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sparklepool101 · 1 year

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Outlining my Project Sekai fantasy au because I can :D I posted this on twitter already, but I figured I would put it on here as well. I hope y'all enjoy!!

(Credit where credit is due, this is all inspired by this twitter thread. definitely check out pale's thread!! It’s really good :D Also my original thread for this is here)

So real fast, the Vocaloids are definitely magical beyond what anyone else is in this world. It’s only hinted at bc I don’t know how I want to do it yet but!! They’ve definitely got something extra magic-y going on. Also I’ll make Evillious references but I have no clue how to even start deciphering that lore so uh, don’t look too much into them :p they’re just for fun.

First off, the three main kingdoms! Soral, Heyarin, and Deorid. Their royal families are the Tenmas, the Ootoris, and the Aoyagis respectively. Let’s start off with Soral and the Tenmas first!

Tsukasa is not the crown prince. He’s in the line of succession, but the crown prince is his cousin. (Though he would be a fantastic king, at least that’s what he insists) Tsukasa is a knight who wants to help people prosper and stay happy. Saki was always a frail child, but recently (with the help of a certain alchemist and witch) has regained her strength. Brought on by years of being cooped up in the castle, she is determined to travel the world with her childhood friends. Ichika, the daughter of her mothers handmaid, Shiho, daughter to another noble family, and Honami, daughter to the royal librarian. However, upon her recovery Saki learns that her friends have been torn between the three kingdoms. Ichika stayed in Solar, but the others…

Shiho became a knight and was sent on an assignment to Heyarin while Honami moved to Deorid to watch over one of her mother’s friend’s daughters. Determined to finally see her friends again, Ichika agrees to travel with Saki to see find them.

However Tsukasa is firmly against the idea. Saki just got better, what if she gets injured? Or worse, her illness came back. They buttheads for a while before suddenly Tsukasa joins a traveling theater troupe after a her parents receiving a message. Taking her chance, she and Ichika set out to find their friends. It’s easy enough to find Shiho, and she comes willingly enough, but getting to Honami is a different question. She’s inside Deorid’s capital city which has grown increasingly hostile to visitors and outsiders.

Luckily they meet the folk-hero...

Hatsune Miku!! A famous songstress who is also a rouge with insane combat abilities. She is also famous for her natural teal hair, a shade that hasn’t been seen in decades, since the war between Lucifenia and Elphegort long ago. Miku joins them and they eventually find Honami. It takes some convincing, and assurance from Kanade that she’s doing well now, but Honami agrees to come traveling with them. Honami swears that if Kanade ever needs her help, she will come ASAP, Kanade promises the same.

Using Shiho as a spring board, her family has extremely strong magical lineage. Her older sister using those talents to become a witch. However, she unfortunately had to leave her coven due to rumors and controversy with her sisters. (As in coven sisters, not anyone bio related). Enter Minori! A bright witch just starting out. She has yet to master a single spell. She can cast them, just not perfectly. Or always really well. (It’s a work in progress but she’s definitely improving!)

One day she stumbles upon a cottage in the woods. Living there is Rin, a witch of great power, and Haruka, her idol. Haruka was once apart of the Royal Coven, but left and decided to retire. Minori convinces Haruka to not give up her magic and to start practicing again. Along with Airi (a witch who always tried to make it to the Royal court but never did) and Shizuki, who’s looking for a new start. Together the four form a coven without a noble sponsoring them (remember that, it’s important I promise) and operate with Rin helping to guide them. Despite Rin being a good bit younger than the rest of MMJ. She’s an odd one, that’s for sure. Rin also has a habit of traveling between the kingdoms as a Phoenix, delivering messages and visiting friends. We’ll come back to that in a second.

For now I want to take a moment and focus on Heyarin and the Ootoris. Emu is far from being crown Princess. Her eldest brother is already king and has a fiancé, so the chances of an heir are high, leaving her waaay back in the line of succession. With her status as a spare fully secured, she decides it’s time to take her grandfathers old traveling stage out to the world again, and spread the joy she always felt from it. But she needs fellows performers, and none of the nobles from Heyarin seem interested…

Also, Heyarin is a seaside kingdom with a high mermaid population, one of which is Luka! She often came to the castle for balls and was actually a close family friend of the Ootoris, but spends most of her time at the seaside.

