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

It was the second day of the cruise down the Corhia River. Two pairs of blue eyes opened, their owners remaining silent as they barely processed that the other was awake. The two girls lay in each other’s embrace as they slowly came to.

“Morning,” Pacifica whispered first.

“Buongiorno mia amica del cuore.” Taika squeezed her fellow Resonator tightly.

Unlike her Maestro who didn’t understand the language, Pacifica as a Resonator knew full well what Taika had said – earning an early morning splash of red on the otter’s cheeks. “B-best friend huh..?”

“Si, ti voglio bene.”

“Well, aren’t you affectionate this morning?” Pacifica noted with a giggle.

The pair remained together for some time until they felt the shuffling of the bunk below them. “I suppose it’s that time of the morning,” Pacifica muttered.

Taika frowned; she was just sad. Pacifica squeezed the fox-girl tightly, recalling the fight between them and their precious Maestro only a couple of days prior.

The trio had gotten back to their room at the Fercy MA Office after seeing Rebecca and leaving her tuner behind with the front desk attendant.

“I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU!” Pacifica began the festivities.

Shouri sat in one of the recliners. Pacifica and Taika towered over him, fury in their eyes. He glared back at the otter. “What can’t you believe?” he asked. “I wasn’t going to let her stay in those conditions, especially after that fuck-head almost got her killed,” the Maestro added, not appreciating the tone being slung his way.

“Why did you let her go? I don’t understand,” Taika piped up, her voice remaining more even than Pacifica’s.

Shouri frowned, averting his gaze. “I’m sure you felt it, but she’s never been free. She’s always been shackled to some Maestro. I just thought she’d appreciate a little freedom. Maybe she can choose a Maestro she likes rather than one she was bought by,” he quietly explained his reasoning.

Pacifica and Taika looked at one another. They understood how he felt, but – “We’re still mad,” the otter decided. “You didn’t even ask us if it was okay! You’re our Maestro, not hers,” she pointed out.

“It was in the heat of the moment!” Shouri countered.

“We had the entire walk back to talk about it,” Pacifica retorted.

“What would you have said if I did ask about it?”

“I dunno, you never asked!”

Shouri remained quiet, glare persisting.

Pacifica continued: “I’m not mad about what hypothetical Shouri did, I’m mad about what my Shouri did,” she said with a huff. “We can’t do this every time we find a Rebecca!” The otter gritted her teeth, sick to her stomach that she was saying this. “You’re one person.”

There was another moment of silence as Maestro and Resonator stared each other down.

“It was a lot of money.”

The arguing pair turned to Taika; her head lowered. “I was happy we had earned so much together,” she mumbled sadly.

Shouri let out a sigh, pushing his hair back. “I’ll make it up to you both,” he decided.

“Oh?” Pacifica raised a brow.

“I’ll figure it out.”

Back in the present, Pacifica slowly opened her eyes, still squeezing Taika tightly.

“Paci,” the smaller Resonator squeaked out. “You’re killing me,” she whimpered.

“Ah! Sorry!” Pacifica released her captive, holding the girl out by her shoulders. “Are you ok?”

“Bene. Just not used to being hugged that tightly,” the fox chuckled.

Descending from the top bunk, they were once again face-to-face with Rebecca, and to a lesser extent, Shouri. Affection was replaced by irritation - both senior Resonators were mad at their newer counterpart. They didn’t have any specific reason; they were simply upset.

“Come on Sho, let’s grab breakfast.” Pacifica took hold of her Maestro’s hand, keeping her eyes locked on Rebecca specifically before pulling him out of the room.

After the door was closed behind them, Pacifica released Shouri and began stomping off toward the dining hall where breakfast was being served.

“Pacifica.”

The girl stopped and turned on her heel to face her Maestro. There was a tense stare-down before Shouri spoke.

“How long are you going to be mad for?” he questioned.

“As long as I want. Let me have this,” she huffed.

A slow nod by the Maestro. “Fine, take your time.”

She was disarmed by that, remaining rooted in place as he walked past her. The girl lowered her head shamefully. She was better than this, she knew she was, but there was that devil on her shoulder who always stoked the flames of rage every time her eyes met Rebecca.

Breakfast was obtained in silence, Shouri carrying his own and Rebecca’s meal while Pacifica had hold of her and Taika’s meals.

And the consumption of said breakfast was quiet. Again, Taika and Pacifica were relegated to eating on the floor whilst Rebecca and Shouri shared the bed. It was the little things that set them both off.

