

Suddenly, the orb and cards spun around rapidly, the clatter of machina loudly echoing off the storeroom walls. Fuyuki's other hand reached out and grabbed onto one of the cards, pulling it out as if she was tearing it out. The orb and cards halted their movement as suddenly as they started spinning.

"So...do you really want to know...?" Fuyuki asked, holding the orb away from herself and the singular card in front of her. I started at her, dumbfounded at what had just happened.

"W-wait...is that...Sharlayan Astromancy?!" I shouted, then covered my mouth.

"Indeed..." Fuyuki confirmed. "So I say again...do you really want to know...?"

I knew Fuyuki was an accomplished mage, dipping into all sorts of fields of magic. But Astromancy? As far as I knew, the Sharlayans were murderously protective of the art. Given that Fuyuki held a rather antipathetic view of Sharlayan, it was difficult for me to fathom how she could have learned such magic.

Yet...here she was, apparently in full mastery of the art. She took a step forward and held the card out to me, trying to emphasize her offer. Slowly, my hand reached out, but mere ilms away I stopped, starting at the embroidered silver backing. At the other side of the card was my fate. Or rather, some sort of symbol that would represent my fate. And that symbol...would also be visible to Fuyuki right now. The meant...she now knew...

Gritting my teeth, I snatched the card of her hand. Fuyuki was smiling and I found myself panting hard as if I had run a malm in ten minutes, and a sudden feeling of weight in my hand started to pull on me. With a shakey hand I slowly lifted the card into my view and agonizingly turned it around.

"W-what?!" I exclaimed, shouting out loud again. It clearly was a card from an Astromancy deck, but placed over whatever actual divination markings that were supposed to be there were two other seals. One at the top was a stylized version of Fuyuki's face, sticking her tongue out mockingly at me, and in the center, covering what looked like some letting as well as some sort of portrait was another stylized image of Fuyuki, shrugging at me.

I lowered the card a little and looked to Fuyuki, bewildered. The wry grin on my best friend's face was gone, and back was that calm and comforting smile. She set down her Astromancy tool on a nearby crate, letting it collapse into a compact form, the walked towards me.

"I mean sure, Noemi-chi, I could go and see the future," she said. "But even if you knew through that method that would you be rejected, wouldn't you be heartbroken regardless? Besides. If my experience has told me anything..."

Fuyuki trailed off, reaching out the card I gripped tightly in my hand and lifted it, my hand along with it. Her hand rotated, suggesting that I turn it over, and though I was confused, I still complied. With my fingers, I flipped the card over, expecting to see the embroidered silver backing from last time, but instead, it had turned into another card. This time, the seal at the top was of Fuyuki's face winking at me, and the seal at the center was her giving me a thumbs up.

"Fate can be fickle, and in some cases, malleable," Fuyuki explained with a bright smile. I nodded and chuckled sofly, handing back her card. "And by the way. I learned that trick from my beloved Minisaki."

This Minisaki girl really did have a profound effect on Fuyuki, it seems. I suppose that's what love can do to you, and I found myself a little jealous.

"Alright...I get it...just...dive in and be up front..." I muttered. I sighed, half in defeat, half in...strange relief.

"Easier said than done, yes," Fuyuki replied, walking up and reaching up to put a hand on my shoulder. I was admittedly a short Elezen and her a tall Au Ra, so it made the height difference less awkward. "But...if it means anything...I'll be here help."

I nodded in understanding. "Help clean up...like you always have."

Fuyuki groaned, then laughed heartily, nodding in agreement. "Like I always have...speaking of. It's soon time isn't it."

I looked out to the entrance of the storeroom to see if I could see the clock in the main part of the shop. Though it was out of view, the orange light filtering through the windows was enough to gauge the passage of time. Soon Chiaki would arrive in order to pick up today's order for the Four Seasons Apothecary. A small order today, some herbs and oils. Not much to really move around...which should give me a bit of time to...confess.

"Yeah... Thank you, Fuyu-chi..." I muttered, looking down and smiling. I was nervous, yes, but I still felt as if a weight had been lifted from my chest.

"Of course," Fuyuki replied. She took her hand off my should and held it up in the air, her fingers spread out. Then she curled her pinky, then ring finger, then her middle finger. A countdown. Of course. The sisters knew each other so well.

And as Fuyuki's thumb curled up, her hand forming a fist, a loud bang could be heard from the front door, followed by Chiaki's ever-gleeful, singsong voice.

"Noemi-chi~! Where are you~? I miss you~!"

I could only sigh and shake my head. The second-eldest daughter was oblivious to all that had just transpired in the storeroom. I look to Fuyuki, smiling as I asked, "Are you going to lurk in the shadows?"