Now, we need to talk about Deorid. While the other two Kingdoms we’ve discussed welcome and embrace magic, Deorid shuns it. Magic users were seen as unholy and alchemists as devil worshipers. (Think BBC Merlin kinda?? If that makes sense??) (Quick aside, while magic is an innate ability, alchemy can be learned by anyone, though it is easiest for those with magic already). So when the Kamishiro’s noticed their son’s talent for alchemy, they thought it best to leave this kingdom. Nene’s parents sent her along with them, seeing it as the only chance for their daughter to escape.

Fun fact: Nene is half mermaid! (Though she is unaware of this fact.) Her mother is a mermaid and was cursed to be trapped in the capital city which is why she can’t leave.

After saying goodbye to Mizuki, their other friend, they leave for Soral. In Soral, Rui became a famous alchemist, even helping to cure a member of the royal family (with help from Rin). When Emu showed up at his door step, asking for his aid in performances, he readily agreed, eager to show off his tricks and spellls, and for Nene to share her enchanting voice with others once again. Tsukasa caught wind of their troupe and practically begged to join. Which was odd, the usually prideful knight had been glued to the castle since his younger sister had tried to leave and put her health in jeopardy again. When they asked, the reason was dire.

Toya Aoyagi, the Crown Prince of Deorid, was missing.

Now before you start getting worried, Toya is fine. To get there, we first have to talk about the Revolution. Deorid’s views on magic were,, not as popular as you would think to say the least. As more time went on, the kingdom became restless with the harsh rulers. Those who chose to take a stand often found themselves in an Inn inside the capital city run by local legend and military hero Ken. One day Kohane, a quiet peasant who kept her magic hidden under lock and key, stumbles across the Inn and meets An who is in the middle of practicing her own magic. Kohane freaks out and runs away, coming back the next day and asking is she can teach her.

After several weeks of training, Akito (An’s childhood friend, now royal knight assigned to Toya) shows up with none other than the crown prince Toya. Kohane freaks out since they caught them doing magic, but An say’s it’s chill. Toya is also magic!! It’s just being really good with lizards and making little light things though. He discovered it later in life and kept it hidden because being the crown prince wouldn’t make a difference, he would be executed like anyone else.

About a month later, there is an assassination attempt on Toya. Akito is there and protects him by unlocking his own magical powers (which he was unaware of before this point) and is thrown in jail for it. To stop his best friend from being executed, An and Kohane agree to help Toya smuggle Akito out of the city. When they reach the city boarder, they expect Toya to turn back, but he insists on coming with them. He is fully committed to overthrowing his father.

They make their way to an another Inn run by An’s aunt, Meiko, where they can set up their new base. An hasn’t seen Meiko in years, and is surprised to find that she’s adopted twins. Len and Rin. Rin had strong magic skills and left the kingdom a few years ago to go study in a Soral Coven, but she visits often and brings news and presents with her. Len also has magic like his twin, but it’s much weaker. He often ends up following Akito and Toya around, trying to learn from them. (Also I’m not sure when this happens but Toya absolutely gets a dragon, even if it’s a baby. The idea is just too cool)

Next up is N25 and Kaito real fast, so stick around for just a bit more. Then we can talk about how all these plots intersect! (This AU got out of hand fast)

(I’ve also read very little of the N25 main story so please be kind with this one, I’m still refining it lol)

Kaito is advisor to the king of Deorid. He did his best to always be there for Toya when he could, but was never allowed to get too close to the prince. He actually caught Akito trying to escape, but aided in it and eventually becomes an informant for the rebellion.

Ena is distressed by her brother’s disappearance (and sentence) but can’t let it visibly show much, what with being a noble and all. She is popular at parties and envied by the masses, being seen as basically the kingdoms Princess. She does art, but is not public about it for a couple of reasons. She is assignment a personal knight, Mizuki. However, Mizuki has a michecious streak and actually aids Ena in sneaking out more than anything. They argue a lot but are very close.

They tour the town late at night, finding it to be a refuge from the even increasing tension in the noble families, eventually running into two bards. One Ena recognizes swiftly, Mafuyu daughter of the Royal Doctor. The other is a peasant she has never seen before, but who seems to have some magical qualities if her voice is anything to go by (but what does Ena know) (Kanade is probably half-mermaid and similar to Nene, not entirely decided on that though so)

Kanade explains that she started performing on the streets late at night to try and bring hope back to those who had lost it. Mafuyu mentions that she joined because of similar reasons. It strikes a chord with both Ena and Mizuki who both beg to be allowed to be involved.

Now, the convergence. (If I ever have the time to turn this into a fic this would the final act :p)

VBS are leading a rather successful rebellion, but they’re close to being found. They need to make one final push and decide it’s time to call in all the ally’s they can.

