Walking along the road leading to our vilge, mum is going over her notes about me.

  Most of what she wrote, I already knew or discovered for myself earlier this morning.However, hearing from her about what I did is strange.Thinking back, I can clearly remember the reasons for my actions, but when mum recounts it, the differences between my thoughts then and now becomes readily apparent.

  Listening to how I acted with the sunlight is a bit embarrassing.All of my worries simply felt so insignificant then compared to how I feel now.Thankfully, she refrained from teasing me once we started reviewing my recent actions in the gde.

  According to her, wind essence probably fits me the best out of any single type.I apparently acted as an extreme version of how I regurly act, wishing to do things the best I can even when I have a lot of trouble.Although, all of the flying is new.I’ll still need to be careful not to take in too much of it, but I should be able to hold enough to easily use wind magic without worrying that it will affect me in a completely abnormal way.

  On the other hand, she thinks nature magic actually made me act more unusual initially, as I typically have no great interest in growing pnts merely for the sake of it.However, I eventually reverted to being close to my normal self.It’s possible that because humans have this energy in them that I’m already accustomed to it, making it affect me less intensely.Which is a guess that mum wrote down to investigate more in the future.

  For earth essence, she simply noted it as an excellent method to get me to settle down for a few minutes.Very funny, mum.It’s rather incompatible with me, and except for my first time using magic, I’ve never felt drawn to do anything with it.Even now, I’m only keeping it as a bancer for wind essence.

  Regarding water, sadly, it doesn’t seem she wrote much at all.

  “I’m very sorry, Aki. You merely hovered in pce. The only thing I discovered was that it made you quite irritable.”

  Yeah, sure, because she interrupted me while I was doing an incredibly important task!Though, now that she mentions it…Oh no!I snapped at my mum for doing what I requested, merely because I was thinking about something!?

  “Sor-”

  “You don’t need to apologize, dear. That was the whole point of doing this. No teasing, well, minimal teasing. No bming for inappropriate behavior. You needed to discover the effects of this magic so you can avoid accidently messing up ter without knowing why. I can hardly hold you accountable when it was my task to keep you safe from yourself. Though in the future, you won’t have the excuse that you don’t know any better, so mind yourself. Now, back to the topic at hand. Did you learn anything while staring into the distance back then?”

  “Honestly, I did!”

  With that, I excitedly proceed to tell her about my experience with the blue energy, while she pauses at the side of the road and takes notes.

  “It helped you think more clearly? Remember exact details of what occurred days ago? That sounds as if it could be quite useful, Aki. But what about the problem you had before? Do you think it safe to use now?”

  “I…I don’t know, mum. I feel it will be easier to notice when the essences are messing with my thoughts now, so it should be safe. But I want to be careful with it until I get more practice.”

  “That’s a good idea. There’s no harm in being careful with all this magic. Just let me know if there’s anything I can help with, alright? Now, I’m going to begin putting this away as we’re getting too close to home, but did you know that lovely perfume of yours changes alongside your color?”

  “It does? Please tell me it doesn’t become something unpleasant!”

  Some of the wealthier girls used to tease me about not being clean.Especially Sinora.But it’s not as if I could afford any soaps, and even the occasional visit to the bathhouse was costly for my family.However, with this natural scent I now have, I thought I wouldn’t have to worry about such things anymore.

  “Not at all. Talia spoke with me while you rested, probably to distract me, and between the two of us, we determined the closest thing to what your scent became with each essence.”

  “And what did you settle on?”

  “Well, with sunlight it was an incredibly ripe fruit. Not yet rotten, but one that is extremely sweet. Then for wind, either Talia or I were simply not close enough at any time, or you didn’t have any scent at all. Water was, well, water, and with nature it seemed that everywhere you flew smelled of a different flower, as if you were an entire meadow of them all at once. But as for earth, the closest we could imagine for that one was a freshly plowed field where all the fertile soil was recently turned over. Not terrible, but…”

  “Yeah, sure. Another reason for me to dislike that essence.”

  “Then as you y in my p, your normal aroma became nearly overpowering. Talia was able to detect that unmistakable, fresh, clean smell of Luicidae from the far side of the meadow.”

