Oh? Back again?

  You wanted to know more about what happened to Shouri and Holly?

  Well I suppose there wasn't a thrilling conclusion.

  Let me see here...

  Ah, here it is. Let us continue~

  “Wow, this is so amazing Shouri!” Holly exclaimed.

  He shot a perplexed glance at the Resonator. The tone of her voice had changed again. It was far removed from the girl who calmly explained herself only an hour ago. This other persona of hers was overly bubbly, almost na?ve. He got the distinct sense that she was putting on a performance… unwillingly.

  Questions to dedicate to later. Right now, they had to pick out some seeds. Thankfully the local hardware store had yet to close. Revo Repo had everything one would need to start a garden, though the employees didn’t know the garden in question was the little zalavan girl.

  “What seeds do what?” asked Shouri.

  “Fire,” she pointed to some cayenne pepper seeds.

  “Healing.” Strawberry seeds.

  “Shadow.” Cherry tomatoes.

  “Earth.” Carrots.

  “Light.” Sunflower.

  Two of those weren’t like the others. “Shadow and light?” questioned Shouri.

  “Yeah!” Holly beamed like it should have been obvious.

  And it was after Shouri gave it a bit of thought that it clicked. “Oh, Lunar and Solar have shadow and light-based spells.” Further considering that point, he also recalled Holly’s current toxic attribute. The poison, pollen, and sap aspects of trees fell under that. The rest of the nature spells must be under a woody or plant category or something like that.

  “So, what do you want?” he asked. “We don't have much money so we should be a bit frugal and focus on getting the most value for our notes,” advised the Maestro.

  Holly hummed thoughtfully. There was a lot to consider, ideally, she'd get a little bit of each but if their money situation wasn't ideal then-

  “Water,” he interrupted her thoughts.

  “Huh?”

  “What gives water magic? We should stock up on a ton of that,” he suggested, looking at her.

  “Good idea,” sang the plant.

  After another twenty minutes of scrutinizing, they had their selections.

  Watermelon provided the water magic needed to deal with any pesky fire elements.

  Strawberries as healing would always be useful.

  And so-called “White Icicle” radishes, which true to their name provided ice spells.

  They were putting a lot into the “water basket” as it were, but considering Holly’s primary weakness was fire, Shouri didn’t want to take any chances. Plus, he could call nature spells for her, so it wasn’t like they were going to run into problems with uppity lightning elements.

  “Why are we going this way? Isn’t the front that way?” Holly wondered as they walked deeper into the store.

  “Gonna see if they have something to hold all these. Need to make sure you not only have an easy way to reach the seeds but also keep them organized,” explained the Maestro.

  “Oh! That’s a good idea!” beamed the little plant.

  As it turned out, there wasn’t a neat solution to their problem. This was a hardware store, after all, so all they found were pouches for holding tools.

  Shouri pulled down a small holster and eyed it. It did have a belt clip that could be secured to Holly’s skirt. “Hmmm.” He compared it to her. She tilted her head and smiled, though he could see despite her innocent stare she was scrutinizing it as intently as he.

  “Why do you do that?” Shouri questioned, focusing on the plant girl.

  “Do what?” another innocent smile and tilt of her head.

  He took a breath. “Hey!” he shouted just loud enough to get the attention of anyone nearby, but not enough to carry deeper into the store.

  After a moment of standing there and no one else showing up, he turned his attention back to his Resonator. “We’re alone,” he pointed out.

  Holly relaxed, her innocent mien melting away in favor of her more calculating countenance. “It’s easier for me, please don’t ask anymore,” she warned.

  Shouri averted his gaze, the guilt sticking hard in his heart.

  She grabbed his free hand. “I’ll be honest with you, I promise. I just… can’t trust people.”

  He nodded slowly, still stuck in his feelings regarding her. His curiosity itched fiercely but sensed that was one bridge they weren’t ready to cross. They had only known each other for around twelve hours at this point.

  “I trust you,” she clarified as if she felt his unease. “Okay?”

  “Alright,” he took a breath and recentered himself. “Think this’ll work?” he asked.

  “Mhm!” That innocent mask she wore was back. It… pained Shouri to see. What in the world happened to her?