Len, finally master his transformation spell, volunteers to go to the other countries for help, starting with Rin. Akito sends Ena a message, asking that if she does not help them, she get herself and her friends out of the city while they can. Things may not end well. Ena shows up at the Inn a week later with Mizuki and Mafuyu in tow, Kanade staying behind to start rallying the citizens and getting anyone who wants to leave out of the city while they still can. (Or maybe Mafuyu stays as well, not 100% sure)

Len arrives at Rin’s cottage and asks that she ask any covens possible that they aid the rebellion. Rin says that none of the covens would be able to, their sponsors preferring the covens to stay neutral in any political affairs…however she does know one coven that operates independently ;)

Len then goes to Heyarin and asks if they can lend any aid. WxS have made a stop in with Emu’s family at this time (along with Luka) and when hearing that Toya and Mizuki and involved, they all readily agree to lend whatever services they can. Ena also delivered Len a letter from Kanade for Honami, asking that she either return to help get people out of the city or to stay far away from the carnage. The entire group agrees to give any assistance possible and make their way to the Inn.

Then with everyone in one place (Kanade and maybe Mafuyu excluded) they devise their battle plans and have all the sibling reunions and what not. The rebellion goes well and,, yeah!! :D

There are a few ending threads like maybe some ships or like character arcs that would have to be wrapped up but that’s basically it. Toya is king or Deorid now as well :) Not super sure how to wrap this thread up, but let me know what you think!! Any extra ideas or comments are more than welcome

#sorry if this is a mess lol #basically just posted the outline for a fic from my notes app lmao #Sparkle's prsk fantasy au #fantasy au #project sekai #prsk #pjsk #pjsk tsukasa #tsukasa tenma #pjsk kohane #mizuki pjsk #pjsk emu #airi pjsk #prosekai #colorful stage #idk what to tag

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sparklepool101 · 3 months

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The Eastern Side of Bolganio (Project Sekai Fantasy AU) - Prologue

This fic is being posted on Ao3 and is currently up to chapter five with 29.3k words! The prologue only features a certain couple of characters because it's the prologue, but the main fic features every character! So if you like the set up/world here but were disappointed because, say, Kanade didn't show up, don't fret! Also, there is first person pov for exactly one paragraph. It's all third person after that I swear! Without further ado, here's the fic:

·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙

All stories start the same way. It may not seem like it, but I've seen enough stories come and go to recognize the patterns. No matter how fuzzy the memories are, there is always one moment that rings clear and true, a shift in the universe. A single chord is struck, and the reverberations echo to the very depths of the world. Sometimes it's in the click of a lock, other times it's the turn of a page. In this particular instance, I suppose it would be the clink of glass as a small child decided to follow his intuition and try his hand at alchemy. But enough with my rambles, you'll see enough of me later on. It's best for you to see the story unfold for yourself anyways.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Really, Hana should have noticed something was happening sooner. She saw the way Rui had been sneaking around the house that morning, ducking out of sight whenever she saw him. It wasn't too unusual for Rui, especially if he was playing a game with Mizuki and Nene, but it still should have tipped her off that something was happening. No use blaming herself though. Right now she had to focus on fanning the smoke out of the house because her son had decided to try his hand at alchemy. And it had worked. Back home in Asmodean, this would have been cause for celebration. Her son, her only child, was able to turn an apple into an orange before his seventh birthday. Rui was a prodigy. In Deorid? It was a death sentence.

"Rui, tell me what you just did," Hana said as she turned away from the window. Her son smiled back at her, eyes shining with pride and he held the orange close to his heart.

"I did alchemy. I did magic."

Hana sighed. "Technically no, alchemy isn't the same as magic." Though with how well he took to it, he probably did have some magic flowing through his veins. "Rui, I need you to run to the market and call your father back home, alright?" Rui nodded and went to stand before Hana put her hand on his shoulder. "Leave the orange here, alright? And don't tell anyone about what you just did, okay? Not even dad." Rui nodded again, eyes steeling as he absorbed her somber tone.

"Yes, mom." That was the last thing he said before he took off running. Once he was out of the room, Hana let herself sink to the floor. They had to leave, now. Even if there wasn't the already risk that someone had seen the smoke and gotten suspicious, she couldn't ask her son to hide himself away. If he had talents like this, she would do everything in her power to make sure they could grow and flourish. Taking a deep breath, Hana went to start packing up their things.

“Hana? What's wrong." Taichi said, rushing through the front door, Rui right behind him.

Hana set down the satchel she had been packing. "Rui, go ahead and tell your father what you did." Rui hung his head and grabbed the front of his shirt, mumbling.

