Luna trailed after her sister as she ran errands once school was finished for the day. After yesterday's incident, Luna thought that it would be best to keep close to her sister in fear that she would be locked out again. At the moment, she found herself at Horn Ranch after Candace picked up some crops at Marimba Farm.

"Thank you," Candace said softly as she paid and picked up the paper bag from the counter.

"You're welcome. How has your day been?" Renee asked, smiling kindly at the girl.

The blue haired girl fumbled, almost dropping her purchase. "G-good, thank you." She paused awkwardly before continuing, "I have to get back home so… I'll see you later."

Luna sighed as she followed her sister, who had briskly exited the building. Renee was obviously attempting to get to know Candace better but her sister had fled the scene as if the other girl had grown another head. "What am I'm going to do with you?"

After catching up with her sister, Luna walked quietly by the girl's side. It was a long, silent walk home with neither saying anything. The lack of conversation unsettled Luna, making her feel as if something was missing so the girl filled the silence with commentary about the scenery and recent happenings.

Once they arrived at the shop, Candace headed into the kitchen to put the groceries in the fridge. After a moment of deliberation, the younger sister followed. It wasn't something Luna did often. She had always strived to be independent but the distance between them lately clawed at her. It made her wonder if she really was as self-reliant as she believed herself to be. As Candace pulled out various food items, Luna took a seat in a chair, propping her head in her hands. She understood errands needed to get done but this task was rather boring.

"Strawberry milk? … Why is this in here?"

Luna perked up when she heard the mention of her favorite beverage. "You got me strawberry milk? Thank you, Candace! I wonder what the special occasion is…" Neither Candace nor her grandmother were partial to the beverage so it could only have been for her. It was likely that Candace had requested the items before the spell had been cast.

Candace stared at the bottle in her hands for a long moment then put it in the fridge along with the other groceries. When she was done storing the purchases, the girl gave one last confused look at the expensive item before closing the fridge door.

After she had disappeared from the kitchen, Luna giddily opened the fridge door to retrieve the bottle of milk. It wasn't often that they were able to indulge themselves but if they could, she believed that she would never tire of strawberry milk. After pouring herself a glass, Luna retreated to her room to study. She wasn't sure if Candace would see a floating glass of milk or just ignore it but Luna decided to err on the side of caution. Furthermore, knowing that Wizard was looking into breaking the spell on her, she would have to keep up with school so that she wouldn't be behind once she had to attend classes again. Things were still far from perfect but it seemed that her most pressing problems have been smoothed out.

Opening her textbook, Luna flipped to the correct chapter and smoothed out the page. "So… fossil distributions across continents suggest the existence of Pangaea."

After finishing three chapters, the door clicked open. Luna smiled, glad for the company. "You've finally decided to join me?"

The bed squeaked loudly as Candace flopped down onto the mattress. Leaning back in her chair, Luna curiously looked over her sister. Between the two of them, Luna was the one who dramatically threw herself onto her bed when things weren't going well. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Luna couldn't think of anything that happened that would make Candace unhappy despite practically following her around all day. "It's not because a boy didn't ask you out to the festival tomorrow, is it? We're supposed to be going as a family."

Rolling onto her back, Candace picked up the picture frame from her bedside table and stared up at it. Luna frowned. There could be a dozen things connected to the picture of the three (two in Candace's eyes) at the Starry Night Festival that bothered Candace. Was she unhappy that she wasn't fitting in after moving to Castanet? Worried that she hadn't made any progress in the goals she had set up at the beginning of the year? Worried about her grandmother's health? Worried that she wouldn't be able to run the tailor shop in the future?

Without her saying anything, Luna couldn't begin to guess. Normally, she would be able to ask and that would be the end of it. Though many of those problems didn't just suddenly occur. Had Candace been plagued by an issue for a while and she hadn't noticed?

"This is what happens when you never complain," Luna grumbled. She understood Candace not wanting to make a fuss out of things but that seldom worked well for her. They had promised to share problems with one another. While Luna held back because she didn't want to worry her sister, it seemed that Candace had done the same. Or perhaps Candace had held back because she could sense that lately, Luna had been unhappy with her.

The younger girl frowned, feeling guilty even if there was a small possibility that it was the case. She realized that she had been acting callously. If not now, then maybe one day, her sister would feel unwelcome to talk with Luna about her troubles. Even if she didn't like the part of Candace that was unable to handle problems on her own, it didn't mean Luna wanted no part in it at all. Now that she thought about it, she was relieved that the spell had rendered Candace unable to hear the resentful words Luna had shouted at her a few days ago. The pressure had just started to consumer her. However, during these past few days, she realized that Candace carried great burdens as well. "We'll figure things out once I'm back. Promise."