  “Hmm, as a result of taking in too much of different types, perhaps?”

  “Possibly, but now that my notes are stored away, we should call Talia and continue on.”

  Once Talia rushes over in answer to mum’s shout, I fly to Nibi’s side to ensure she won’t make trouble before we arrive home.After shortly covering the remaining distance, we enter through the gates of our town.There, Mum turns and speaks to sis.

  “I want you to go straight back to the house. Here, take the key. I’m going to stop at Delia’s shop and ask for some cloth scraps. She’s sure to tell me the town gossip as well, so don’t worry if I’m not home right away.”

  “Yes, mum!”

  Thus, Talia quickly continues towards home, humming to herself, while mum walks away.As we begin drawing near our house, Talia seems to calm down.Her humming stops, and she slows to her normal speed.But then her steps grow continuously heavier until she’s moving at a snail’s pace.

  “Is something wrong, Talia?”

  “Hmm? Oh, um, what did you say? I was thinking.”

  “I asked if you were okay.”

  “I’m just a bit tired, I think. Why do you ask?”

  “Um, because you’re hardly even walking anymore.”

  “Oh, so now I’m not fast enough for you? I’m just a convenient mount to get through town, and I can’t even do that right? Is that it!?”

  “What? No! Of course not! Where would you even get that idea, Talia?”

  “Really? S-so, does that mean you still need me?”

  What is going on with her!?

  “Sis, how about we get home first, then we’ll talk, okay?”

  *Sigh*“Fine.”

  She once again heads towards home at a more reasonable pace.Unfortunately, a complication occurs when we arrive.

  “Akari, look. It seems we have a visitor.”

  Oh no.Walking towards us on the path that leads to our door, Sinora seems to have been looking for someone at our home.She meets us at the edge of our property and speaks to Talia.

  “My, how convenient, you’re exactly who I was searching for.”

  “What do you want, Sinora?”

  “Hmm, nothing much. I just want to know how you did it.”

  “How I did what?”

  I’m confused, and judging by the sound of her voice, so is Talia.

  “Ever since I met you on the street yesterday, impossible things keep happening to me. Water falling with not a single cloud in the sky, magic lights assaulting me in my home and humiliating me in front of my sister, my friends scoffing at me, even the ground shifting to trip me as I walk. None of it should be possible, and yet it all started with you.”

  She points at Talia.

  While Nibi did the first one, and I’m partly responsible for the second, I don’t believe the rest of her accusations are my fault.What did she do after I left?She seems more unhinged than normal.Not that I really care, as long as she doesn’t do anything to Talia.Although, I may need to check on Emira, as I told her I’d help keep her safe.Even if it may have been the essence that pushed me to say that.

  Sinora continues her tirade.

  “Furthermore, what one of the ghosts said matches your deceased sister perfectly. I’m uncertain about the other one, but it’s the simplest task to identify that boar’s speech.”

  I see our encounter in her home hasn’t mellowed her attitude at all.This time, I’m too busy monitoring Nibi to care much for Sinora’s words.We were lucky before, but there are other houses and people here, and the st thing I need is for Nibi to make a rge scene with her magic.Thankfully, she doesn’t seem to be doing anything other than listening.

  “I don’t know anything about what you just said, Sinora. I mean, the water I know about as it happened directly in front of me, but it’s the first time I’ve heard about any of the rest. And as for my sister, I…I, I can’t do anything for her. How could you expect me to know anything? I’ve been useless.”

  What is happening here!?Now Talia sounds like she is going to cry!She never has trouble outwitting Sinora.This may be one of sis’ tricks, but with what happened earlier, something feels very wrong.Regrettably, I can’t attempt to speak over Sinora, as with her this close, she may hear me, and even though I’m directly below Talia’s ear, I’m not sure I could speak loudly enough.

  “Ohoho, pying ignorant are we. Unfortunately for you, I am not so easily fooled. Naturally, there is no reason a dy such as myself would be haunted unless someone was looking to do harm, and all evidence points to you. Therefore, you are going to tell me precisely what you did, and how you did it. If not, well, my father owns this town. When I tell him, he’ll hire an investigator and trace these magic tricks right back to you, you little twerp!”