  “I didn’t think we took that long,” Shouri frowned as he held up the plastic bag with their purchases. The night had carried on without their consent, as the moon climbed higher into the darkened sky. He felt a tug on his sleeve.

  Holly stared up at him, her eyes big and pleading. “Can we get food, Shouri?” she asked.

  Shouri shot a narrow-eyed gaze at her. “Ask me in your real voice,” he replied.

  The theatrics faded as she clicked her tongue. “I’m hungry,” she said flatly.

  The Maestro smirked and tousled her grass. “Sure.”

  “You’re mean,” said the zalavan as they began to walk.

  “You said you’d be honest, and turning up your charm on me isn’t very honest,” he pointed out.

  Another annoyed click of her tongue told him how she felt about that.

  “Sorry,” she mumbled after a moment.

  “Don’t be,” he replied, pulling her close and causing her to stumble. “It’s only been a few hours, but we’re partners, right?”

  Her eyes were wide as she drank in his genuine smile. Her face warmed uncomfortably. Finally, she managed to scrounge up enough willpower to push herself off of him. “St-stop that!” she hissed, her back toward him as she tried to wrangle her heart rate back down.

  Shouri raised a brow, shrugged, and continued on.

  “Is it fatal?” wondered the zalavan as she practiced some quick deep breathing exercises. “Get a grip, Holly,” she mumbled before rushing after her Maestro.

  They didn’t walk far before finding their way to a little fast-food place. “What is it?” asked the plant.

  “M'krocs, fast food burger place,” he replied without missing a beat.

  “Those… were words,” Holly said, her gaze fixated on the establishment.

  “Come on.” He took up her hand and guided her inside.

  Given the hour it was, only the Resonator employees milled about; chattering amongst themselves while they kept an eye on the ever-prepared food cooking on the stoves and vats of oil bubbling away the night.

  “Menu is up there.” Shouri pointed to the large sign which presented a wide menagerie of menu items alongside prices.

  “That’s… a lot.” Holly felt her head spin at all the choices on display. She shook her head and grabbed a hold of Shouri’s arm. “Just get me whatever you get,” she said, quieter.

  Shouri nodded and stepped up with his little Resonator who refused to release him.

  Minutes later the two were seated, each with a burger, a small cup of fries, and a drink to their names.

  Holly looked over her meal and then to her Maestro who had picked up his own burger. With a hearty chomp, he took a bite of it, appraising it. “Hm, fresh,” he noted after swallowing.

  The carnivorous plant’s stomach growled with anticipation. It did look good. She licked her lips before following his lead and biting into her sandwich. Her mouth wasn’t nearly as big as his, so she didn’t get as much in one bite. Regardless, her eyes opened wide. It was so warm and savory. The cheese was melted to perfection, and the condiments mixed to give it not only additional moisture but a slight tang that made the hot beef patty pop even more.

  “Dish ish sho gewd, Showree!” She couldn’t help talking with her mouth full.

  Shouri failed to hide his amusement as he reached over and dabbed her cheek with a paper towel. She froze. “You had a bit of ketchup on your cheek,” he chuckled, whilst pointing to the same spot on his face.

  “Er…” Once more her eyes retreated. She wanted to beg him to stop smiling like that, but another part of her felt she would regret such an ask.

  She grabbed her drink and sipped it. The sweetness was almost too much. The strange bubbliness hit her right in the chest and she had to stop drinking. The slight tang of the beverage was the perfect compliment to the initial sweetness.

  That left one thing on her tray she had yet to sample – the fried potatoes.

  If food was holy, heaven was found in thin strips of fried potatoes. Each one has a nice crisp bite to it, lightly salted and just warm enough to be comfortably tasty. The fries vanished from her sight first, eagerly consumed in rapid succession – she had a new favorite food.

  “Ah…” Holly sighed, content after a delicious meal.

  “You ate that like you had never eaten before,” Shouri noted with a tickled smirk.

  “We don’t eat food as often as you all do,” Holly replied. “Sun and water are enough for a healthy berry tree,” she boasted.

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  Her playful expression cracked. “But I like food a lot,” she admitted. “Love food,” she added, quieter.

  “You want to go try a hunt?” asked the Maestro.

  “Huh?” The little Resonator looked to her human.