Fuyuki burst into soft laughed and shook her head. "Oh please. That rarely works against my sisters. The best way for me to go unnoticed is to be in place sight. I'll just be around one of the shelves."

That's right. Trying to pull that trick against a family of shinobi was a bad idea at best. I groaned and lifted my arms in one final stretch, letting out the last bits of doubt and nervousness that lingered in me. Outside the storeroom I could hear Chiaki patiently humming, waiting for me. By now she figured I was in the storeroom, perhaps busy. Step by step I apprached the doorway back to the shop, pausing just short to take in one last breath.

"Alright...here I go."

Fortunate Serendipity

Kogane Dori, Kugane ~ A Quiet Morning
Perspective - Arisu (Alice) Yumeno

---

When I opened my eyes, I was surprised to a wooden roof above me, even if it was the third time in a row I saw it. It really hadn't sunken in yet that I was no longer in Dalmasca. That I was safe in Hingashi. From where I was laying, I reached up, as if my hand would have pressed against some sort of barrier, a barrier that would shatter and the illusion around me would fade. But there was no barrier, no illusion, and my hand fell limply above my head to rest atop my ears.

After another moment of silence, I found enough strength to roll out of my bed and walk over to the dresser where my work clothes were waiting. Beyond the undershirt, robes were rather easy to put on, saving me the trouble of having to stick my tall ears through small neck holes. Yet it, still felt so surreal to be wearing them, and as my hands tied the sash, my memory drifted to just four days ago.

---

It was in a dusty alleyway, in some port city in Dalmasca that I never was able to properly get the name out of. Without any sense of navigation, I found myself in that dead end, my way out sealed by a by a group of soldiers wearing the black and red colours of Garlemald and with their weapons drawn. Though I could not see their faces due to their metal helmets, I could feel their bodies emanating murderous intent. What parts of their uniform were cloth were singed and burned away, but they seemed to be too angry to care about the damage at this point. I took a stance and tried to remember that strange feeling when I had first shaken them off, hoping for that miracle to occur once more.

In a way, there was a miracle. From behind them, I could hear a voice calling out to them almost mockingly.

"Now now gentlemen, there is a more elegant and civilized way to handle all of this."

The soldiers turned around, and through a small gap I was able to get a glimpse of a small woman, a Lalafell. She wore robes similar to a few of the merchants who I had seen at the docks. And despite the the drawn weapons and vicious auras, she still walked closer without any sense of fear or urgency. A few of the soldiers started to at each other, unsure of how to proceed.

Then tiny woman seemed to freeze, flickering for a moment, then vanished. I watched the soldiers in front of tense up as if on high alert, unsure what was happening. But I could sense something, as strange an unfamiliar manipulation of Mist was at play. Thin lines of white seemed to trace across the soldier's black uniforms for just a moment. Then, the woman then appeared in front of me, smiling up to me as the group behind crumbled silently and fell to the floor, as if the flame of their life had suddenly been snuffed out.

"Don't worry girl. They're just asleep," the woman said to me, putting a single finger up to her lips and winking. It was hard to believe her, seeing how the soldiers had collapsed, but I could only nod my head in fear. "As for you. That was a mighty impressive fireball you managed to make. And without using any sort of focus no less. That is quite a gift."

I flinched in surprise, barely squeaking out a "T-thank you." Apparently, she had been watching my initial altercation with those soldiers, and the miracle I had performed. In my fear, I had somehow lit a fire above some of them, in the confusion was able to escape, only to find myself trapped in the alleyway where I was now.

"Well, I suggest you get a move on," the woman continued, pointing her thumb behind her with a wide grin. "Go home before these ruffians wake up from their involuntary nap."

Slowly, I shook my head. I had no home, and thankfully the woman picked up on that, and shook her head in turn.

"I was afraid of that. Come along then. I've been looking for an assistant for my shop, and if you have no where to go, at least an honest job and a roof over your head while you sleep ought to be a good deal for you, right?"

I could only stare at her in response. She wasn't the first person to offer me shelter, and thankfully my instincts were sharp enough to turn down those offers, quickly finding out what kind of business I would be put in. And it seemed like the other woman had magically understood that as well.

"Oh, lovely. So those folk tried to recruit you for that, huh. Well, I do wish you'd trust me. But if you can't..."

Finally, that smile on the woman's face eased up as she shrugged, turning around and walking out of the alleyway. She stepped on top of the soldiers who were asleep, treating them no better than the rest of the debris that lined the alley. I hesitated for a moment, my mind agonizing over whether to trust this small strange woman. My instincts before never failed me, and now they were telling me to follow her. My legs seemed to have enough strength to move again, and it was easier to catch up on the account of the difference in height, and as we got back onto the main road, I was standing by her side.