“We’re heading out – see you tonight.” Pacifica waved, her tuner secured to her swim shorts. Taika didn’t speak, but she was able to at least wave with Pacifica as they took their leave.

The pair strolled the halls of the ship, avoiding the morning Resonator-led cleaning crews, until they found themselves on the front deck. “Hey, what’s that?” Taika pointed to a group gathering near some mats.

“Dunno.” Pacifica watched for a moment before deciding to get involved. Taika hesitantly followed. “Hey! Whatcha doing?” The otter waved to the group.

The teacher of the group greeted the two Resonators. “Yun-Lu Quan, it’s a rhythm exercise. It helps strengthen your rhythm core,” they explained.

Pacifica and Taika looked at each other.

“It helps clear your mind in a similar way to etude,” the teacher added.

The otter and fox mulled it over. “We could probably use it,” Pacifica decided. Taika hesitantly nodded and they joined the rest of the group.

Finding a spot together, Pacifica and Taika followed along with the routine. The movements reminded them a lot of when they were casting spells. Some of the movements Pacifica recognized from her own techniques. It felt so smooth and natural to the two girls.

It was so strange how just the simple flow of movements of their arms and legs could free their minds. But...

“It’s not the same,” Pacifica whispered.

“I miss Sho,” Taika added.

They finished the exercise and quietly bowed out. Taking up a couple of chairs in the shade, the two girls relaxed, at least physically.

“What are we going to do, Taika?” Pacifica asked.

“About what?”

“Sho and Rebecca.”

“Hrnnn...”

The lunar fox wasn’t comfortable with that topic, curling up on herself. “I’m just scared.” Taika’s ears folded back; brows wrought with worry. “I don’t want Sho to replace me.”

“He wouldn’t do that.” Pacifica frowned.

“I know... but there’s a nagging voice that keeps saying ‘but he could’ And that is enough to scare me,” she admitted shakily.

Pacifica shuffled in her chair, watching a Resonator waiter serve drinks to a couple of other passengers. She focused back on Taika, reaching out and grabbing her hands. “Just in case, if it comes down to it, we can run away together.”

“Che?” Taika focused her gaze on her fellow Resonator’s hands linked with her own.

“I’m sure my parents would take us in if we were in that situation.” Pacifica grinned toothily.

“I-I see...” The vixen wasn’t used to having friends, much less genuine ones like Pacifica.

The rest of the day was pretty boring. Taika and Pacifica lounged around before heading back to their room after dinner. Some vacation this was turning out to be, and after all the things they had planned to do together with Shouri – they just couldn’t bring themselves to go it alone, lest they risk running into the other pair.

Thankfully there were three dining halls, so they could avoid Shouri and Rebecca and slip back into the room before they returned.

Thus the two girls ended the day on their respective tuners killing time before they ultimately fell asleep.

So much for their stress-free, relaxing cruise – hopefully tomorrow would be better.

Rebecca opened her eyes. It was her fourth day as Shouri’s Resonator and she was still a bit lost. Four days and all she had done was follow him around, eating food, getting head pats, general affection, and just relaxing as a whole.

He talked to her like a person and that was alien to her, but there was a growing fondness for the Maestro. She wanted to learn more about him, but something was holding her back. A fear that restrained her.

That was something to worry about later.

For now, she could just rest easy and enjoy the warmth her Maestro provided her.

With time, Shouri also awoke.

“Morning Rebecca.”

“G-good morning Shouri.”

“How did you sleep?”

“Good.”

“Good.”

They rose from bed and not a minute later, Pacifica and Taika joined them. As had been routine the days prior, the otter and their Maestro left for breakfast. Shouri left Rebecca’s tuner for her, having shown her how to use the web the day prior.

Though the fiery vixen didn’t use it, she merely stared at the device she held in her hands. It was so odd to her how loose of a grip he held over them. If she wanted to, she really could just walk out that door and never come back.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t realize how long Pacifica and Shouri had been gone.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

The two vixens looked to the door. Neither Shouri nor Pacifica would have knocked. Who was there?

“H-hello? The presence of the lunar Resonator is being requested in the dining hall.”

Taika and Rebecca exchanged a glance. The lunar fox grabbed her linked tuner from her side. Trying to call Pacifica’s tuner yielded no answer. Text message? Unread. Her blood ran ice cold as she stared at the uncaring read notification.

