Dutiful as always, Anissa made good on her promise of experimental herb medicine and a piece of good corn the next morning. Akari hoisted a smile onto her face, mentally preparing herself for the medicine. She tipped the cup back, aware that Anissa was observing her. As she had expected, it was ungodly bitter, so much so that it made choking down the entirety of the medicine a metaphorical battle with her gag reflex, which had always been annoyingly strong. She was rather surprised, however, that the medicine was rather effective. Hours of work seemed to have been erased, replaced with a vigor that she rarely achieved.
"Well, I have to say that I am impressed, Anissa." Akari said, looking just as surprised as Anissa. "It certainly perked me up. I wonder though, if you could add some kind of ingredient that would dull the flavor? I doubt that you're going to get any children to take this stuff."
"Yes, that has been somewhat of a problem. Anissa said, putting her hand on her cheek and tilting her head slightly. "My brother refuses to test my potions anymore."
"I dunno. It works though, and very well. I'm also pretty over-sensitive, so my opinion might not be the best to go by."
"Well, over-sensitive people get sick too, I'll have to work on it." Anissa laughed, standing up. "Really, thanks for helping. I'll see you around, I hope."
"Definitely. Good luck with your medicine."
Not wanting to appear rude, Akari gave Anissa a head start before dashing to the windmill and converting the corn into cornmeal. She smiled triumphantly, wiping her brow as she confirmed that all of the items that the Wizard needed were indeed in her backpack. Not wanting to delay any further, she whistled loudly. As he always did, Diablo came at a gallop, somehow drawn to the whistling noise. Akari mounted him and swiftly headed toward Harmonica Town. Her haste was so great that she nearly trampled Hamilton, who was unfortunate enough to wander into Diablo's path.
"Sorry about that." Akari told him, tethering her horse in his usual place. "I was in a hurry."
"No harm done." Hamilton said, although he was clearly shaken. "Carry on."
Akari apologized once more before heading off to the Wizard's house. She could not help glancing in Hamilton's direction to make sure that he could not see where she was going, although upon realizing what she was doing, she felt utterly silly. Once again, she knocked on the door and was greeted by the slow, quiet voice.
"Who is it…?"
"It's me, I have your ingredients." Akari called, opening the door. The Wizard stood serenely in the middle of the room, examining a nearby bookshelf. Akari walked over to him, handing him the Hibiscus, Perfect Butter, and Good Cornmeal. How he could use these to make any kind of potion was beyond her, but she decided not to question it for the moment.
"Excellent. Now I can make the potion. Hold on just a moment." He crossed the room, taking out a mortar and pestle, grinding the ingredients together before sprinkling some glittering substance over the mixture. Appearing to be satisfied, he bottled the potion, pocketing it, and returned to Akari. "Okay. Let's go…"
They exited his house, and Akari was embarrassed to realize that most of the townsfolk were already out and about. The Wizard, completely tranquil, continued onward despite the stares and questioning looks that the pair of them were receiving. Akari was sure that news of her going off into the forest with the "Fortune Teller" would reach the Garmon mine region by noon, and the Flute Fields residents sooner. She held her head high, although dull pink patches were beginning to form on her cheeks.
The Wizard said nothing as they walked, even when they reached Fugue forest. Akari got the impression that the Wizard frequented the place, as navigating the twisting paths and ever-changing greenery of the forest seemed second nature to him. They reached the Witch's house in record time, finding the pink frog right where she had left it.
"Yes, this is her…" the Wizard confirmed after inspecting the frog for a brief moment. "This should only take a moment."
He held his arms out, and a bright light began to emanate from his body. The light became a sphere, which expanded for a moment before dissipating. The frog, in turn, became enveloped in light. Akari closed her eyes when it became too bright, finding a young woman when she re-opened them.
She had a cross face, and wore dark colors. Her long silver hair was complimented by amber eyes and pale skin. She wore an odd combination of clothing; a corset with pantaloons and long socks. Her scowl quickly transformed into a wide grin.
"Yay! I'm finally back to normal!" she squealed as she literally jumped for joy. Her expression soured again only moments later, as she marched over to the Wizard, a dangerous glint in her eyes.
"What the heck took you so long?" She demanded, stomping her foot on the ground. Akari was instantly seized by an awkward "third wheel" feeling, but chose to say nothing for fear of making matters worse. "I was stuck as a frog for forever! I had to eat flies! And I was all slimy! It was awful!"
The Wizard, who had remained completely unfazed throughout the telling-off, merely looked at her and said "Well, I told you not to use that spell…"
"So you left me as a frog to teach me a lesson?" The Witch accused, looking furious, "That's just mean."
"Mean?" Akari thought, What, is this chick twelve?
"Well, did it work?" The Wizard asked, still unperturbed. The Witch did not seem to be able to form coherent sentences due to anger.
Finally, she managed to spout "I hate you! Get out!" The Wizard, said nothing, but did as she had told him. Akari, completely thrown for a loop, stood awkwardly for a moment before running after him.
After a brief silence, the Wizard told her that it appeared that his work was done and bid her farewell. He stopped after a few steps and turned to look at her once again.
"I… don't think that I ever got… your name. If you don't mind."
"Oh, my name is Akari."
"That is… a good name." he told her, a fleeting smile crossing his lips as he turned around and began to make his way out of the forest. Akari watched his progress for a moment, her heartbeat erratic, before remembering why she was there in the first place.
"Okay…" she said to herself, hitting her fist into her open palm, "I'd better go ask her about the green bell. Harvest Goddess, I sincerely hope you're grateful. This witch has a worse attitude than Kathy when she's on the rag…"