"Good on ya, girl," the woman said, still looking down the road as she spoke to me. "By the way, they call me...Obizu Hanasaka. What about you?"

I shook my head again, whispering, "...I...I...since I left..."

"Right, right, I get it, I get it." Miss Obizu stopped in her tracks and looked up to me. "How about this. I can give you a name, especially since you'll be working with me."

Slowly, I nodded my head. "...okay."

Miss Obizu turned to face me, looking at me with a proud smile. "Arisu Yumeno. Remember it well."

---

...and I did remember it well. From there, we boarded a ship to Hingashi, and now...here I was in her herb shop. I checked my sash several times, unsure if I had really gotten it right the first time before giving up and heading downstairs.

Miss Obizu was already in the middle of the shop, using a broom that was taller than her, yet still managing to efficiently sweep the floors with it. Despite my attempts to move as silently as possible, Miss Obizu seemed to easily sense my presence, turning around and carrying the broom over her shoulders and walked towards me.

"Ah, Arisu. Good. Can you finish sweeping this up? I need to go to the backroom and organize something."

Without waiting for me to respond, she handed me the broom and walked briskly past me towards the back room. 

"Y-yes, Miss Obizu," I replied, keeping my eyes on her as she got to the doorway of the backroom where she paused and turned her head to look back at me.

"Oh, by the way. I'm expecting someone to arrive with a delivery. She's a the daughter of a friend of mine."

I nodded, replying with, "Right. Right." I expected her to give me a more detailed description of who I was to be waiting for, but instead Miss Obizu had disappeared into the backroom. With no desire to argue, I started to finish the sweeping, gathering the dust into a corner before using the dustpan to carry the clumps into the bin.

As if on cue, a knock came through the front door of the shop, followed by a woman's voice.

"Obizu-obaa-sama? Tadaimasu...? Obizu-obaa-sama?"

I could recognize that the woman was asking for Miss Obizu, but the rest was in a language I could not understand. It sounded similar to Hingan, but...not quite. Or perhaps it was Hingan. Regardless, I had no other recourse than to answer the door. Setting aside the broom, I walked up and took a breath, then opened the door, doing my best to give a cheerful greeting.

"H-hello?"

Out of habit, I had looked straight ahead, only to see the front of the shop across the street. Of course, I had gotten used to seeing another Viera, and had to look downwards. There I saw a woman with long white hair and white horns, wearing what looked to be very rugged traveling gear. While I did my best to smile at her, she responded by looking up to me with a frightening grin.

"Fuuu~n. I noticed the 'Now Hiring' sign had been taken down," the woman saig, starting to chuckle. "Ufufu... are you Obizu-sama's new assistant?"

"Y-yes!" I replied, suddenly remembering that a greeting in Higashi including a certain bowing gesture. Shaking slightly, I managed to bow while introducing myself. "A-arisu Yumeno ...h-how can I help you?"

As I stood up, I could see the other woman's eyes more clearly, and they had a faint white glow that seemed to burn into me. There was sense of amusement that I could read in her expression, but it quickly faded as she spoke up polite.

"Is Obizu-sama here?"

"Y-yes! She's expecting you, please come i-"

I nervously stepped aside and gestured for the woman to enter, but my voice was cut off by Miss Obizu who shouted eagerly as she approached.

"Ah, little Fuyuhime! How did your trip go?"

Miss Obizu's pace quickened as she got to the door, and the woman, apparently named 'Fuyuhime', knelt and gave Miss Obizu a brief hug before entering the shop. As I closed the door behind her, I had noticed she was carrying a large bag on her back, which she unslung and set onto a nearby table to start unloading it.

"As expected," Miss Fuyuhime replied. "I got you the usual amount, and so far, the denaturing of the aether in the mountains seems to have stopped, though I will still have to caution that..."

"Yes, yes, I understand. After all, no point in harvesting so many now if means none to harvest tomorrow."

I was standing behind Miss Obizu who had cut off Miss Fuyuhime, both of us looking at the bundles of herbs that were carefully placed onto the table. The petals were plain white, and the stems thin and wiry, but I could sense in them a certain concentration of Mist. But the rest, whatever Miss Fuyuhime was talking about, about denaturing and of aether, was completely incomprehensible.

Miss Obizu reached out to one of the bundles of herbs, lightly rolling the stems between her fingers. "Good, good...all very high quality stuff," Miss Obizu said, smiling and nodding, then looked up to Miss Fuyuhime. "Now, how busy are you this morning?"

"This morning? Just one class to teach, but it is still in a while" Miss Fuyuhime replied. I tilted my head in surprise. This Fuyuhime was both a teacher and gatherer. 

"Well, if you have time, join me for a drink," Miss Obizu responded as she started to carefully place the herbs into a glass jar. "What would you like?"