"Are you alright, Candace?" Shelly asked when the blue haired girl suddenly lurched forward, almost tripping over her own feet. Stopping, the older woman held out a hand to help steady the girl.

Candace gratefully took the hand. Nervously looking behind her at the snowy path, the girl nodded. "T-thanks. I must have tripped over a rock."

Luna guiltily stood to the side, reminding herself to pay more attention. When her sister and grandmother continued on their journey to Flute Fields for the Starry Night Festival, Luna followed more distantly. She had been distracted since her conversation with Wizard when she had quickly visited him before her family left for the festival. He had found the necessary spell but didn't have all 00the ingredients required to perform it. That in itself wasn't a large problem as the ingredients were obtainable –except for one.

"The Fugue Mushroom is… difficult to find. I only come across one once every few years."

Luna sourly kicked a clump of snow on the path. Could she wait three or four years for a mushroom to be found? Her life would essentially be put on hold for that period of time, drastically setting her plans back. On the other hand, it might not actually take three or four years to find one. Perhaps they'll get lucky. Or perhaps they'll never find one and she'll be like this forever. Breathing in deeply, Luna reminded herself that the chance of that happening was low. Unless an asteroid suddenly decimated Fugue Forest. Or perhaps a forest fire would suddenly start?

Flute Fields was bustling with people when they arrived, with couples and families spreading blankets over the ground after choosing their spot on the hill. Though Luna didn't find anything exciting about this festival, she could hear laughter ringing as children tossed snowballs at one another.

After Candace had laid out a blue blanket, she and Shelly settled in the middle, the perfect picture of a happy and complete family. Luna took a seat on the edge, as Candace and her grandmother had not left any room for her. A lump had risen in her throat at the sight. She wanted them to be happy but it hurt to not be able to be a part of it.

"Nonsense," Luna said, trying to cheer herself up. She pressed her knuckles against her cheek, attempting knock out her illogical thoughts. Her voice rang clear to her ears in the crisp night air. "We're a family. I'm a part of it."

"Are you warm enough, grandmother?" Candace had pulled another blanket out of her bag, draping the item over their shoulders. She secured the edges so that the blanket was snug and impeded the cold from piercing through.

"Thank you, dear." The two shifted, trying to carve a comfortable spot in the hard snow. After settling down again, Shelly asked, "Are you enjoying yourself?"

The girl nodded, gazing forward at the canvas of stars before her. Though her voice was still quiet, Candace spoke without hesitation. "I like this festival. It's very peaceful."

"And yet I remember you not wanting to attend any festivals when you first arrived here."

Candace smiled softly. "Yes. But I'm glad you… insisted on me attending them."

"I don't remember being that insistent but I'm glad things turned out the way they did," Shelly chuckled. The older woman gazed up at the sky, a smile on her face. "The stars are so wonderful. I'll be sad when I won't be able to make it to the festival one day but I can still enjoy them from the shop."

Candace frowned. "You're still young, grandmother."

Meanwhile, Luna sullenly tugged at her sleeves, mumbling about the two erasing her from their memories. Perhaps she should have stayed home as this festival was turning out to be fairly pointless for her. On the other hand, it was a family event and as part of this family, she intended to attend.

Cries of glee sounded across the area as the first star streaked across the sky.

"Make a wish."

Despite not believing in miracles, Luna clasped her hands together and closed her eyes. I want to be seen and heard again soon. Please, get rid of this spell!

When she opened her eyes again, the meteor shower had finished, leaving only the innocently winking stars in the clear night air. Luna gazed searchingly up at the sky. Not a trace of the spectacular show that had happened mere moments before remained. Following her family home, Luna wondered if, without the aid of memory, it really was so easy for something to disappear completely.

Luna groaned when she finally regained consciousness. Why did it feel like she had been run over by a bull? Cracking an eye open, she found that Candace had already left the room. When her gaze fell on the time, Luna quickly shot out of bed. "Why didn't anyone wake me up?!"

After making a few steps away from her bed, dizziness overtook her. Sinking to her knees, the girl leaned against her bed and closed her eyes. Now that she was more aware of her surroundings, Luna noticed the abnormal amount of heat radiating from her body. She really didn't need a fever right now. Her gaze flickered to the clock once again. It was early afternoon so her grandmother should be home. "Grandma?"

A moment later, she realized that she didn't have her grandmother to care for her this time. The girl breathed in slowly, trying to ease the weight on her chest. Her head was still spinning so between venturing to the kitchen to get some food and staying, she decided to sleep off the illness. Limbs clumsy, Luna climbed back into the bed. "They probably won't even know if I died in here."

Pressing her pounding head against her pillow, the girl closed her eyes and tried to ignore the aching pain. The sheets felt refreshingly cool against her heated skin and sleep easily claimed her.