"Can you say that again? I couldn't hear you." Taichi said, bending down to be at Rui's level.

"I did alchemy."

If the situation hadn't been so dire, Hana would have laughed at how fast the color drained from her husband's face. "I've already started packing."

"I'll finish then, go tell the Kusanagis that we're leaving."

Rui's head shot up in panic. "Leaving? Now?"

"Yes," Hana said, as much as it pained her to have to uproot her son like this. "You know what the laws are, we need to keep you safe."

"But, but I haven't even said goodbye to Nene, or Mizuki!" Rui cried, tightening the grip on the front of his shirt.

"You can go with your mom to visit Nene for a bit, okay? She can tell Mizuki goodbye for you." Taichi offered.

"Okay..." Rui said, voice quieting to a whisper. Hana walked over to her son and took her hand, rubbing small circles with her thumb.

Juro answered the door, as he always did.

”Hana?“

“Hey, Juro. Sorry for dropping in on you like this, can we come in?” She asked, feeling Rui clutch her hand tighter.

“Yes, of course. Nene is up in her room if you want to go play.” Juro said.

“Thank you,” Rui said before running off.

Juro ushered Hana inside. “What happened, you look upset.”

“I need to talk with Doremi. We’re leaving today.”

Juro gasped. “What happened?”

“Rui is an alchemy prodigy.” Despite the weight the words carried, Hana couldn’t help but feel a bit of pride at the words.

A sad smile crossed Juro’s face. “Doremi will be delighted to hear it.” He beckoned her to follow him. The bedroom was dark, fabric draped over the two windows to help Doremi with her migraines. The woman was in the middle of a double bed, surrounded by as many pillows and blankets as the Kusanagi’s could afford. She was paler than the last time Hana had been here, skin and hair almost the same shade of sickly green. Her heart broke at the state her friend was in, had been in for years.

“Hana?” She said, brightening at the sight of her friend. “I didn’t know you were coming to visit today.”

“I wasn’t supposed to.” Her voice broke. “Doremi, I’m so sorry, I have to leave.”

“What?” Doremi said, struggling to sit upright. “What’s happening?”

Hana recounted the events of the morning for her friend, going slowly to make sure she understood.

“I’m not surprised. Rui’s always been a bright kid.” A beat of silence passed before Doremi spoke again. “Take Nene with you.”

Hana felt her chest seize. “No, no you’re going to move to Heyarin with her after you get better, you’ve been planning it for years. I can’t take her from you.”

A bittersweet smile crossed Doremi’s face. “We both know that was just a fantasy, Hana. We've been searching for yearsm, nothing can cure this curse. I’ll be lucky to last ‘till next harvest season.”

“Still—“

“Hana,” Doremi interrupted. “I can’t leave the city. I’ve already accepted that, it’s okay.” It wasn’t, nothing about today was okay.

“I’ll join you in Soral after…” Juro paused, eyes wet.

“After I’ve passed.” Doremi finished his thought. “Please, Hana. Nene is bound to have some magic, we both know it. She should leave now before it manifests.”

Hana took a deep breath, fighting down tears of her own. “Okay.”

“I’ll tell her to start packing her things,” Juro said before leaving the room. Silence stretched as Hana tried to hold back her tears.

“You’re doing the right thing, Hana,” Doremi said.

“I hope so, I really hope so.”

They left in the dead of night. The wagon was loaded up with everything they could fit, including her and the kids, while Taichi drove the horses. When they reached the city walls, Hana couldn’t help but hug the children tighter and hold her breath. What would happen if they were told to turn back? With bated breath she watched as Taichi talked with the patrol officer, explaining their false story. (A half-cooked tale about inheriting his grandfather's farm)

The officer gave a quick glance over the wagon and waved them on, signaling the gate to open. After it had closed behind them, Hana finally felt like she could breathe again.

“We didn’t get to say goodbye,” Nene whispered.

“Goodbye to who?” Hana asked.

“Mizuki.”

“Your dad said he’d tell them,” Rui said. “Besides, we’ll see them again! We still have a show to put on, remember?” Hana smiled at the children’s optimism, quietly praying that they would be able to return one day so that they could put on their play. Kanako had been working so hard on the costumes.

Turning away from the city walls, Hana focused on the horizon.

“Look, kids.” She nudged them to turn as well. “Look at the moon.” It shone brightly, bathing the world in silver. They sat in silence taking in the world.