"Some of the diluted sake?"

Seeing how busy Miss Obizu was, I stepped away, believing that this was a task that I could do. I knew enough to know what sake was, and where it was stored, but before I could get a few steps away, I felt a tug at my arm. Looking down, I saw that somehow, despite the distance, Miss Obizu had caught up to me and was holding me fast by my sleeve.

"I got this, Arisu," Miss Obizu said, winking at me with a chuckle. "Take seat and join Fuyuhime, okay?"

I wasn't going to argue, though I found myself a bit worried as I walked to the table where Miss Fuyuhime was seated at. Up to this point, I felt that I had been doing a good job as an assistant, albeit for only three days. A few moments late, Miss Obizu returned, carrying a tray with three cups and pot in it. It was clearly not a setup for sake, and I looked to Miss Fuyuhime who seemed happy to see the dark liquid being poured into the cup, even if it wasn't sake. Utterly confused, I looked again to Miss Obizu who simply winked at me as she poured the mysterious drink into the two other cups, placing one of them in front of me.

"Ah...Thank you..." Miss Fuyuhime sighed, and I watched her pick up one of the cups and blow across it before taking a sip. Hesitantly, I reached out for the cup that was placed in front of me. I could feel the warmth of it quickly flowing through my hand as I carried the cup to my lips, mimicking the soft blowing of the white-haired woman before trying to sip from it myself. A strong bitter flavor struck me, followed by a smooth and sweet one, as if I had taken a bite from a fruit.

Silently, I marveled at whatever drink this was, and found myself slowly relaxing because of it. Then Miss Fuyuhime spoke up, looking down into the table.

"So...what has been moving?"

I tilted my head. What was moving? The statement was so vague, and looked to Miss Obizu hoping for an explanation.

"For the most part...nothing. The general consensus all around has been to do nothing. No one is willing to make a move."

"That's a surprise. Even after all that we've done, there's always going to be someone foolish enough who wants to take advantage of the chaos."

"Yes, and the usual suspects still do, but...too many things are in flux."

I looked between the tiny Miss Obizu and the pale Miss Fuyuhime, my confusion growing with each word. Chaos? Movement? Advantage? I had figured that Miss Obizu was more than was she seemed, and by the way Miss Fuyuhime seemed to be so familiar, she must have been similar, but this beyond what I had expected. Then, realization hit me, and I whispered a single word:

"...Garlemald...?"

Simultaneously, Miss Obizu and Miss Fuyuhime put a finger to their lips, looked at me, and smiled. A gesture to be quiet, not a gesture that I was incorrect. My shoulders hunched anxiously. Even in the Skatay Range, news of the Emperor Varis' death and the resultant civil quickly reached us. Why Miss Obizu and Miss Fuyuhime were talking about it baffled me and I could only try to drink from my cup in an attempt to calm down as the two other women continued to converse.

Miss Fuyuhime was the first to resume. "Still, not like whatever was already in motion hasn't necessarily stopped."

"Actually, a lot has," Miss Obizu retorted, prompting the first expression outside of amusement I had seen out of Miss Fuyuhime. "Most operations were suspended. The ones that kept going were...smaller projects."

"Including yours?"

"Maybe." Miss Obizu replied, winking. "As always, I try to do what I can to help, even if it is only one person at a time."

I saw Miss Fuyuhime slowly turn her head to me and that frightening grin had returned as her white eyes looked into mine. Suddenly, it all made sense. Why Miss Obizu was following me around in that port, why she had saved me from the Garlean soldiers, why she had brought me to Hingashi.

"Well, it seems like Obizu-sama has quite a story from her last expedition," Miss Fuyuhime said, still looking at me.

"Another time, I have to open the shop soon. And you have your classes to teach too, right?" Miss Obizu replied, putting the empty cups onto the tray and picking them up. I followed suit, standing up from the table and running over to make sure all the other jars and shelves were stocked for the day. 

Miss Fuyuhime followed after me, picking up her empty bag and slinging it over her shoulder, saying, "True for today, but as I said, this semester I have a little less, fewer magi this time around."

"Oh, is that so? Could you perhaps squeeze in a little one-on-one tutoring?" Miss Obizu replied from the the backroom. I froze in place, a finger on the last jar I was inspecting, slowly turning my head to the doorway of the backroom where Miss Obizu was peeking out with a grin. "Arisu has a bit of a gift, and I think you are the best to nurture it."

My eyes went wide in shock, trembling as I looked to the front door of the shop where Miss Fuyuhime was already midway out the door.

"Ufufu...sou ka, Obizu-sama?" Miss Fuyuhime replied, a thin grin forming on her lips as she looked to me. "I will make some time for her, then. And again, Arisu-san...a pleasure to meet you..."