“Please!” the voice on the other side shouted with greater urgency. “It’s vital that you go to the dining room immediately!”

Rebecca furrowed her brows. “They're really scared of something,” she told Taika.

“Something’s wrong.” Taika gritted her teeth, still not getting an answer from Shouri or Pacifica.

“What do we do?” Rebecca fretted.

There wasn’t a question in the matter. Taika grabbed the door knob. “W-wait!” Rebecca yelped.

“There’s no time to wait – Sho and Pacifica are in danger.” Taika threw the door open to find one of the Resonators employed by the cruise line. As Rebecca has surmised, they looked scared witless.

“What’s going on?” the determined vixen demanded of the staff member.

“He’s got a gun and hostages.”

Both girls’ hearts raced, fearing the worst. “Nobody has been hurt yet, but the gunman wanted specifically ‘the lunar fox’ to come to the dining room and you’re the only lunar on this ship,” the employee hastily explained.

“Okay.” Taika nodded. She stepped out of the room, fully intending to leave Rebecca behind.

However, “W-wait!” The fire fox quickly followed.

The pair walked down the corridor towards the dining room. The distinct smell of roasted meat and fresh bread wafted from the kitchen, but they had no appetite. Taika strode with a rush in her step; Rebecca struggled to keep pace, clutching her tie. “What are you going to do?” the fire fox asked of her lunar counterpart, unable to hide the anxiety in her voice.

“Dunno will figure it out,” the raven-haired fox replied curtly.

“But-!”

The pair stopped in the middle of the hall. “Sho and Pacifica are in danger. I don’t have time to think.” Taika glared at Rebecca, her eyes glowing with a bright, vivid blue rhythm. “Go back to the room,” she demanded, pointing back from where they came.

“N-no.” Rebecca gulped. Her heart pounded in her chest, all she wanted to do was curl up and cry. Why was this happening? Moreover, how did Taika find it so easy to act?

The lunar Resonator turned on her heel and marched on without hesitation - Rebecca followed along, despite her trepidation.

They soon arrived at the dining room they had been summoned to. There was a group of guests and staff outside the door chattering amongst themselves; Taika and Rebecca had made it to the correct place. The assailant was in there with several guests of the boat from what the two Resonators overheard.

“Let me in,” the lunar fox demanded of the group. There was a pause in the side conversations as attention was turned to the newcomers. Seeing who Taika was, the group parted, allowing the vixen access to the door. Without any hesitation, the fox-girl threw the door open and walked in. Rebecca once more found herself stuck, trembling fearfully. Ultimately though, she followed Taika in.

Almost immediately the two girls had a firearm pointed at them. Taika recognized the holder of the weapon – it was Shouri and Pacifica’s previous kidnapper. “There you are, fuckin’ ninte,” the old man snarled.

This was a tense situation from the jump. A glance revealed there were quite a few other patrons around them, all face-down on the ground, hands over their heads. Rebecca could feel the fear saturating the air from the various civilians mixed up in this personal affair. The gunman of course not only had his pistol, but his nature Resonator. While Rebecca couldn’t get a read on the gunman’s Resonator, the kidnapper himself made his intentions known loud and clear:

“You.” Rebecca jumped at the gravelly voice directed at her. “Dunno who the fuck you think you are, but git on the ground. My business is with them.” He motioned to the only other people standing in the room – Shouri and Pacifica; bound tightly by thorned vines. They couldn’t utter a cry as their mouths were firmly covered by vines; though both fox girls could see the tears streaming down the captives' faces.

For their sake, as well as the innocent bystanders now mixed up in this mess, Rebecca heeded the demands of the gunman and lowered herself to the ground.

With Rebecca relatively safe for the moment, Taika slowly nodded. “Over here ninte.” He put the pistol to Shouri’s head. “And no funny business or else.”

Taika gritted her teeth, but acquiesced to the man’s demand and approached. She scowled up at him, which wasn’t appreciated.

THWACK

A pistol whipped across her face, throwing her off her feet. “Fucking bitch,” the assailant spat. “Tie her up, Rullante di radice, Piano,” he commanded of his Resonator. Rebecca watched in horror as Taika too was bound by the same painful, thorny vines that ensnared Pacifica and Shouri and yanked her up to her feet.

“I got what I came here for,” the man determined, looking over his captives. “Sorry for disruptin’ yer cruise. We’ll be taking our leave now.”

