Pruned Trees Re-Sprout!! ~ Ragazza Volpe Magica ~

There’s this dream that haunts me. Though these days it’s more of a distant memory. All I get from it is embers scattered in the wind. The once vivid thoughts and feelings have long since burned out leaving behind a cold, blackened land. A monument to my failure, a reminder of what I could have had, a memento of what I lost.

In my mind bright yellow knowledge swirls together with deep red emotions, all muffling out the meager sparks of blue willpower I cling to. It’s trapped all in my head, unable to escape.

It's all so pointless.

And yet, why do I persist?

Am I some kind of cosmic joke? Perhaps an experiment by some cruel and wicked god?

Who knows?

Who cares?

I don’t.

Green eyes slowly rose allowing the light of the morning sun to sting them. The surroundings to their owner unfamiliar.

It was a hotel room, one rented out by an upper-class family for a vacation to a distant and exotic locale.

A vacation one Shouri Tomoshibi had wanted no part of.

The boy sat up in bed, his clothes ruffled. He blinked slowly assessing the current situation. Yesterday was so exhausting he went to bed without removing his shoes; it was a wonder he didn’t just drop dead.

Dying took too much effort.

KNOCK KNOCK

“Shouri! Breakfast is here. Hurry up!” an older woman shouted from the other side of the door.

He couldn’t expend the energy it took to sigh. The boy slid his legs out of bed and sat for a moment. Might as well get this over with, it’d be more taxing to argue.

Putting weight onto his legs he managed to stand. Good. His body hadn’t quit on him yet. He flipped up the hood on his jacket, jammed his hands into his pockets, and left the room.

Greeting him was breakfast… with his parents. The boy quietly strode over and took his seat in front of one of the unclaimed plates.

“So, Shouri,” his mother began. “There are some lovely Resonators here in Nevepunto.” She slid over a manilla folder for her son.

Humoring her, he flipped it open and gave the documents contained within a once over. Profiles of various animal-eared and tailed humans graced his vision. Their profiles written to showcase their selling points as if they were objects.

It was nauseating.

Dismissing the protesting bile rising in his gut, Shouri closed the folder – none of them were who he was looking for.

“You need to make a choice,” the father now spoke up. “You’re eighteen next month. You haven’t done anything since you got out of school,” grumbled the man.

“Your father is right Shouri. Aura is doing so well as a hunter and you were so eager about having a Resonator when you were younger,” his mother reminded him. “It’d be different if you were going to college but…” the woman trailed off.

“Just pick one. It’s not that hard,” came the gruff addition from his father. “If you don’t like it, you can just get another.”

Shouri stood up at this point. He wanted to snap. He wanted to yell. He wanted to scream at them. He just couldn’t find the strength to do so. Arguing too much effort to exert. That didn’t stop the logical part of his brain from telling him their behavior sickened him. The rage boiled right under his skin, yet despite it all he couldn’t muster up the willpower to scream. It was exhausting and turned the world cold and grey. This was his every day, his personal hell no one knew.

Oh, how he wanted to just “pick one”. It wasn’t that easy! Nobody understood!

He needed out of here, away from these people, if they could even be called that. And for that, he walked out.

“Shouri, Shouri!” their shouts muffled as the door slammed behind him.

Shouri trudged down the streets of Nevepunto. A popular tourist destination, he found himself surrounded by all kinds of people: humans like himself, otherwise referred to as Maestros; Resonators, the animal eared and tailed humans his parents were trying to partner him with; and then Naturals, far fewer in number, but more animalistic bi-pedals – the true owners of this particular town.

The young Maestro slowly moved his way through the crowds, hunched over himself, hands balled up in his jacket pockets. He held no fear of being on his own, from the last few days of his stay here the citizens had been nothing but kind. At worst, his parents would just send his sister after him if he really wanted to be found.

Not that he wanted that at the moment. The world just felt too noisy - he needed somewhere quiet. Away from the cacophony of civilization. For that, he walked until he found his way into a gated community.