  “I, I’ve done nothing, Sinora, you’re insane! If my sister is haunting you, good! She went into the forest because of what you did! If you hadn’t been so mean to her, I’d still have my big sister!!!”

  With this, Talia storms past her and runs to our home.Sinora shouts as we near the door.

  “This isn’t over Talia, you hear me!? My father will hear about this!”

  Once inside, Talia turns and sms the door shut, tears dripping down her face.

  Meanwhile, I’m lying by her ear with Nibi, stunned by her outburst.Normally, I’m the one with the raging temper.It’s incredibly rare for my sister to fre up like that.Talia has always been able to easily keep her cool, thinking before replying.She’s the type to get her revenge with tricks or teasing, and she knows better than to antagonize the leading families in town.This time should have been no different.It’s not like she hasn’t dealt with Sinora’s antics in the past.So what just happened back there!?

  “Talia, what was that!? Now she’ll definitely be back, possibly with guards in tow!”

  “I…I don’t know, Akari. I-I just…”

  She seems at a loss for words.Perhaps she truly thinks I’m gone?Does she not actually believe that I’m her sister?I start pushing Nibi to let me out, but she’s slow to move.

  “You do remember that I haven’t gone anywhere, right? I’m still here! I’m still your big sister! Just a small one now.”

  “I know, I know! I…”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  “Everything!”

  What!?

  “Gah! I’m really tired, Akari. I’m going to take a nap.”

  She reaches up, grabs me rather roughly, and then walks over and pces me on the table, with Nibi floating down just behind as she had gotten out of the way of Talia’s fingers.I call out to my sister as she walks towards her room.

  “Talia, are you feeling alright?”

  It’s been years since she’s voluntarily gone to sleep before nightfall.

  “I said I want to take a nap!”*Bang*

  Woah!She smmed her door.While I could go through the gaps, I’d better not.It’s almost as if the cheerful girl from just a little while ago was an illusion.Seems she’s still struggling with what happened to me.Although, with what she said, there’s surely something else going on as well.She appeared almost confused, as if she wasn’t certain why she said what she did, and she suddenly got tired just before we made it home.

  Hmm…I’ll need to tell mum about this, and she can speak with her.Talia is about that age after all.Hopefully, it’s just something simple, but I have my doubts.Her actions were far from ordinary.Nevertheless, whatever’s going on with her, mum will probably be better able to help than I.

  However, Sinora won’t care why sis said what she did.No, that stupid hussy will only have grown more confident that she’s right with her assumptions, even if Talia had nothing to do with what happened.Unfortunately, some of those are nearly correct.And even worse, she holds quite a bit of power in this town.

  Her and Emira’s pa, Mr. Marson, owns the company that founded this pce.It started as a logging camp that grew as it became more and more successful.As such, like Sinora said, he practically owns everything here, and this town, Marsora, is even named after him, although nearly nobody who lives here uses that name.Naming a vilge after yourself is rather pompous, so people tend to only call it that when they want to get into his good graces.Nevertheless, he is respected enough that nigh everyone in town addresses him as Sir Marson, even though he hasn’t officially received a family name from the Senate as of yet.Although, Sinora would prefer people think otherwise with how she has everyone call her Lady.

  Now this alone wouldn’t be too much trouble, as with the insurance we received, we legitimately own our home and the surrounding property, but Marson pampers Sinora silly.She’s allowed to buy nearly everything she wants, and if she asks him for anything remotely within reason, he’ll make sure she receives it.Her threat to hire an investigator to look into her troubles is not an idle one.With her pa’s money and that bastard Thomas’ mercantile connections, she could hire the best examiner all the way from the capital if she so desired.And she’s not one to think small.

  Luckily, Marson was friends with my pa, so any threats Sinora may bring against Talia will have to be backed by proof before he will act.This isn’t the first time she’s tried to use his power against us.Their friendship is also the reason why everyone in my family addresses his so familiarly, by his own request.A simplicity that was well used over the years, as he and my mum have talked on many occasions to solve squabbles between me and Sinora.She has never liked me, and I still don’t know why.I don’t think I ever did anything to her, but all she’s ever done is give me no end of trouble.

  Speaking of trouble, where did Nibi go?