Casual Rebellion

Orange Pekoe Academy, Shirogane ~ A Lazy Afternoon
Perspective - Porom Garnet

---

Technically speaking, the archway above the Academy's front entrance was off-limits. It was a fall hazard, and even though pretty much anyone who enroll as staff or student was sturdy enough to take the fall (I mean, they wouldn't be here if they couldn't, right?), it was more to cover the Academy's rear end should someone ever get mad.

That meant, of course, that no one actually ever followed that rule, myself included, lying face-down and facing inwards towards the central courtyard.  In fact one of the more popular outdoor lounging spots. For good reason too - it provided a view of the road and onwards towards the main ferry to Kugane, and also to the beach behind the Academy, then also a view of the courtyard where students and staff would practice their techniques.

Today's practitioner was Fuyuki, a fellow healer and a good friend from a long long while ago. Back when the Eorzean beast tribes were summoning their Primals with reckless abandon, she and I were part of what was known in the Academy as the 'Clear Team'. Our most seasoned of vanguards. But now that things have settled and our focus shifted to assisting as a token force in the East, the need to be so sharp seemed to have diminished.

Well, diminished, but not ceased. I continued to push my Astromancy, but Fuyuki...veered into a different direction. How she even got her hands on the basics for the spell, I don't know and I really don't want to know. But after a few mishaps, it seemed like her research was proceeding. No, even picking up faster and faster.

Several small objects - trinkets, scraps, and machina - were strewn all about the courtyard amidst several archery targets, laid horizontally, with the white-haired woman standing in the center of it all. Lazily, I watched, my tail flickering in morbid amusement as I watched my friend focus her aether on one object, making it glow pale blue before turning into a pale blue mass of aether then bursting into nothingness, only to have it appear atop one of the nearby targets with a similar gust. And so the process repeated itself, a new object a different target, though not always hitting the mark.

"A gil for your thoughts, Pompom?"

I mumbled a bit as an initial response to the voice behind and to my right. It was Kisusu Kisu, another healer of the old Clear Team, and based on where her voice was coming from, she was likely sitting on the highest end of the arch.

"I am watching forbidden magic being practiced before my eyes, and the strongest reaction I have is..." I trailed off as I stretched, my tail rising before falling back down to the arch with thumb. "A resounding 'meh'. Discuss."

"Said forbidden magic is only a risk to myself."

Despite the winds from her spellcasting, Fuyuki apparently could hear me from the courtyard and shouted her answer, even as she kept teleporting items around.

"Counterpoint: we try to teach our students to minimize risk," I shouted back, sitting up properly.

"Counter-counterpoint: one of our graduation criteria is having a student take a hit to ensure a spell is cast successfully."

Fuyuki shouted in response. But before I could reply, Kisusu had cut me off.

"Addendum: ...we're on the bloody entry archway."

My mouth was already half-open, but all I could manage was a huff as I laid back down again, my tail flickering in mild frustration. Fuyuki seemed to have decided she had enough and started to walk towards the arch, looking up to me as she spoke.

"Besides, Pompom, you've pulled some risky things with your Astromancy, dilating time and such."

"And Headmaster Lanford's swords...like half are cursed," Kisusu added before both of them started to bombard me with more examples, taking turns.

"Keirra runs around with a fragment of Ifrit's power..." "An and his Abyssal powers..." "Sev and her rifle's modifications..." "I am pretty sure Mixxis has a gem of Shatoto..."

"Okay, okay, I get the point..." I finally interjected, deflating atop the tile. "You'd think rules were good things."

"Oh, they are, but..." Fuyuki started before she herself started to glow blue for a moment before disappeared in a gust, reappearing to my left in another rush of air, sitting down opposite from Kisusu

"We didn't get this far following the rules, did we?"

I looked side to side between the Plainsfolk and the Raen, who also looked at each other with grins. In unison, we nodded, then all chuckled softly at the absurdity.

Flippant Interference

A Shadowy Warehouse, Limsa Lominsa ~ A Moonless Evening
Perspective - ???

---

FWOOSH.

That was the sixth time in a row, and now they were getting more frequent. A gust of wind, the clatter of materiel, then a deathly silence echoed throughout the warehouse. This time I was close enough that I had to brace against the impact, and the few loyal hounds, our proudly-trained men, around me were sent tumbling in surprise.

The first one was dismissed by my colleagues as someone carelessly-piled materials shuffling into a more stable configuration, given how messily-strewn about things were sometimes. I don't know if people were just lazy or denial, but already I was starting to feel wary.