The foot traffic evaporated entirely. There were no Maestros or Resonators – only the furred or scaled Naturals who looked down on the small human boy that invaded their neighborhood. Shouri noticed their judgmental gazes, but he cared not. He wasn’t there to cause trouble anyway.

He slowed to a stop, brushing his hood off of his head as his gaze wandered. It was peaceful here. No worries about the life he was about to leave behind. Perhaps he’d just stay lost. That’d be nice.

The boy’s eyes slowly closed as he stood in the middle of this foreign neighborhood as a foreigner himself.

Then it hit him.

In the core of his very being, his soul, his Rhythm stirred. A feeling long since lost in the sands of time reignited anew in the boy. He felt a rush he hadn’t felt in nearly a decade.

It was hopelessly intoxicating. His spiritual power guiding him to a small warmth in his heart, the muted colors of life slowly saturating with purpose. The largest building surrounded with tall iron fences stood imposingly atop a hill. Its mere presence seeming to prevent anything from touching the area in which it resides.

At the base, armed with a broom in hand stood one lonely girl sweeping fallen leaves into a neat pile.

The girl in question was probably around Shouri’s age. Clad in black, what stood out about her the most were the fox ears adorning her head and the matching tail that swayed behind her as she worked. Shouri shook his head, thinking how strange it would be if she turned around and found him staring.

“E-excuse me!” he called out to her. After a twitch of her ears, the girl stopped what she was doing and turned.

“Che?” She tilted her head, bewildered at why anyone would approach her. The girl’s sapphire blue eyes met Shouri’s emerald green. After studying the boy for a moment, she spoke again. “Can I help you?” she inquired, confused.

“Ah, uhh…” He ran a hand back through his messy hair as his eyes desperately avoided her form. There was something about this girl that clicked with him – he was struggling to stop himself from telling his whole life story right then and there. It was as if his rhythm was being drawn towards her.

“What’s your name?” he asked, the words flowing as if he had waited his whole life to say them.

The girl was visibly perplexed as to why anyone would be willing to have a conversation with her. “Taika," she finally spoke after a moment.

“Taika,” he repeated. It felt warm to say.

“Is there something I can help you with?” she asked again.

Shouri already had the answer to that question: “Do you have a Maestro?”

Taika was taken aback. She wasn’t sure how to reply and just blurted out her thoughts instead. “Nobody’s ever asked me that.” She frowned, still musing over that thought. “I’m a Lunar in case you can’t tell,” she stated matter-of-factly, hoping that would drive this mysterious interloper away so she could return to her sweeping.

“In that case, do you think I could be your Maestro?”

That question caught poor Taika completely off-guard. “Excuse me?” she uttered. The Lunar Resonator was befuddled by the direction of this conversation and shut down. Shouri meanwhile, could no longer hold back and allowed his mouth to run wild.

“Well, my family has been on my ass about getting a Resonator since I didn’t go to secondary school. We came here on vacation, and I had hoped that they would stop bugging me at least while we were here, but they haven’t left me alone.” He paused to catch his breath. “That’s when I ended up here and…” he trailed off, lowering his gaze as he processed his thoughts. “I just felt something right from you. There’s something that I can’t ignore about you, so I thought…”

The fox-girl shook her head slowly, mouth slightly agape. “I-I can’t.” She turned back to the mansion; the foreboding, ominous manor that seemingly lorded over the rest of the buildings in the area. “I’m sorry, I can’t,” she repeated.

Shouri looked disappointed but not surprised.

“I understand. It was a ridiculous idea; just going off with a random Maestro you’ve never met before. Thank you for your time.” He wore a bittersweet smile taking in a breath before speaking once more. “Have a good day.”

Taika watched him turn around and walk away. Her brain finally caught up with the present. She bit her bottom lip. Yeah, it was kind of strange for this boy to come out of nowhere and ask her to be-

“My Maestro…” Once more her brain came to a screeching halt. “My Maestro,” she repeated. “Wait…” And then panic. What had she done!?

