Chapter 2: Beiyue's First Trial

"Right, right! First order of business," Kero beckoned the Sakura Book to float closer and he pick something up from the book. It looks like a brush, except more slender and the pointed end was very solid. "you have to write your name on it!"

"Write my name?" Beiyue can do that. Her education may had stopped around time she fell ill, but she can write and read. It was only basic, though. "Why?"

"Ya hafta." Said Kero. "The Cards only really listen to ya after the names written down. Otherwise they're prone to cause mischief, even after you subdue them. Let's say... the last Cardcaptor forgot to write her name, her house was nearly destroyed by one of gentler cards."

Beiyue gulped. "Ok." She said, pale face. She took the weird brush and, "where's the ink?"

"It's pen. The ink already inside. Just write yer name. Here, at bottom."

Skeptic, Beiyue write her name. To her disbelief, the ink come out. It was very neat, even her untrained hand can make decent calligraphy. No smeared ink too. How convenient. She quickly finished her name

Beiyue

"Miss, this one too." Dongling handed her another card.

"Whoa! Ya snatch it! And The SHIELD to boot! Awesome!" Cheered Kero. Eyeing the pink card with picture of a chained Shield. "It makes thing easier! Cards are the tamest when they are in Card Form. If they're awake it'll be harder to get them."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Some cards are gentle and easy, like Windy, Wood, Glow, and Flower. Easy to convince and tame. Some were dangerous, like Watery, Firey, Mist, Illusion, and many more. If you go against them unprepared, you can die! Some, like Silent, Jump, Sweet, and Rain are harmless but very annoying to get."

Beiyue nodded attentively. Huh. That was a lot of cards. Wait a minute... "Umm... how many Cards are there...?"

"Lemme see..." Kero tapped his chin. "Oh, 'bout Sixty-Eight."

Beiyue make strangled noise. She has Two Cards. That... that means she have to capture sixty six more cards.

This... is not going to be easy...

At least she got her feet on the starting line.. right?

"T-then... w-what should we do now?" Ask Beiyue. Want to get it over as fast as possible. Part because she's still afraid of getting hurt, despite her determination, and part because she's afraid someone will get hurt.

"Now? Now you're rest."

"Eh but you're saying—"

"I say, you can capture them... but that doesn't mean you have to do it right now. This is late, ya are growing girls and need sleep. If you're tired when encountering a card, it's no good! You can do it tomorrow. Now, go sleep!"

Beiyue was reluctant to do it, but she nodded.

Yeah... now that the adrenaline and excitement gone... she feel tired. Like, really tired. Tomorrow sounds fine.

...strange. she didn't feel as bad as usual. Perhaps having something good happens to her help her healed faster?

~X~

"...filthy dirt... old..."

"...not Miss..."

"Bloody hell"

"...cruel..."

The noises wake Beiyue up. She lowly get up and blinked several times before she can see clearly, and when she did, she stares.

Stares as she found Dongling and Kero argues as they prepare the breakfast. The small cub was grumbling while wiping the table with a cloth before let Dongling set the foot down. Dongling was carrying a bowl of fresh fruits, with no other food on sight.

"Ugh... Ah'm beat..." Kero groaned as he float down and laying on his back at the now clean table. "Nev'r think Ah gonna clean house again... and Ah thought the one after WOOD and RAIN fiasco is BAD. This was worse." He groaned. "If only BUBBLES and REPAIR was here... oh, morning Beiyue."

"M-morning..."

"Miss! Good morning!" Dongling brightened up. She quickly grab an apple and wipe it on her clean sleeve before giving it to Beiyue. "How are you feeling?"

Beiyue take a bite. "I... feel good. Better than ever... actually." How amazing. She usually feel fatigued even at morning, but today she feel bright and fresh as a flower. Was Magic do this to her? Amazing!

"Good." Kero nodded. "Hope ya don't mind fruit for breakfast... because THOSE MAIDS ARE GODDAMN IDIOTS!" He rages. "Stale bread?! Bland porridge?! And what in name of Clow with their attitude?!" He literally have to steal those fruits so Beiyue has something decent to eat! And fruit is not THAT filling! No good. Her nutrition are imbalanced. Badly.

"That's how things are here." Muttered Dongling darkly. "Ever since Prince Royal dies, everyone are against us."

"How so? Beiyue is a Princess! She should've treated better!"

"Because I'm weak." Said Beiyue gloomily. "Here, only the strong matters. Martial Arts rule here. I can't do any martial arts, and I can't gather Ki. Even Servants is better than me."