The second one was far more suspicious. Sure, we may not be the cleanliest of operations, but we are not that disorganized. And when given a second look, it seemed more like someone had set off a weak explosive of sort. I brought it up to the others, who seemed either too deep in their cups or halfway asleep to care.

The third one was when we noticed something...someone missing. A headcount found us three persons short. And those there were handlers and trainers. A few who doubted me before were starting to turn around, at least those who were still within sobriety's reach. One even took the initiative to go on patrol.

By the fourth burst, it was clear: something, someone, was attacking us, and doing so in a very precise manner. But the question was who.

The Upright Thieves don't like us, sure, but we're not cloying nothing here, and besides they'd leave a very obvious trail as a message. The Maelstrom and Yellowjackets, sure, do-gooders got to do-good. But this kind of subterfuge isn't their style. The only other people who were probably able to be all sneaky-peeky like this were the Domans, but I know what ninjutsu sounds like, and this wasn't ninjutsu.

By the time the fifth burst came about, we already figured to stay together and watch each other's backs.  It was time for us to turn the tables, to chase out, if not capture, whoever was screwing with us. One trainer, and at least one hound, working in concert to sniff out whoever was hunting us. Pragmatic sensibilities kicked in - even if one of the group was lost, the others would still be a witness. At least, that was the plan. Another rush, and as if magically plucked from thin air, the handler disappeared, and the hounds surrounding him scattered in the burst.

For the sixth, I was nearby enough to feel the wind pressure from the blast. Turning the corner, I found the ground strewn with the bodies of young men writhing in pain amidst the clutter. I kneeled down to check on one of them, a stocky and well-built Highlander. And finally, bloody finally, we he had a clue.

"S-string...blue strings..." he weakly whispered.

"Right, right...blue strings, and then...?" I asked trying to keep a calm and soothing tone. My hands did the opposite, ordering my pack to take up a defensive position around me. Obediently, orderly, they formed a wall around us.

"...b-blue...blue mist." The boy stammered, and I nodded again.

"Someone came to you in the form of blue mist?"

The boy shook his head and his eyes grew with fear. Fear that he was not supposed to have. "No...h-e turned...into blue mist...then..."

I sighed as the boy's mouth opened and closed uselessly and wordlessly. Shaking my head I pulled him up and directed him to stand guard around me. Luckly, he seemed to still have enough fight left in him to comply. Blue mist and blue string was barely anything but it was at least something to keep note of. I put my hand up to my ear to activated my linkpearl, only for it to be stopped by some strange force in mid-air.

"What in the seven hel-?"

My muttering was cut short by a sudden crushing force around my neck. From the corner of my eye, I could see thin strands of blue tying up my arm, holding it in an awkward pose. But even my short cry pull the attention of my guard, who looked to me for orders.

But no orders came. I was unable to move. Frantically, my eyes darted around, and I could more, more of the blue strands wrapping around me, wrapping around the boys too. Then...the wind. It began to pick up, and my eyes were filled with a shimmering blue. I looked down to find myself, starting to shimmer blue as my body tingled with a strange sensation.

No, it wasn't strange. It was familiar. I recognized this sensation, this...pull. Every time I teleported to an Aetheryte, I felt this. But how is this possible?!

I'm not casting a teleportation spel-

---

Tranquil Refocusing

Four Seasons Apothacary, Radz-at-Han ~ A Chilly Morning
Perspective - Natsuki Fuyo

---

"Irrashaimasse~!"

Even though we were far from Doma, it was still how we greeted customers here at the Four Seasons Apothecary in Radz-at-Han. Our signature, so to speak, and a reflex whenever we heard the opening bell. This morning it was just me at the front desk, my eyes glued to a ledger taking inventory an unable to look up at the pair of feet that entered.

"Iie...tadamaisu..."

A familiar whispery voice pulled up from my paperwork. I should have known by that distinct rattle of metal buckles who it was.

"Ah...? Fuyu-chan?" I replied, suprised. I still looked up even though I knew what sight I expected, though it seems like there were a few details that I had missed. Indeed, the red bandanna she wore last time she was in Han was replaced by the white lily as Haru-nee had said. And on her shoulder was her shikigami. Indeed the name of 'Higanbana' seemed a bit odd when I had first heard about it, but after seeing the red tints over winged girl's body, it did make sense.

"...mn...Natsu-neesama." Fuyuki replied with a stiff nod, raising her hand slowly as I walked around the desk to give her a hug. As usual, she tensed up as if I had punched her, but almost immediately returned the hug, her shikigami flying around her to make room. In a way, this little sister was always like that, but given the much faster reaction, it seemed like the girl she had found in Eorzea was doing wonders in thawing her out.