  “I wanted to try out casting spells with you,” came his own admission. “We don’t have to though. I know today’s been a lot.”

  Her lips rose to a warm grin without her consent. The consideration offered to her was so genuine. She reached across the table and took hold of his hands. “I’m your Resonator, of course we can go.”

  Unlike other aspects of Maestro society, this was a new experience for both of them. The two newcomers drank in their new environment with wide-eyed wonder; in awe of the hunting grounds.

  They were surrounded by magic and the Resonators who wielded it. Maestros spoke familiarly with one another, and there were even little booths set up selling food and other wares.

  “Put your hood up,” Shouri suggested.

  “Why?” asked the zalavan.

  “Probably better if we don’t make a big fuss about you,” he advised.

  Holly nodded, doing as she was told. He was right. If those people were still after her, it’d be a lot of trouble. She couldn’t speak to Shouri’s capabilities as a Maestro, but she did trust him, and that’s all that mattered to her.

  “So, what do we do?” asked the Resonator of her Maestro.

  “Uhhh… good question.” Shouri took in their surroundings more carefully. The thing that stuck out was the long line in front of a desk where a few workers with laptop computers were doing… something.

  “I think we need to wait in this line,” he decided, joining the queue as he spoke.

  Red eyes scanned the procession of Maestros and their Resonators. Holly had never seen so many gathered in one place. Dog tails, cat ears, dragon wings, deer antlers. So many different accessories were worn by the many different Resonators prided by their Maestros. The wave of elements that coursed down the line was just as varied as those who made it up. Fire, water, lightning, earth, solar, and even other nature elements all stood at the ready. Only lunar was missing from the census.

  Finally, it was their turn. Shouri had watched the Maestro before him carefully and handed over his green tuner before the verbal behest could reach him.

  The registrar accepted the device and scanned it in. Their eyes widened at what they saw and rose to meet Holly. She smiled and placed a single index finger on her lips, slowly shaking her head. Seeing the girl’s hood up, the meaning was understood and Shouri’s tuner was handed back. “Main group. Be sure to follow the hunt leader’s orders.”

  “Thank you,” Shouri mumbled, taking his tuner back. He grabbed Holly’s hand and quietly pulled her away from the line. She squeezed his hand tight, and he returned it in kind.

  “It’s okay, I’m here.”

  “Thank you.”

  Was what was said with that simple exchange.

  “It’s really dark,” Shouri noted as the light of civilization abandoned them in the darkness of the woods.

  “Really really dark. At least there are trees here though,” said Holly.

  “Hm?”

  “Let me take the lead.” Without waiting for approval, Holly did exactly that. She could feel her Maestro’s itchy curiosity and addressed his unspoken question. “All plants have rhythm, we-” she cut herself off, being more careful about her word choice. “-I can sense the rhythm in the plants. It makes a forest like this easier to navigate while it’s hard to see like this,” she explained.

  “Still kinda sucks not being able to see,” she chuckled.

  Eventually, they found the dim light of fire, which slowed Holly’s leading stride. “Thank you,” said Shouri.

  Holly simply nodded and pulled her hood down more.

  There were far fewer people gathered than Shouri had expected based on the turnout, but he did remember a few of the other Maestros getting their assignments and not immediately going into the thick woods. Maybe they were assigned elsewhere or perhaps even on some kind of backup duty? Either way, he couldn't claim to be familiar with the process.

  The most likely reason was they were simply lollygagging as more showed up to fill out the ranks of the gathered. As more Maestros and their Resonators filed in, Holly hugged Shouri's arm, eventually pressing herself up against his side, warily watching the strangers surrounding them.

  “Is she okay?” asked a concerned voice.

  Shouri and Holly snapped their attention to a pair just to their right. Instantly they noted the calm aura of the night wafting from the girl of the pair - a violet-winged nightingale. Her Maestro, in his brown flight suit, was the one who had addressed him.

  “Er, no she-” Shouri tried to figure out his words, thankfully his partner in crime had his back.

  “Hi, mister! I'm just trying to be a good little er- Resonator and stay out of everyone's way!” Holly hoped the two strangers didn't notice the stumble.

  “Ah, didn't realize this scene was that strict,” said the man.