When Luna regained consciousness, she saw that the sun was already setting, casting a fiery hue over the empty bedroom. The girl moved her head up to cover her eyes. Her body still burned and her head felt groggy. She didn't want to move but the dryness of her throat made her feel like she had swallowed a handful of sand. It appeared that she had no choice but to venture out of bed. Her balance was unsteady but she managed to inch towards the kitchen.

The warm smell of freshly baked bread hung heavily in the air, serving only to intensify her hunger. Swallowing, Luna looked at the food cooking in the kitchen. Fresh bread rising in the oven and hot soup bubbling in the pot. If she didn't need to wait before the coast was clear before grabbing some food, Luna would have waited for the food to finish. Grabbing a glass and a plate, Luna quietly retrieved some water and stale bread before returning miserably to her room.

Climbing onto the bed, Luna leaned against the wall and bit into her dinner. The bread was so dry and tasteless that she had to wash it down with water. Coughing, Luna swallowed down the last of the bread. After her coughing died down, Luna shakily breathed in. She hated this. She should be eating hot soup and resting in bed but here she was, sneaking leftovers from the kitchen.

Snippets of the conversation outside drifted through the walls, her sister and grandmother sounding carefree and oblivious to all the problems she was buried under. Luna's vision blurred. Rubbing her eyes, Luna muttered, "Stupid."

Luna pressed the heel of her hand against her closed eyes but the flow of tears wouldn't stop. What was she worried about? No one would see her tears anyway. Giving in, she let go of her reservations. She wasn't that strong after all. "I hate this! I hate this! I hate this!"

The door creaked open and Luna quickly scrubbed at the tears in her eyes. Why couldn't the world just let her cry her eyes out? Hugging her legs to her chest, Luna pressed her forehead against her knees. A moment later, the door closed, leaving the pink haired girl alone with only her thoughts once again. "I hate everything about this…"

Lifting her head, Luna gazed at the closed door, wondering why Candace had opened the door and then closed it without stepping into the room. Scanning the room, Luna found a bowl of soup and a glass of strawberry milk on the floor. Her gaze flickered to the door once again, expecting her sister to come back in to retrieve the food or do something logical to the objects she had just left sitting on the floor. Seconds slowly dragged by and as Luna gazed at the food, she figured that it wouldn't hurt if she ate it instead.

Slipping off the bed, the girl picked up the bowl of soup and the beverage and quickly retreated to her side of the room. The soup burned when it touched her tongue but Luna didn't mind as she gulped the hot contents of the bowl down. The burning sensation on her tongue overpowered whatever taste the soup had but she still felt satisfied. Placing the bowl back on the floor, Luna leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. She had been sleeping all day but still felt incredibly tired.

The door slowly creaked open again. Cracking an eye open, Luna watched as Candace cautiously approached and picked up the empty containers. Blue eyes scanned the room and it looked like the girl wanted to say something but in the end, she merely turned around and exited the room.

When Luna woke up, she almost stepped on the bowl of oatmeal placed on the floor beside her bed. Heart beating quickly, she knelt down and touched the now lukewarm bowl. Just what was Candace up to? No matter how she thought about it, her sister's behavior was not logical. However, she saw no reason to reject the food so crossing her legs on the floor, Luna dug into her breakfast.

When she finished, Luna brought her dishes to the sink and returned to her room to study. Her eyes skimmed over the page, barely taken a word in as her mind kept wandering to Candace. She wanted to know what was going through her sister's mind. Luna tapped her pencil against the table. At this rate, studying was a waste of time. The girl gazed over at the clock. School was just about over and Candace would be home soon. Perhaps there would be a way for her to figure out the puzzle once she was in the same room of her sister.

Minutes ticked by but the telltale sound of the bell above the front door didn't sound. Her sister had bought the groceries recently but maybe had other errands. Giving up on studying, Luna approached the shop window. The town was quiet today, with not even a breeze stirring up the snow.

"Hm… Candace should be home now."

Luna blinked, surprised to find her grandmother standing beside her. There were no errands? What was Candace doing then? Her sister wasn't one to wander about after school. Feeling uneasy, Luna grabbed her coat and briskly left the shop.

The air outside was chilly but less so than a few days prior, especially with the lack of wind. Trudging through the snow, Luna gazed around. A few villagers were out but she couldn't spot the familiar blue of her sister's hair. Walking up to the school, Luna peered inside through the dusty window but found it empty.

Where else could she be? Frowning, Luna continued walking through town. Everything seemed normal. Tapping her forehead with a finger, she considered various scenarios of what had befallen her sister. Convinced to join in on a snowball fight? Unlikely. Helping a villagers in need of assistance? Maybe. Abducted by aliens? Luna shook her head at the last thought.

Wait… was that barking she heard?