THUMP THUMP THUMP

Rebecca’s heart pounded in her chest as time slowed to a crawl. No! Not like this!

There had to be something she could do, anything! Her Maestro was about to be taken and probably killed and here she was, just on the ground, letting this horrible man get away with it.

“Go!” The man kicked Shouri’s back, knocking him into Pacifica and sending the two to the ground, earning whimpers of pain from the two as the thorns dug into them further.

Rebecca’s eyes widened. The only thing on her mind was how nice Shouri had been to her. Even going back to when those Scherzando attacked, he protected her. And what was she doing? Lying there uselessly. Some help she turned out to be – when it truly mattered, all she could do was lock up and hesitate. Not like Taika who walked in entirely unarmed and got smacked around for the trouble.

“And now you’re one of us.”

It was at that moment that the fire inside her welled up and exploded, blazing wildly. The permafrost that had encased her heart sublimated in an instant. There was something she could do. Something only she could do. The fire Resonator got to her feet despite the hushed protests of those around her.

Of course, the lone figure rising amongst the civilians drew the attention of the kidnapper. “What? You got a death wish you dumb bitch?!” he sneered, pointing the pistol at her.

The fire fox didn’t flinch at the provocation. The air around her became hot, unbearably so. Her eyes illuminated with a passionate red, practically ablaze. “My name is Rebecca Renard,” she declared, her arm rising to meet the pistol with only an extension of her index finger. “And that’s MY Maestro you’ve got there,” she staked her claim.

A smirk rose on the old man’s face. Even with such a proclamation, she was a lone Resonator. He spotted her red tuner clipped to her skirt’s waistband – this little girl was entirely defenseless! “Oh? What are you-”

BLAM

Before he could even ask what she would do about it – he had been ended. It was as if Rebecca had vanished and re-appeared in a burst of fire; easily clearing the distance between them and dropping a blazing heel into the back of the man’s head to introduce his face to the lovely laminate floor.

Seeing his Maestro had been taken out, the Nature Resonator moved to try and grab the fire Resonator. Unfortunately for him, Rebecca was simply nimbler than he was, easily pivoting around his attempt at a grapple. She spun on her heels, lowering herself to the ground, she shot a leg skyward like a bullet, meeting her adversary's jaw.

Even with the weight difference between the two combatants, the nature Resonator was thrown into the air. Rebecca spun around using her momentum to bring herself back up to a standing position. Before he could hit the ground, she whipped her leg back out, this time straight in front of her, another burst of fire giving her attack the force of a runaway locomotive, which met the larger enemy’s sternum and sent him flying into the buffet bar near the window.

CRASH

Just like that, it was over. The kidnapper who had caused Shouri and Pacifica so much pain, and his Resonator were completely out of commission.

And Rebecca, who sneered over her fallen adversaries, her ankles blazing with fiery wings relished in her handiwork.

“I hope this ass-kicking is the peak of your pathetic life.”

With the defeat of the nature Resonator, the vines shriveled up, freeing Taika, Shouri, and Pacifica from their painful grasp. The crew of the ship took the liberty of disarming the now unconscious kidnapper and restraining him and his Resonator to prevent them from getting any other sinister ideas.

With their adversaries suitably addressed, Rebecca turned to her allies. “Are you all okay?” she asked. Her voice and demeanor were completely different from the timid fox before. She stood up straight, actually taking in her surroundings. There was a new light in her eyes where it was dull before. Her tail was even raised and swaying with a rightward bias.

She exuded confidence, simply put.

“We will be,” Shouri groaned through the residual pain. Taika got the hint and handed her tuner off to her Maestro.

“La Bella Vita, Rubato,” he called out. Taika went to work healing Shouri, followed by Pacifica, and finally herself. Pacifica rose to her feet and stared down Rebecca, who was more than happy to return the gaze.

Stepping forward, Pacifica wrapped her arms around the fire fox and held her tightly – taking the wind out of the fire element’s sails. “Thank you, Rebecca, thank you.” The otter’s voice cracked as she tried and failed to hold back her tears.

“O-of course ahaha...” Rebecca blushed, not accustomed to praise.

Shouri joined the hug as well. “You were amazing,” he added.

“Th-thank you...” the fire fox squeaked, definitely not used to approval from her Maestro. Taika released a tired sigh but smiled. Kneeling next to Rebecca, she healed the other fox’s burnt heels – a gesture not missed by the recipient.