On some level, Hana knew the kids understood more than they let on. Nene’s face was far too somber for a girl so small, and Rui had barely spoken since they left the Kusanagi’s. She took a deep breath, once again reassuring herself that this was the right decision. Nene and her family had needed to leave the city for years but the curse prevented her mom from passing through the city gate, a cruel security measure from a man long since dead. Feeling her eyes start to prickle with unshed tears, Hana shook her head and focused back on the moon, humming a lullaby for the children.

If she focused hard enough, she swore she could see shooting stars.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

The situation wasn't ideal. Even ignoring the fact that Saki probably should be resting back at the castle, you should never stargaze under a full moon. The light from the moon would wash out the dimmer stars and you would miss all kinds of things.

“Hona, hurry!” Saki called back. “You can stargaze when we get there!” Honami looked back to the earth towards her friends.

Sure enough, they were two paces in front of her, still steadily moving through the forest to find the clearing Shiho had promised.

“Sorry,” Honami called back, sprinting to catch up with them.

“You don’t need to apologize,” Shiho said. “Just hurry, you said there was supposed to be something cool today, right?” Honami brightened. “Yes!”

“Are you going to tell us what it is?” Ichika asked.

“No, you’ll see soon enough.” Honami giggled to herself. Even if it was a full moon, there was supposed to be a large shower of shooting stars this week. Her mom said that it was a symbol from the gods, coming every seven years to bless crops and bring good health. Saki had been wishing to see shooting stars for so long, this may be her only chance. No, don’t think like that. Saki hasn’t been sick in months, plus if the falling stars were supposed to bring good health, then surely there was no better place to receive the blessing than under the open sky itself.

“We’re here,” Shiho said, stopping. Honami took in the clearing, a large rock sat in the middle, surrounded by a sea of white flowers glowing in the moonlight”

"Shiho, this is beautiful. How did you find it?” Ichika asked.

Shiho shrugged. “Shizuku showed it to me. Does this work?”

“It’ll work perfectly,” Honami said while walking over to the rock. She climbed a little way up the side and looked up to the sky, seeing the wide expanse glittering above her. “Come on up!” She called out to her friends.

Ichika climbed up as well. Shiho helped Saki onto the rock just in time for a star to cross the sky, leaving a trail of light in its wake. Saki gasped and nearly fell onto Shiho’s head.

“Hona! Did you see that?” Saki cheered, eyes sparkling like the sky above. “Was that a shooting star?”

"Yes! This week is the Harvest Shower.” Honami let Saki grab her hand as she pulled her up onto the rock. “They happen every seven years and are supposed to bless the harvest. They’re also known for bringing good health.” Saki sat down next to her.

“I think I remember your mom mentioning it,” Shiho said as she sat down as well.

“They’re so pretty,” Ichika added, eyes glued to the sky. Honami looked upwards again as well.

Stars danced across the sky, leaving dazzling trails of light behind. It was mesmerizing. Honami had seen shooting stars before, but never to this degree. There were so many of them they seemed to light up the sky, turning the pitch black to a deep blue.

“Should we make a wish?” Ichika whispered. “That’s what you do when you see a shooting star, right?”

“I think so, yeah,” Shiho said.

“I know what I’m going to wish for.” Saki started “I wish—”

“No!” Shiho said, stopping Saki. “You can’t say your wish out loud. If you do it won’t come true.”

“Oh, okay,” Saki said. She shut her eyes tight, scrunching her face together.

Honami closed her eyes for a second, offering her wish to the gods. Please, let us stay like this forever. Playing between Saki and Shiho’s lessons, sneaking sweets from the cooks, and listening to Ichika sing whatever song she learned from the castle staff. Honami couldn’t think of anything else she would want. Opening her eyes, the stars greeted her again.

Eventually, the night grew cold and the children’s eyes grew heavy.

“We should go back, it’s getting late,” Shiho suggested.

“No,” Saki whined. “I want to stay with you guys longer.” She hugged Honami’s arm. Despite the sweet gesture, dread crept up Honami’s spine.

“Saki, you feel warm.” Too warm, especially for being outside in the chill for as long as they had been. Honami went to feel her forehead, but Saki recoiled from the touch.

“I’m fine, really.”

“Are you sure?” Ichika asked.

“Absolutely! I could stay out all night.” Saki smiled back at them.

“Still, I’d rather not push out luck. Someone might notice we’ve snuck out soon.” Shiho added.

“You have a point,” Saki added.

It took a bit for all four of them to get off the rock, but they made it out of the clearing soon enough. On the walk back, Honami kept looking at the sky. The stars peeked out between the tree branches. It was something to focus on other than Saki’s condition. She gnawed her lip as she mulled over what had just happened. Saki knew her limits better than anyone, but Saki also had a bad habit of insisting on pushing past those limits. A shout snapped Honami out of her thoughts.