"Okaerinasai, Fuyu-chan. How can I help you?" I asked cheerfully, letting go of her and walking back to the counter, gesturing for her to follow. Unsurprisingly, my little sister didn't follow, taking out that monstrous grimoire of hers and immediately ruffling through the pages. I really was glad to see my little sister, truely, but she really needed to learn how to relax.

"Well..can you or Ane-ue teach me how to make our older aether purification toni- Hawawawawa?!"

I grinned as I walked back to my too-serious little sister, reaching out to her left horn, near where it attached to her skull, and lightly tugged on it horizontally. It was enough to off-balance her without hurting her too much, and in an instant that focused and serious voice gave way to a much more natural and even relaxed outburst.

"Yes we can, little sister." I said, releasing her horn and gesturing once more to come behind the counter and take a seat. "But first, you need to calm down, okay? You're wound up so tight you're bound to snap. Again."

This time, Fuyuki obediently followed, pulling out one of the many stools nearby and sitting on it, allowing me to disappear into the backroom to grab the recipe book containing the tonic she was asking for. To be honest, I had thought that her magical ability would be a sufficient alternative, but I figured there must be more to it. As I walked back into the main area of the shop, Fuyuki seemed to be meditating calmly, her shikigami apparently sleeping atop her head.

"As glad as I am that you are continuing the proud Fuyo tradition of alchemy, I'm pretty sure you're not doing this out of mere curiosity." I said, opening up the recipe book to find the proper page. From the corner of my eye, Fuyuki nodded and started to explain

"Right...well, to start from the beginning..."

---

...Even with how much Fuyuki had summarized for the sake of brevity, it was still so much to take in. Though I found it a bit ironic that, after all the magicks she had learned in Eorzea, she had returned to geomancy.

"Hm. Even the Geomantic exorcising spells failed? You had the effect go off, was actually deflected?" I asked, focusing on the main issue. Fuyuki nodded in confirmation. "Hm. I doubt a spell like would be merely 'deflected'. Your taget need to take some active measure against it. And of all people, I doubt you are lacking in force."

"It's the opposite, really," Fuyuki replied, adding, "I was...holding back. I didn't want to harm her. But...I really couldn't...tone it down in a manner that would still let the spell be effective."

I nodded in understanding. "Well, subtly, or lack thereof, was the reason why the shinobi life never agreed with you in the first place, right?"

Without shame, my sister nodded, and asked, "So, what do I do now?"

"Well, there are times where you need a scalpel, and times where you need a sledgehammer." I replied, finding the page I wanted and pulling out my inventory ledger. "Just because you need to use one over at one occasion doesn't invalidate the usefulness of the other.

"So, what do I do now?" Fuyuki repeated, starting to frown. I knew I didn't answer her question directly, and in turn that she understood the point I was trying to make. It was rather admirable, how direct her was.

"The same thing you did when you left for Eorzea," I said, much to Fuyuki's growing frustration. With my list of ingredients all figured out, I started to walk to the cabinets continuing to talk as I pulled out ingredients. "You knew better than to force yourself into something you weren't good at. Sure, father protested, I protested, but in hindsight, you were right."

"So. What. Do. I. Do. Now?" Fuyuki repeated, punctuating how rapidly her patience was waning. She knew the answer already, but just wanted me to say it properly.

"Well. You'll always need to have some level of precise control. It's good to be well-rounded, yes. But you have a gift that none of us have, and it's in your sheer magical force. So focus on perfecting that. It may not be needed now, but...in the future, I am sure you and your friends will find it useful."

My arms full, I returned to the space behind the front desk, setting it all down and starting to arrange things.

"But if I focus on optimizing the magnitude of my spells...what about for when finesse is needed?" Fuyuki asked, hopping out of her seat to look over my shoulder.

"Well, you aren't doing this all on your own right?", I replied, smiling and looking back to her. "You have the rest of your nakama filling in where you can't, and you are filling in where they are lacking." I narrowed my eyes at her as a wry grin spread across my face. "So. Trust them."

I watched Fuyuki's expression run the gamut of emotions, clearly struggling at the notion. Unsurprising really, given how long she had to fend for herself, even in the myriad of missions she had told me and Haruka about. I reached up with my right hand to tug at her left horn again, though much lighter, and it was enough to break her out of the mental trance she was falling into.

"Fuyuki. Can you trust them?" I asked, my voice soft but serious. My little sister took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. A moment passed, and she nodded determinedly. "Then trust them."

"Y-yes. I will trust them," she replied, her grey and blue eyes opening slowly and with a frown.

"Good girl," I replied, ruffling her hair. "Now, as for the tonic. C'mon. Get your work robes on."

I pointed behind me to the storeroom and my little sister's eyes lit up with excitement just before she bolted away...using Shukuchi. I laughed and shook my head; Haruna did say that Fuyuki was refreshing her memory of ninjutsu.