  “We just flew in this morning. Figured we'd pop in and get some spending money,” the bird clarified. “I'm Rynda, he's my Maestro, Makani.”

  “Hiya Ryn-Ryn! I'm Holly!” beamed the little plant, looking up to Shouri to offer his own name.

  His greeting was more subdued than his partner's. “Sh-Shouri,” was what he offered to the other pair.

  “Oh, aren't you the sweetest little thing?!” Rynda squealed in delight at the smaller Resonator, pulling her into a hug. Holly giggled at the affection, though she was careful in keeping her hood up.

  “You two!” the hunt leader shouted, drawing the attention of the group who was causing a commotion in the back. “North side, that Lunar can keep an eye out for anything up there.”

  “Hm.” Makani shot a glance at their new party members for the evening. “Well, should we head out?” he asked.

  “Uh-” Shouri looked down at Holly, who nodded, despite not facing her Maestro. “-yeah, sure.”

  “At least she's not a canine,” Shouri whispered to Holly.

  Makani and Rynda were a healthy five or six paces ahead of the nature duo, chattering loudly for all of the forest to hear.

  “Why's that?” asked Holly.

  “Canine species like dogs or foxes have the Canid Sense trait which gives them really good hearing,” replied the Maestro.

  Holly furrowed her brow. “Wonder what my trait is called,” she quietly mused.

  “Riterran's Bounty,” Shouri replied without missing a beat.

  The little zalavan looked to him, impressed. “Wow, you really did your research.”

  “I figure if I have to take care of you, I should know everything about you.” The smile that followed was awkward but warm.

  She flinched, lowering her head. “Stop that…” she whimpered quietly, desperately trying to will the warm blood away from her face.

  Thankfully Holly wouldn't be able to focus on her fluster for much longer as Makani and Rynda slowed to a stop. The pilot held out an arm to make sure the younger pair didn't walk into what lay ahead.

  The two greenhorns gulped as they managed to catch a glimpse of the hazards before them.

  Scherzando were horrifying abominations, shadows that lacked thoughts, emotions, compassion; they only knew the pangs of hunger; they only sought to destroy lives.

  All without making a single sound. It was as if they weren’t a part of this world; intruding on a cross-section just enough to shuffle innocents off this mortal coil.

  Makani placed a hand on Shouri’s shoulder, as did Rynda on Holly’s.

  “It’s okay,” whispered the pilot.

  “Just make sure you’re aware of them and they’re no threat,” advised Rynda.

  The two newbies looked to their seniors and nodded.

  “We can pin them down for you to get a couple of easy kill shots,” Makani offered.

  “Are you sure?” Shouri asked.

  “Didn’t you say you wanted money? I don’t want to take your money,” Holly fretted.

  Rynda patted the little Resonator’s head. “Don’t worry cutie, we still get some for casting support spells.”

  Shouri nodded, filing that tidbit away for later.

  “They figured out we're new,” Holly whispered to her Maestro.

  “We were hiding it?” Shouri questioned back.

  “Well no but-”

  “Fissare la Ombra, Fortissimo!” Makani's command overshadowed the hushed conversation between the greenhorns.

  Rynda didn't wait – with a flap of her wings a flurry of pitch-black arrows flew forth, pinning the beasts in place.

  “Uh uh, Foglie a Lame, Piano!” Shouri hastily called.

  Holly jumped. This was… different from what she was used to. She had never cast a spell with a Maestro’s rhythm before. It was a more intense rush than she got using seeds to cast magic. Even though her body moved outside of her control, it felt… good. His rhythm coursing through her body, she felt like she knew him much better from just one spell. His wants, his needs, his fears, it was all so open to her.

  At that moment, the two became connected as she unintentionally left herself open to him. In turn, he felt her worries, her desires, her needs.

  All of that for a basic nature element spell – Holly threw her arm out and, in its wake, several bladed holly leaves spun into existence by the will of Shouri’s rhythm, firing forth at the bound Scherzando. The beast directly in front of them was easily cleaved in twain by the spell.

  Holly and Shouri breathed hard; eyes transfixed on where the Scherzando once stood. They had done that.

  There were yet more to fell, so Shouri took a breath.

  “Foglie a Lame, Piano!”