Saki was limp, Ichika struggling to hold her upright. Shiho and Honami both rushed toward the girls, dread turning into panic.

They lowered Saki to the ground, letting her head rest in Honami’s lap.

“What happened?” Shiho asked.

“I- I don’t know. She was just walking next to me and then suddenly her legs gave out.”

“We need help,” Honami said.

“I’ll run back to the castle,” Shiho said.

“It’s quicker to get in through the servant’s entrance. I’ll show you where it is.” Ichika added.

The two ran down the path, leaving Honami with Saki. She brushed a stray hair out of Saki’s face with trembling hands.

“It’s going to be okay Saki, I promise,” Honami whispered. “You’ll be okay.” She repeated the phrase like a mantra, turning the words over and over.

It felt like hours. The wind howled, frigid air sweeping by the two children. Honami was shivering and hunched over Saki, trying to protect her from the cruel breeze. Her vision was blurring as her breathing turned shallow. It was terrifying. Honami could feel tears falling down her face, but she could barely bring herself to care.

”Hona?” Saki whispered, eyes still half closed. “Issat you?” She was waking up.

”I’m here Saki. You’re going to be okay, I promise. Shiho and Ichika and getting help. You’ll be okay.”

“It’s cold.”

”I know. We should have brought blankets, I’m sorry.”

“Hona, d’you think…” Saki was struggling to talk, struggling to stay conscious. “D’you think I could catch one of the stars?”

”What?”

”If we wish on stars when they fall, do they have t’grant our wish if we catch them?”

”There’s a story about that in the library.” Honami said, desperately trying to hold Saki’s attention. “The boy gets his wish, but ends up having to pay a price."

”That’d be fine.” Saki shivered, teeth chattering so loudly Honami could hear it. “I wished that we could all stay together forever. I’d pay for that.” Saki stopped talking struggling to even keep her eyes open for more than a second.

“Saki!” A voice cried out. Honami jerked her head up, frantically searching for whoever called out.

“We’re over here!” She called desperately.

Tsukasa came crashing through the brush, armor thrown on top of his sleep clothes. He slid next to the two, panting heavily. His eyes were red, panic written all over his face.

“Tsukasa,” Honami choked out. “I’m sorry—”

“There will be time for that later.” He said, putting his hand on Saki’s forehead. Brow furrowing when he felt her temperature.

“She’s burning up.”

“She was fine earlier tonight. I promise I made sure to ask her. She’s taken all of her medicine as well, I don’t know what went wrong.”

“She had a nosebleed earlier today.” Tsukasa’s voice was grim. Honami felt her heart stop. “She was supposed to rest for the day, just to make sure nothing got worse.”

Honami was about to reply when more people burst through the brush. There were several knights, along with Shiho. They rushed over to the children.

One of the knights scooped Saki up in his arms. She whimpered at the movement.

”’Kasa,” Saki slurred.

”I’m here Saki, I won’t leave you.

“I’ll carry Lady Saki ahead; the doctor should be following behind us.”

Tsukasa nodded and followed the knight back through the brush. Honami picked herself up and Shiho ran over, wrapping her into a hug.

“She’s going to be okay,” Shiho whispered. Sinking into the hug, Honami buried her face in Shiho’s shoulder. She hoped so, she would catch a million stars for Saki to be okay.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

They really should go home. Mizuki had been sitting on the street, staring at a door, for hours. Holding out hope that maybe, just maybe, if they kept wishing on the stars streaking through the sky, their friends would come back home. They were supposed to sneak out and go to the night market tonight. Yet when she arrived at their homes, one was completely abandoned. Nene’s father had been the one to tell them that two of their only friends had left the kingdom, answering the door when Mizuki finally mustered up the courage to knock. Now here they were, sitting in the cold wishing on stars like a little kid.

The door opened and Nene’s father stepped out again, beckoning them inside. “Let me make you some tea, it’s cold out there.” He said.

The tea was nice. It tasted like the same kind their sister liked to drink, earthy and sweet.

“So, mind telling me why you’re out so late?”

Mizuki almost spat the tea out. “Just, wanted to see how my friends were doing. That’s all.”

“And it had nothing to do with the night market happening? The one that Nene has been asking to go to all week?” He grinned.

Mizuki went back to their tea, hiding their face in the cup. “Sorry Mr. Kusanagi.” They whispered.