Kero explode.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THIS WORLD?!" He screamed. "JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE DIFFERENT THEY TREAT YOU AS NON-HUMAN?! THE HELL IS THAT?! NOT EVEN THAT BLASTED LI CLAN AT THEIR WORST WAS AS THIS BAD!"

Who are Li Clan?

Kero rages a bit more, spewing curse and hateful curse, before he calmed down. "Someone," he said between breathe, "must be fair. No way everyone is as bad as those trash!"

Beiyue think back on people who ever kind to her. Aside from Dongling and her mother... there's aunt Jiahe, but she's dead, following her mother. Ohh... "There's Uncle Emperor and Uncle Geng but... they are busy." She can't bother them.

"The Emperor, I can get it. Head of Nation and all. But the other?"

"Uncle Geng is head of... cen-so-ra-te. Yeah. The head of Censorate. He's busy. Very busy."

Kero frowned. Beiyue has connections but why she didn't use it. Surely those two would love to give her some of their time if they care. Does they don't care at her? Or was those failure of human blocked her attempts to reach out? Ugh... what a complicated Cardcaptor she is. Sakura was literally a breeze compare to Beiyue!

Agh! Deal with that later! For now, focused at Beiyue and the cards! She can't life in this shack! It going to fall over anytime! Just give strong storm and it will crumbling down! If only REPAIR was here, she can fix it... or Bubbles. She's good at cleaning. Too bad Beiyue only has Shield and Wind...

...y...

Kero's eyes brightened. "Gotcha!" He said.

"Huh? Gotcha what?" Ask Dongling.

"Windy!" Kero exclaimed. "You can ask Windy to help you cleaning! She can gather dust and throw 'em out!"

"Really?" Beiyue was surprised. She never know Wind element can be used to clean house. "But... won't she get angry?"

"Meh, why don't you find out? A Cardcaptor should be able to call her Cards anytime she need it. Think of it as your training!"

If he put it that way... "O-okay."

Kero nodded. "Right! First, you need to use the staff. Come on, get it out."

"The staff... ooh!" Beiye pulled out her new necklace. The Staff, last night, had shrunk into tiny pendant with attached key-chain. Long enough to make into necklace. Kero told her to put it on and never take it off and Beiyue comply. Knowing that if she lose it, it was the dreadful Bad End for her. "Ano... the chant..."

"Follow me. Key that hides the power of the stars, show your true form before me. I, Beiyue, command you under our contract. Release!"

"Key that hides the power of the stars, show your true form before me." Beiyue repeat. "I, Beiyue, command you under our sacred contract. Release...!"

In flash of light, the pendant enlarge into a staff. Beiue feel like flower blossomed in her chest. It was magic! She can use magic! And she didn't have to cultivate! Suuuure, she can felt she's using Ki, but rather than go through dantian, it go straight to the wand and doesn't disappears. No need for cultivate!

"Okay, now let's call Windy." Said Kero. "Here, call Windy."

"The chant..?"

"As you please." Answered the Guardian. "Your predecessor, Sakura, use different chant depends on the card and purpose. So, come on. Follow your gut instinct!"

"My gut instinct..." Beiyue frowned before she thought up something. "Windy, show me your true form. R-Release!"

Instinctively, she throw the cards upwards and when it fall down, she tap it with the staff, right on the star. The card glowed brightly, and from it, a strong gust of wind, but nothing stormy like last night, come out, accompanying a woman made out from pale yellow light and wind. The woman has long blonde hair parted in two ways, and her lower body, from waist below, was made of swirling wind. When her eyes open, they revealed to be green.

The woman, Windy, smiled and bowed. Beiyue flailed before bowed too in return.

"U-umm... g-good morning Windy...!" She greeted, blushing. She never saw someone, something, so beautiful like Windy. Sure, she had once saw Summoning Beast, but it was animal with magic power. Windy looks like angel or fairy straight out from fairy tale...!

Windy put her hand on her mouth, hiding a giggle. Beiyue flushed harder. Ohmygosh! Did she said it out loud?!

"U-umm... etto... K-kero said you can help me with... uhh..." she waved her hands around. Feeling uncomfortable making a Spiritual Beast (Sentient Construct?) to do something so menial as cleaning up dirty shack.

