Chapter 11
Wizard

Wizard glanced worriedly at the farmer as he swept the remains of his front door into a pile.

Hikari had been sitting on his bed for close to an hour with her hands clasped together as she gazed down at the floor. She was paler and frailer than when he had last seen her. Her shoulders were slouched and her eyes were still red from crying. He hadn't expected such an effect on Hikari if he disappeared and regretted having caused her such pain.

"Do you... want anything to eat?"

Hikari shook her head and offered a weak smile. "I'm not inconveniencing you, am I?"

"Don't worry... it's fine."

The two were silent. Wizard continued sweeping up the mess Witch had created while Hikari was collecting herself. Her aura revealed that she was just as troubled as she was an hour ago. From her focused expression, it appeared as if she was trying to piece together his behaviour but decided not to ask about such a personal subject. Wizard was thankful. Grabbing a dust pan, Wizard collected the wood dust and dumped them into a bin alongside the pieces of wood he had picked up earlier.

"You owe Witch a door?" Hikari questioned, breaking the silence.

"... Not anymore," he frowned.

The brunette grinned. "Why did you destroy her door?"

Pushing aside the painful memories related to the night he had destroyed Witch's door, Wizard answered, "Her door was locked."

Hikari's smile widened. "Did you forget the spell used to unlock doors as well?"

"I..." Wizard faltered. "I did not have the patience... for such a spell at that time."

The farmer tilted her head to the side. "I can't see you as anything but patient."

He didn't know what to say, so he continued sweeping the floor. Hikari's expression fell and she returned to staring at the floor.

"You hide a lot of things from me, don't you?"

Wizard paused. Such an expression did not suit the farmer. He struggled for the right words to lift her mood. "I trust you... but some things... I..."

The magical-being raked his fingers through his hair, unsure of what to say. Fortunately, Hikari nodded, seeming to understand the message he was trying to convey.

"I understand," she smiled. "But... if you ever want to talk, I'll be here to listen."

The words were something Akari would have said. As he observed Hikari's small smile, Wizard reminded himself that they were different people. Akari was his wife and Hikari was his friend. And as her friend, he shouldn't constantly compare her to someone else.

"Thank you... for the offer," he said softly. He attempted to smile. "Please feel free... to share your troubles with me as well."

The brunette laughed and shook her head. "I have a lot of problems. Are you sure?"

"We're friends... and... I prefer... your smiles." Wizard placed the broom and dust pan back into his storage cabinet.

"Oh, I actually need to ask you for a favour!" Hikari exclaimed, clapping her hands together. Her face was slightly flushed, making her seem much livelier. "I need to know the favourite gifts of... um, well, basically eighty percent of the islanders. Can you look into that for me?"

Wizard had always wanted Akari to ask more of him instead of facing all her troubles alone and though it pleased him that Hikari, unlike his wife, was willing to take up his offer to help, just thinking about the task was making him tired. Wizard reminded himself once again not to compare the two any longer and nodded in Hikari's direction.

"Who... would you like to know about first?" he asked with a small smile.

"Um... let's see," the farmer mumbled rummaging through her rucksack for a notebook and pen.

Wizard could tell that it was going to be a long day.

The sky was dark by the time they were done. Hikari thanked him repeatedly for his assistance as he walked her to the edge of Harmonica Town. Though she insisted that she was fine, he couldn't allow her to head out on her own –especially after what he discovered while reading the hearts of the islanders. It appeared that he had missed a lot in the past few days.

Wizard furrowed his brow as he examined the young woman standing in front of him. The bachelors' feelings for the farmer had completely reversed, their hearts tinged with an unpleasant dark feeling. Even the islanders that weren't particularly close to Hikari revealed some form of dislike in their hearts.

"What is it?" she asked, looking slightly concerned.

"I'm wondering... what you did... to cause such dislike amongst the residents of Castanet."

The farmer shook her head, her expression torn between surprise and nervousness. "Even after being unconscious for two days, you're still very well informed."

"You had me read the hearts... of the majority of the residents," Wizard reminded her. "It would reflect poorly on my skills... if I was unable to notice their newly developed feelings."

"Oh... that makes sense." Hikari leaned against the railing of the bridge and gazed out at the ocean. "What would you think if the islanders told you that I said I was using the males on the island for personal gains?"

"... Did you say such a thing?"

The brunette nodded stiffly.

"I see..." So that was what happened. Wizard frowned, comprehending the increased difficulty of Hikari's mission to learn the wishes of all the islanders.

"You haven't answered my question," Hikari said quietly, her head lowered.

"I would think that you were being dishonest... when you made such an announcement."

The farmer's eyes widened and a small smile tugged on her lips. Her voice wavered as she spoke her next word. "Why?"