“Just watch out for yourself, okay?” His eyes were kind but dull. There was a sadness about the man, no matter how much he acted past it. “You should probably be heading home soon though, it’ll be morning in a few hours.”

Mizuki nodded and took another long sip of the tea. They handed the empty mug back and stood to leave right as there was a knock at the door.

“Stay here, I’ll answer it.” Nene’s dad said. Mizuki sat back down in the chair.

He opened the door to a tall man with dark brown hair. There was a girl with her too, around Mizuki’s age, her hair was long and black, with a deep blue at the bottom. It reminded Mizuki of the night sky.

“Hello Mr. Kusanagi, I’m sorry for the disturbance. My name is Ken.”

“Please, call me Juro. Is there anything I can help you with?”

“A neighbor tipped off the guards that someone was producing suspicious smoke in the house next to yours. They’re on their way now.” You could hear a pin drop. The seriousness of the situation settling in. ”I’m here to help you get out before they get here. I’ll help you grab anything you need, my daughter will get anyone else out of the house now.” The girl waved her hand.

“Mizuki,” Mr. Kusanagi said, “You’d better get going now. Can you take them back to their house?”

“Absolutely.” The girl said.

“I’m An, by the way.” The girl managed to say while running down the street. “Juro called you Mizuki, right? That’s a nice name!”

“Why are you calling Mr. Kusanagi that?” Mizuki managed to say, chasing after An.

“Huh? He said to call him that, right?”

“He told your dad to call him that, not you.”

“Oh. Well, my mistake. What were you doing at his house?”

“None of your business,” Mizuki said.

An stopped running and held up her hand. Mizuki barely had enough time to stop before running into An. She grabbed their hand and pulled them into an alley, pressed close against the wall. Two guards walked by a few moments later. The two children waited for them to pass before continuing on.

“How did you know they were going to be here?”

“I know when most of the guard schedules are. My job is to help people get to the inn safely, and part of that is making sure that we don’t get caught.”

Mizuki had heard rumors about this, most everyone had. A secret network that helped protect people with magic. “You guys work out of an inn?”

“Yeah, it’s my dad’s we’re headed there now. You can stay there for a bit until the guards calm down. Mr. Kusanagi should be joining us soon as well.” Mizuki nodded, even though An couldn’t see.

The two continued running down streets, getting lost in the maze of the city. Well, Mizuki was getting lost. An seemed to know every nook and cranny of it, even which walls were crumbled enough to be climbed over. After another couple of streets and two more alleys, An stopped in front of an inn. The sign above the door read “Weekend Inn”. An grabbed their hand and pulled them inside.

It was warm inside. A roaring fire sat in the hearth; a bard tuning his guitar sat next to it. An led Mizuki to a table.

“Stay here, I’ll grab you something to eat while we wait.” An said.

“I’m not really hungry.”

“Okay then, we can wait here.” An sat down at the table, across from Mizuki. “Oh, Mr. Yoisaki!” She called out to the bard.

“Could you play me more of that song you wrote the other day?”

The man looked up from his guitar. “Sorry An, I haven’t gotten a chance to work more on it. I’ll play you the rest next time I’m here.”

“Alright.” An said, turning back to Mizuki. “He’s a really good composer. My dad’s sung some of his songs before and invites him to sing at the Inn every now and again.” Mizuki nodded, not really focusing on the conversation. An kept talking about music, something about her dad, and a dream.

Ken entered the Inn, shutting the door fast behind him. Mizuki was out of their chair in an instant.

“Where’s Mr. Kusanagi?”

“Juro stayed behind,” Ken said, staring at the floor. “He wouldn’t leave his wife behind. I’m sorry, Mizuki.” His voice was heavy, he had obviously tried his best to convince the man, but Mizuki couldn’t help the tears welling up. If he had stayed behind, he had been captured. Being captured meant imprisonment at best and execution at worst, especially with the charges he was taken in for.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

The sun was just beginning to rise when Minori left for the festival. It had been a hard sell, especially since it meant that they would have to bring her new baby brother along, but Minori’s parents eventually relented. After all, this festival happened only every seven years, in line with the Harvest Shower. It was midmorning when they finally arrived in the town.

There were flowers everywhere, with banners strung throughout the town. Bards were littered about, improvising songs together and entertaining the crowd. Minori didn’t want to blink for fear she would miss something, she ended up tripping over her own feet anyways.

“The Initiation Ceremony will be starting shortly in the main square!” A herald called out, catching Minori’s attention.

“Dad,” she said, pulling on his sleeve. “Can we go check that out?”