In all her life she was always told she would never get a Maestro. No one wanted her. That’s why she was even outside sweeping in the first place. The only place she could live was here as less than a servant and yet-

“Do you think I could be your Maestro?”

In the span of mere milliseconds, she analyzed and re-analyzed how he addressed her. She normally wasn’t this sharp, but his speech had a peculiarity to it. He asked if he could be HER Maestro, not the other way around. Even talking to non-lunars, most Maestros would pose the question as “Do you want to be MY Resonator?” Yet the way Shouri had said that spoke such consideration of her that-

“Non... I made a mistake…” She once more cast her gaze back to the mansion. Seventeen years living there, and never had she thought about leaving, until this very moment. Throwing the broom down, she bolted, running as fast as her legs could carry her. She didn’t know the boy’s name, but she had to find him at all costs.

In all her life, she had never considered herself lucky by any stretch of the imagination, but today would be the day everything changed. It mattered not the path he took, in her heart she could feel a thin string guiding her to him. A guide she learned to trust as she spotted him trudging along, alone. “HEY!” She shouted.

Shouri slowly turned around, only to be nearly thrown off his feet as she ran into him full force. The only thing that kept him standing was the fact that as soon as she made contact, she wrapped her arms tightly around his torso. “Please! Take me with you! Don’t leave me here! I’m begging you!” she cried out, burying her face in his chest.

Shouri was stunned at the sudden 180. “B-but you said-”

She looked up; her face completely soaked in tears. “P-Please! Don’t make me go back! I’ll do anything! Please! Please. Please…” she pleaded as if her very life was on the line.

The boy was just plain dumbfounded at the outpouring of emotions from the Resonator. But… the dream was there, right in his grasp. His Rhythm was screaming at him, demanding he act. He slowly wrapped his arms around the girl and held onto her tightly. “Don’t worry, you’re not going back,” he spoke gently.

“Thank you. Thank you…” she sniveled.

After regaining her composure, she released the boy and stood up straight. She wiped the tears from her face and tried to keep herself calm. “Let me reintroduce myself. I’m Taika, if you’ll have me, I will be your Resonator.”

“I’m Shouri Tomoshibi. I would be happy to be your Maestro,” the boy replied in kind.

Taika couldn’t help but smile at the boy. “Sho…” she whispered, a familiarity passing her lips as she spoke.

“Sooo-” The new Maestro scratched the back of his head, looking away from his new partner. “Do you have a tuner?” he asked.

She shook her head. “I don’t know how to be a Resonator for a Maestro to be honest.”

“That’s alright, I just kinda wished I paid more attention when my sister got her Resonator. I just know I need to get a tuner from a place called the Maestro Affairs office. But I have no idea what actually goes into that,” he admitted sheepishly.

An awkward silence followed. “So now what?” Taika asked. “I’ll go wherever you go,” she added.

Shouri just stared, though his heart throbbed with joy. If this was a dream, he’d allow it to take him for just a little bit longer.

“I guess there’s only one real thing to do.” Shouri decided. “I gotta introduce you to my parents.”

Taika’s heart hammered in her chest as she followed her new Maestro down the hallway of the hotel he and his family were staying at. She had no idea what to expect from these people. Shouri was nice enough, sure, but she knew how the general public felt about her element. The Lunar element was one of shadows and the supernatural – not the most heroic of magic to use. Not that she had a choice in the matter, it was simply what she had been born with.

Her gaze shifted up to her Maestro’s back. She didn’t even know how he felt about her element. He just kind of ignored her when she told him she was a lunar earlier.

Maybe he couldn’t sense it?

“H-hey Sho,” Taika called out to him.

“Yeah?”

“Y-you do realize I’m a lunar, right?” she repeated her earlier, unaddressed question.

“I do.”