Wizard joined Hikari by the railing of the bridge. His eyes flickered to her face, hidden behind her brown curls before focusing on the sky above them. "Even though I haven't read your heart... I know that you aren't that type of person."

After analyzing her carefully for nearly an entire year, he didn't believe for a second that she was a person that heartlessly used others.

"Thank you," she whispered, low enough that he barely heard her himself.

A chilly breeze swept past them, tugging lightly on Wizard's robes.

"Did you... doubt me?" Wizard asked quietly.

Hikari was silent for a moment. "I doubt myself."

Though Wizard had known that Hikari had never been as secure as Akari, such an answer bothered him... Wizard grimaced and reminded himself once again not to compare the two. As he gazed up at the stars, he remembered that Hikari's wish had been to become a stronger person. He hoped that she would be able to fulfill that wish one day.

"Anyway, I should go." The brunette closed her eyes and shook her head as if she was trying to rid herself of unpleasant thoughts. "I'll see you later!"

Wizard watched Hikari disappear down the path leading to her farm. He wouldn't be able to do much to help her; however this experience would assist her in becoming a stronger person. The wizard started his way back home. Passing by the bulletin board, he noted that tomorrow would be the Firefly Festival. He would need to buy a lantern.

Wizard spent the rest of the night stargazing. He figured that having slept for two days, he would not require anymore sleep. When morning arrived, he spent his time studying while waiting for evening to fall.

His mind occasionally drifted to Hikari. He closed the leather-bound book in his hands as he contemplated the words she had whispered to him yesterday.

"Please... don't abandon me... You're an important person to me."

He understood the pain of losing someone important and had promised to stay by her side. Hikari was person that shined so beautifully that it was not a burden at all to remain by side for as long as she wished. For now, he was content with the arrangement.

Deciding that he would be unable to focus on reading any longer, Wizard pushed back his chair and headed towards the exit of his house. As today was a festival, he had been unable to make arrangements for the carpenters to repair his home. Stepping out of the building, Wizard turned back around and murmured a complicated spell. The air around the doorway rippled for a moment before returning to normal.

While he knew the townspeople were mostly honest, a house without a door containing valuable books and instruments was fairly tempting. He also valued his privacy. Without the door, the best he could do without causing the residents of Harmonica to be wary of his true identity was to place a deflection spell that deflected attention away from his home while he was away.

Satisfied with the spell, Wizard slowly headed towards Flute Fields. It was a clear and warm summer day. He expected that a lot of the islanders would attend the festival. He arrived at the watermill and since it was still early, only a few people were there. Buying a lantern from Hamilton, Wizard turned around and headed towards Fugue Forest. While he had attended many festivals with Akari, he still disliked crowds. Easily navigating the maze-like forest, Wizard found himself in a spot upriver at the edge of the forest, and away from the islanders.

Sitting down on the pebbled shore, he placed the lantern beside him and waited for the fiery sun to set. The sounds of the animals quieted as the sky grew darker. For a while, his surroundings were quiet, and the only sounds were the rustling of the leaves and the flowing water in the river. Closing his eyes, he absorbed the calm aura of the trees in the forest and the faint aura of the sleeping creatures that inhabited the area. Stretching his senses, he searched for the bright aura that separated Hikari from the rest of the other humans. Wizard frowned when he was unable to find the farmer and stretched his senses out even further. He found her on the top of Mt. Garmon beside the fiery presence that belonged to the Harvest King. Besides feeling stressed, Hikari appeared to be alright.

Wizard drew back and opened his eyes. The stars were beginning to stand out brightly against the dark sky and the noisy chatter of the islanders grew as more people arrived at the watermill. Though this festival was dedicated to honouring those that had passed away, the islanders were still quite lively.

The area, away from the lights of buildings, was completely dark except for the faint glow radiating from the lantern. He found the darkness to be comforting though. It reminded him of Akari. The sound of pebbles scratching against one another reached his ears. Wizard did not need to turn around to know the identity of the person approaching.

"I thought that you did not care for human festivals," he stated calmly as Witch sat down beside him.

"That doesn't mean that I can't walk around," she answered haughtily. Witch's eyes lit up as she turned to the green lantern sitting beside Wizard. Picking it up gingerly, she turned it in her hands while critically examining it. Like all the other lanterns, it was built in the shape of a lily, with a moonstone placed in the middle.

"..."

"What?" she snapped, glaring at the wizard sitting beside her. "Can't I look at a lantern in peace?"

Wizard chose to remain silent.

"So this is what it looks like up close," Witch muttered, holding up the object. A ghost of a smile flickered across her face.

"Why don't you attend the festival... instead of pretending that you don't care?"

"I'm not pretending," Witch growled as she placed the lantern back onto the ground. "I don't want to come in contact with humans and I'm sure they don't want me around either."