But how much she remembered now meant little to me. I knew that once she had learned what she needed from me, she'd have to leave for Eorzea. There were people there that needed her, and I knew better than to delay her for my own selfish desires. Still, my little sister was home, and I intended to enjoy every moment I could of it.

Revitalized Connection

Hawker's Alley, Limsa Lominsa  ~ Early Morning
Perspective: Haruna Fuyo

---

"Ah, imouto, you really are blessed to have been able to travel so much..."

I chuckled, walking slowly along the stone pathway of what was aptly named "Hawker's Alley". Some of the wares I recognized, being the same goods sold at Radz-at-Han. The rest were from the painstakingly catalogued records of my youngest sister Fuyuki. A few, however, seemed to be recent debuts, and I found myself not blaming my sister.

Speaking of, I did ask her to meet me in this city. Of course, I gave her neither time nor location. But she doesn't need those. She knows me, my habits, how I would navigate, and what I would be wearing, in this case, our working uniform of the Four Seasons.

Amidst the sound of merchants advertising their goods, conversations scattered through the stalls, and feet shuffling urgently to and fro, there was the faint jingle of metal plating, echoing in a step-like rhythm. I had only heard the sound once before, yet they were easily recognizable, albiet mostly due to the gait. But I didn't need to turn around to confirm it, as the voice I was expecting called out to me first.

"...Ane-ue."

Another chuckle escaped my lips as I turned around. As expected, my little sister had found me, though the ensemble she had was a little different than what I had seen when I brought her home at Radz-at-Han. Instead of the red bandanna covering up much of her snow-white hair was an equally white flower, a lily of sorts if I had to guess.

However, making up for the lack of red were two additions; a red rose wrapped around the her left wrist, and her shikigami lying atop her head. It was the first time I had seen her shikigami (well...apparently is isn't a shikigami per se, but she explained it as such for brevity), and between the dark red hues and the melancholic expression, I could see why she was named 'Higanbana.'

"Fuyu-chan. Good to see you again," I replied with a smile. I gestured to my sister for her follow. In my short time I had amidst this city, I figured a few good routes where we could walk and chat with minimal interference. Fuyuki caught up to me quickly, and walked at my side. She always wore a slight frown, but this time, it was more intense than usual.

"Mn, I'm always happy to see ane-ue but..." Fuyuki trailed off with a sigh. "I had hoped that if you came to Eorzea, it wouldn't be for business."

"I know, Fuyu. And I know you wouldn't have agreed to meet me here if you didn't understand how...critical this is."

From the folds of my work robe I pulled out a large plain envelope. It was stuffed, threatening to burst at the lightest provocation. With a nod, I offered it to Fuyuki.

"Critical...?" my sister replied, taking the envelope and stuffing it into her grimiore. I had scene it before when she had visited a month ago, but now that I could get a closer look, I could see the butterfly motifs. "You could have met me in Kugane, wouldn't that have been easier?"

I nodded at first, but then grinned. "Well, if it was only to meet you, yes. I was given two other objectives. One is..." I paused and flourished, though at this point we were down by the docks and not the market stalls. "...is to scout out the market here, see if we can learn anything."

"Beyond what I have already sent? And besides, Ul'Dah is better for that."

Fuyuki's retort was swift, and my horns picked up on the gritting of teeth from my little sister. It was clear she was confused and upset, and though she was taller than myself, I still put a hand on her shoulder.

"True. But the last time you were home, we skipped over what our current stock was," I explained. Not finding any way to argue, Fuyuki seemed to deflate slightly, but still listened to the rest of my explanation. "The other is to contact father's Eorzean counterpart exchange information."

"Shall I assume Ane-ue has been given details?" Fuyuki asked. There was a raised eyebrow of amusement.

"Never assume anything, imouto-chan," I laughed, reaching up to ruffle my sister's hair. "But yes I know where to go. And that you've been there too. Brushing up on your ninjutsu again?"

Fuyuki sheepishly replied with "...yes."

I smiled back and let go of her hair, saying, "Good girl." To be quite frank, I was surprised that even after all that's happened, my sister didn't outright reject ninjutsu in favor of her magicks. She was reluctant to use them as early as a month ago.

A moment of silence passed, Fuyuki broke the monotony of our footsteps, asking, "...does Ane-ue have a tight schedule?"

"Ufufu..." I chuckled, knowing what she was really asking. "I can always make time for you. Come, I know you have stories to tell. Let's start with this. Flowers in your hair do not become you, Fuyu."

I pointed to the white flower in her hair, and immediately, Fuyuki blushed and fidgeted. "I-it's...a long story, ane-ue. But...a good one..." she said.

"Well, imouto-chan. I have all the time in the world. So tell me."