Turning her head and pinpointing the sound, Luna started heading up the slope leading to the church. Her steps quickened when the viciousness increased in the dog's barks. Something had to be happening at the church grounds. Panting, Luna forced herself to continue up the hill. Upon reaching the top, Luna found a large dog cornering her sister.

"Candace!" Panic and fear welled up in Luna. She needed to find an adult. A fearful cry from Candace froze the pink haired girl. No, she couldn't leave her sister here alone either. "Hold on!"

Frantically searching for an idea, Luna spotted a branch lying on the ground. With shaking hands, Luna picked up the object and forced herself to move forwards. She needed a plan but her mind remained blank. Yet, she couldn't afford to stand around doing nothing so she continued to inch forward.

She flinched when the dog turned and snapped its jaws at her. How unfortunate that it seemed animals were able to see her very well. While the dog was acting aggressively, it hadn't actually attacked yet and she didn't want the situation to escalate to that point. Steadying her hand, Luna tried to gather more courage. She put one foot forward at a time, keeping the branch in between herself and the dog. She remembered hearing that dogs were able to smell fear and tried to keep calm in the stressful situation.

"Don't be afraid," she muttered to herself.

Her grip tightened on the branch when loud barks erupted again. Once she was in front of her sister, she turned to the side, keeping one eye on the creature and another on Candace. They had to move. Luna reached forward with her free hand but stopped herself before touching her sister. Candace had resisted the last time and had fled from her in fear. If that were to happen this time, it may put her sister in danger.

"I-it's you again…"

Luna's eyes widened as Candace looked towards her… or towards the branch. Closing her hand around Candace's wrist, Luna slowly pulled forward. The blue haired girl followed her, albeit shakily. Slowly, the two managed to slip unscathed past the dog. Though the creature's focus never strayed, it didn't follow as the two left.

Stopping at the edge of the church ground, Luna breathed out a sigh of relief. The branch fell to the ground, landing softly in the snow. She let go of her sister's wrist but was surprised when a hand grabbed onto her sleeve.

"W-wait…" The older girl gazed down at her hand as if suddenly questioning what she was doing. Tightening her grip on the fabric, she quietly asked, "Do I… know you?"

Here was the chance she had been waiting for! If only she could speak, Luna thought in frustration. There was more than one way to communicate though. Luna gazed down at the hand gripping her sleeve. Given that this has been the only successful form of contact thus far, she'll have to use that. Reaching forward, she placed her hand over Candace's and moved her arm up and down to affirm that they did know each other.

Candace flinched at the unexpected contact, almost pulling her hand back. She swallowed, gazing up from her hand. Searching for the invisible being before her, she revealed, "I-I heard you c-crying the other day…"

Luna was taken aback by the statement. Was her sister able to hear her as well? No, she was quite sure that Candace hadn't heard any of the words she had spoken since the spell had been cast on her based on how her sister had been acting. But she could hear her crying?

Candace's free hand reached up to grip her chest, her hand tightly clenching the fabric of her coat. "I don't know why b-but my heart hurt terribly then… I was a-afraid but couldn't ignore it." Breathing in deeply, the girl continued. "The strawberry milk… n-neither grandmother nor I had any but the amount in the container had been decreasing. I apparently had requested it but don't remember why." Her blue eyes became questioning and unsure as she gazed at Luna, grasping desperately at invisible puzzle pieces.

"Lately, it feels like I'm missing an important piece of myself even though I don't remember anything changing. But then… I feel glimpses of what's missing sometimes… when I suspect you're near. Who are you? What do you mean to me?"

The pink haired girl bit her lip, unsure of whether she wanted to cry of laugh. Smiling as her eyes began to water, Luna said, "You haven't forgotten me completely, right?" The thought made her heart burst with emotion. Candace was her only sister, the closest to her, the one who had been through the best and worst of times by her side –there was no way her sister could forget about her that easily!

Candace's gentle hands rested on Luna's head. Pressed against Candace, Luna felt her chest rumble as she spoke. "Y-you're crying again… Why?"

Just four words. It was all she needed. If only Candace could hear four simple words. The girl sank to her knees, sobs escaping her lips.

Kneeling on the ground, Candace murmured, "D-don't cry… I'll help. Please…"

And that was the problem. She desperately needed help but had no way of asking for it. It was no use. Everything was hopeless. The pink haired girl looked up when she felt something warm on the back of her hand. Her eyes widened when she saw the tears that trickled down her sister's face, her expression pained. "Candace?"

Hands moved to rest against the back of Luna's head. "Don't cry…" Despite her words, Luna could feel Candace shaking as she wept. "I-I promised mom and dad to look after you. I promised to never give you reason to cry… Luna."

The puzzle pieces had finally fallen into place and the foggy veil began to disintegrate.