Once again, he chose not to argue. Gazing to his left, Wizard saw small specks of light floating on the water. The lanterns drifting in the ocean reminded him of a cluster of stars. Akari had mentioned how the Firefly Festival seemed to pass too quickly. Unlike the stars he had watched for centuries, the beautiful sight only lasted for one fleeting but memorable night.

Taking his green lantern, Wizard walked toward the edge of the river and placed it in the water. The river tugged the lantern out of his hands and he helplessly watched as the object moved further and further away. Around him fireflies were awaking and filled the dark area with their cool light.

His eyes shifted away from the lantern to the dancing insects. Akari loved fireflies.

"Are you feeling better?"

Wizard looked over his shoulder at Witch, who was still sitting on the ground.

"You used to tell her that it was therapeutic for the residents to participate in this festival –or something like that."

He faintly remembered the statement Witch was referring to. "How... do you know that?"

Witch made a face. "The day after every romantic festival, she would come skipping into my hut describing every little detail of your date and try to convince me to attend the next event."

Wizard smiled fondly. It sounded like something his wife would do.

"I feel... alright," he answered, turning back to look at the fireflies. Strangely, the glow of the fireflies reminded him of his wife's warm hugs.

"If you had the chance... would you be willing to repeat the same thing all over again?" Witch asked quietly.

"I would," Wizard answered without hesitation. For Akari, he was willing to undergo the pain all over again. If he could feel her warm presence and hugs once again... then it would all be worth it.

"What if I told you that it might be possible?"

Wizard closed his eyes.

"You shouldn't say such things... so casually." He knew it wasn't possible. He had spent so many years before and after Akari's death pouring over spell books, searching for anything that would allow her to remain by his side.

"And you shouldn't make such assumptions since your magical knowledge is not as great as mine," Witch retorted.

Turning around, Wizard gazed apprehensively at Witch. "... How?"

"What if I told you that there is a high chance that Hikari is her reincarnation?"

"The chance that Akari... would return to the same island as a human... within a few centuries... is highly improbable." Wizard raked his fingers through his hair as he tried to sort his thoughts. "Despite their similar circumstances... Akari and Hikari are different people."

"She would be able to do it," Witch said quietly. "Against all odds."

Witch's words brought Wizard back to a cold winter evening when he was watching the snow blanket the island.

"I'll make sure my reincarnations come back to this island to bug you," Akari smiled, her warm breath brushing lightly against his cold cheeks. His arms drew her closer and he closed his eyes as he tried to engrave into his mind the feeling of her body close to his, and the smell of earth and trees that always seemed to lingered around Akari. Lost in her comforting presence, his worries about her mortality slowly melted away.

"Hikari's aura is the same as her's," Witch commented.

"I don't understand... All humans... have the same aura..."

"There is more than one layer," Witch stated, as if she were talking to a child.

Wizard blinked as he slowly mulled over her words. He was able to sense the emotions of creatures, and underneath that, the sensation that identified the species the creature belonged to. Was there another layer that identified individual souls?

Witch nodded as she saw understanding flicker in his eyes. "Hikari's aura is the same shade of green as hers. I can't be certain though –it's been a long time and I don't have anything to compare with."

"Something... to compare with?"

"An object, which had been in contact with her for a long period of time can be used in a spell to compare..." Wizard noticed Witch unconsciously toy with the bracelet on her wrist as she said this. "If you're interested, I have a book with information for such a spell."

"A book... on this area of magic is rare," Wizard noted.

Witch blinked and then scowled, seeming to have returned to her usual self. "It wasn't easy locating it either, so you better feel honoured that I'm making this offer."

Wizard closed his eyes. He had just managed to convince himself that the two women were different people and was feeling a sense of contentment in his life. But now... Witch had proposed that they hosted the same soul and he did not know what to do.

Grasping his head, Wizard sank to his knees. They were different people though. They had different wishes... different personalities... Hikari and Akari weren't the same person. He repeated this inside his mind but his heart insistently pulled the argument in a different direction. If Hikari really was Akari's reincarnation... and she had returned to him against all odds... he couldn't ignore her...

"Why... didn't you tell me before?" he whispered.

"I imagined that you forced yourself to forget about her, like I had. That would be the decision that would bring the most happiness. After yesterday's events though, I realized that you never managed to let go... after all these centuries." Witch returned to playing with her bracelet. Her golden eyes shimmered brightly though her voice didn't betray any emotion.

Wizard's precariously balanced world was slowly shattering once again. Who was Hikari? What would it mean if the brunette really was his wife's reincarnation? What course of action was he supposed to take?

"If you're interested, you can find me," Witch said. The clatter of pebbles scrapping against one another sounded as Witch left the area.

A cold wind swept through the area, and Wizard was left alone in the darkness.

"Akari... did you come back... for me?"