“Will you be okay with Ryota by yourself?” He asked her mother.

“I can handle him for an hour or so, go explore.” She smiled, taking the baby from her dad. Wasting no time, Minori grabbed her father’s hand and dragged him farther into the town.

The square was so full that Minori had to sit on her dad’s shoulders to see anything. A stage had been set up in the middle of the square, and a group of witches stood atop it. They had large, simple hats and black robes, no decoration at all.

“Dad, which Coven is that?”

“I’m not sure. You can usually tell based on their hats and outfits.”

“Doesn’t Miss Chihiro have a necklace that shows hers?”

He chuckled. “Yes, she does. She’s part of the Circle of The Silver Moon, which is why they wear necklaces with a silver moon on them.” Minori hummed in acknowledgment, resting her chin on her father’s head.

A man climbed on the stage and signaled for the crowd to quiet down. After the crowd listened, he bowed to one of the witches, an elderly woman, and exited the stage. The woman stepped forward and raised her hand. The other witches followed suit, revealing their wands. In a flick of the wrist, their simple clothes changed color, from a deep black to a pale purple. Minori heard her dad gasp.

“They’re the Royal Coven,” Minori remembered Miss Chihiro mentioning them. Witches so powerful that they served directly under King Tenma.

“I hope you are all having a splendid festival.” The old witch said, voice booming across the square. “Welcome to the Royal Coven Initiation Ceremony. Each year we visit promising young witches from around Soral. Today those we have selected will be accepted into our fold and welcomed as our Sisters.” The crowd applauded. “We have chosen to hold the ceremony here this year in honor of the Harvest Shower, in hopes that the gods will bless these girls.” The crowd cheered again. Minori couldn’t help but cheer as well. There was something, well, magical about how the woman talked.

The first new initiate climbed atop the platform, a teen with dark skin, long coiled hair, and a black robe. She was briefly introduced by the old witch and then demonstrated a spell she had mastered. The weather changed briefly, grey clouds gathering above the square. Minori clutched onto her father’s head, bracing herself against the wind whipping about. When the storm dissipated, with a flick of the teen's wand, she was presented with a hat and her robes turned purple. The process repeated for the next few girls, all teens who performed incredible feats of magic. All far more powerful than Miss Chihiro, who had been the village witch since Minori’s mom was a child.

Upon the stage was a girl, the same age as Minori. She had deep blue hair, the same shade as the deepest part of a pond, and skin slightly tanned, glowing in the sunlight.

The child raised her wand and made a large, swooping gesture. A thick fog filled the square, obscuring almost everything. Minori held on tight to her dad's head, clutching on in fear of getting swallowed up by the fog. Then, a small light drifted in front of her face. It was soft and gold, floating like a bubble. More followed in a myriad of colors. She reached out to grab one and it fizzled in her palm, dissipating in an instant. A gust of wind cleared the fog out of the square, leaving all eyes on the young witch. She was making the balls of light move and change color, waving her wand around in a specific pattern. Minori couldn’t take her eyes off her.

Eventually, the girl finished her show. Minori was among the first to applaud, cheering as loud as possible. The old witch came forward and flicked her wand, changing the girl's robes to purple. She started giving a speech, introducing the new Sisters. Minori only heard one name though. Haruka Kiritani, the witch with blue hair.

The crowd applauded once more before starting to dissipate. Minori climbed off her dad’s shoulders and ran towards the stage, desperate to see Haruka up close. When she got to the stage, there was a small group already gathered, asking questions to the young witch. Haruka was up close to the edge, standing next to the old witch from before. She had eyes as blue as the sky, they matched her hair beautifully.

“How are you so skilled?” A teen asked. “I’ve been training for years, and I still haven’t managed to master weather, much less with that level of precision!”

“Well,” Haruka began, “I’ve just practiced as hard as I can since I was little. Even when things got tough, I always tell myself that tomorrow will always be a better day.” She smiled.

Tomorrow will always be a better day. Minori stood there contemplating those words as Haruka answered more questions. If someone her age could do incredible things like that, why couldn’t she? Minori had magic, she was really good at making the chickens fly, so what was stopping her? Before she could muster the nerve to raise her hand and ask Haruka a question of her own, her dad showed up.

“Minori! Don’t go running off like that, you scared me.”

“But—”

“Come on, we should go tell your mom about what she missed.”

Minori looked back to Haruka, who was being ushered off-stage by the old witch. Her chance had passed. Taking her dad's hand, Minori started walking back.

I’ve just practiced as hard as I can.

“Dad? I'm going to be a witch.”

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