He didn’t elaborate further, frustrating the fox. She didn’t get the opportunity to ask for further clarification however, as they arrived at their destination. She watched him hover his hand over a scanner affixed to the wall. With a beep, the lock was released. Shouri pulled open the door and motioned for his new partner to enter. She gulped and quietly stepped into the room. Shouri closed the door behind them and entered the room proper. The lunar Resonator followed close behind, attempting to hide behind the boy.

Both were equally nervous – Taika wasn’t sure what to expect of her new Maestro’s family; likewise, Shouri wasn’t sure how to introduce his new Resonator. Upon turning the corner and facing the familial unit in question, he just acted.

“Mom, Dad.” His parents were sitting on the couch, watching television. He glanced over at his sister, at the dining room table finally eating her breakfast. “Aura,” he muttered as an aside. “I found a Resonator,” he announced. Immediately undivided attention was turned to the family’s youngest, the television swiftly muted at the flick of a wrist.

Shouri turned his head back and motioned for the girl to step out. She gulped hard once more before hesitantly coming forward. Her blue eyes slowly trained up meeting the stares of six eyes, she lowered her head immediately, ears folded back. “A-ah… uh… C-ciao, mi chiamo Taika, è un piacere conoscerti!” she blurted out.

“Naturalian?” Aura muttered to herself, taking note of that quirk.

“In Maelish!” Shouri hissed.

The Resonator jumped in fright “Oh! I er-! I’m Taika! It’s nice to meet you all!” she repeated. The girl kept her head down, not wanting to look at the judgmental gazes of Shouri’s relatives.

The parents scrutinized the Resonator their son had brought in. Aura on the other hand didn’t seem bothered by the new girl in the room. “Aha. Is this why nobody meshed with you?” Aura hopped to her feet.

“What’s that?” Shouri folded his arms across his chest, eying his sister as she walked over to their pair.

“None of the Resonators Mom and Dad picked out for you were as cute as she is.” The elder sibling chuckled, taking a closer look at Taika. The Resonator in question curled up a bit further at the observing eyes, blushing at being called “cute”. The two siblings both shot sidelong glances at their parents who seemed to be bothered by Shouri’s choice of Resonators. “Problem over there?” Aura raised her voice.

“N-no! It’s wonderful that Shouri finally found a Resonator for himself!” their mother spoke up.

“Yes! Yes! Does it already have a tuner?” the father added upon getting an elbow to his side.

At this point, one of the side doors opened. Taika’s ears twitched, and she caught the gaze of a very intense pair of red eyes. The girl squeaked in fear and grabbed her Maestro’s arm. “No, she doesn’t yet,” Shouri replied.

“Where did you even find her?” the father asked.

“On the street,” Shouri replied without missing a beat.

“What’s with our kids picking up strays?” Shouri’s mother whispered to her husband.

“Damian and I can take them down to the MA Office, saw it on the way,” Aura offered.

“If you would Aura, that’d be great.” Their father smiled at the helpfulness of his daughter.

“Da-” before Aura could finish calling her own Resonator’s name, Damian stepped out of the room.

Taika looked the man over; the owner of the red eyes she had spotted before. He was much taller than anyone present, and a bit lanky in all honesty. He was a canine, that was for sure, but she couldn’t immediately see his tail.

The taller Resonator regarded his lunar counterpart, towering over her even at a distance. “Hmph.” He turned to his Maestro. “We goin’?” he asked, his voice deep, but scratchy.

Taika noted a particular scent radiating off of the man – smoke. Not your nice smelling wood-burning smoke mind you, but the rich, deep scent of tobacco. It was as if he had put away an entire pack of cigarettes before deciding to join the family.

“Yeah, did you leave the balcony open to air out the room?” Aura asked, arms akimbo.

He glanced back at the slightly ajar door. “Probably,” he replied with a short shrug.

“Good enough, let’s go.”

Aura and Damian took the lead, leaving the hotel room first.

Shouri motioned for Taika to follow. She followed along, still trying to come to terms with what was about to happen to her.