To her surprise, and relief, Windy nodded in understanding and began to use her power. She gathers the dust and light dirt, reaching the part where Dongling unable to reach, like behind the wardrobe or between crack at the wall and ceiling, and gather them all into giant ball of dust and grime and dirt. She use her power then to open window, and throw the ball out. The dirt form a pile there. Leaving the shack clean, albeit creaky and old. And in need of desperate wiping to polish it.

"Whoa... amazing!" Dongling clapped. That was SO AWESOME!

"T-thank you, Windy!" Beiyue thanked the Elemental Card. Windy smiled and proceeds to kiss her in the head.

"If you need my help, call my name and I'll come." She said, before returned to card form.

"Whoa! You can communicate with Windy already? That's ROCK!" Cheered Kero. "Not even one day and you can communicate with the Card! That's awesome! Not even Sakura can do it this fast!"

Beiyue turned beet red. Both at the affectionate gesture and at the praise.

"T-t-tha-thank you..."

Dongling smiled with tears at corner of her eyes. Her miss finally get recognition and praise she deserve. With any luck, she would come out from her shell and no longer bullied by main house—"AAAAAHHHH!"

Her sudden scream made Beiyue and Kero jumped. "W-w-what's wrong?"

"The Xiao!" Dongling pales in horror. "The last night stunt's too bright and too loud! Master Xiao and Zhongqi are Warriors, and Yun is a Summoner! They surely would feel it! And if Senior Master come visit..."

Beiyue pales. Oh crap! What... what should she do?! If they knew about the cards, they would take it away just to spite her! They would beat her or worse, kill her! What about Dongling? Kero? THE OTHER CARDS?!

"I take Xiao Family is bad news? As bad as the idiots maids?" Kero eyeing the girls' reaction.

"They are Worse." Dongling raced to the gate. Peeking out from behind the closed door. To her surprise, confusion, as well relief, no one seeming to notice anything. Everyone do their day as usual.

Or maybe they pretend it was as usual, so they can caught Beiyue by surprise.

They have little choice here. Wait for inevitable and try lying while hiding the cards. Maybe inside the box because only Beiyue can use it. But then risk being found and beaten to death. Dongling held no illusion about the Xiao. The only reason they haven't killed her Miss was because it would draw attention from Emperor and Tianwei Department, and risking Black Cavalry "visit".

Other choice is to run and hide. At least for now.

Mind made, Dongling went back inside and open the drawer. She pulled out a cloak.

"They either don't notice or haven't come yet." Said Dongling. "But we can't risk them coming in while Miss is training. Let's get out and wait until around dinnertime before return."

"Good Idea." Kero nodded. "After all the Cards are scattered around. Might as well searching them. It's like killing two birds with one stone."

"Oh... okay. I'll... have a bath first."

The bathroom here is as terrible as the rest of building. The wooden tub is old and half-rotten and the nail and rope that held them together was worn out by time. Beiyue don't want to enter it if she can help it. So she use other tub to held the water and use small bucket to pour it over her head.

Before the bath, though, her stomach rumbling loudly. She spent a lot of time stuck in toilet, miserable, and coming out with legs shaking like jelly. Her body had ejected a lot of waste she almost have no energy left. She compensate with long bath, taking break few times, and promise herself to snatch some more fruits to eat.

Bath done, Beiyue wear clothes. Not one of those new and pretty clothes she got from the box, but cheap cotton clothes. Combined with the hood, Beiyue can pose as commoner girl, thus avoided the Xiao. Just that... her hair...

Only nobility can wear hair long. It was requirement. Her hair is knee-length. Too long to hid behind the cloak, and too long to put into bun

Luckily, Dongling had an idea. She put Beiyue's hair in high ponytail, divided the hair into four sequence, braid each sequence, and then pull all sequence into one big, thick, braid. It feels heavy, but it works. Now Beiyue's hair length only reached her waist. Acceptable hair length for commoner girl, even if it scretch the limitations a bit.

Dongling, too, change out from her maid clothes. Now she wear white top and red skirt. Her hair out of their usual braid and pulled into twin buns.

"Good! You're ready to go!" Kero was used to changing costume for outings. Side effect of knowing one Daidouji Tomoyo and her fascination with fashions. "Right! Don't forget this." He held out a belt with pouch to hold the cards.

Beiyue, after seeing there's spare one, insisted Dongling to wear it too.

Prepared, the three sneaked out using secret path Dongling found not a long ago, evading the Xiao patrols, and once they are far enough, Dongling start to pull Beiyue to look around. Beiyue let herself be.

It was her first time go out, after all!

~X~

There's a shop. The shop is nothing out of ordinary. It was a normal shop selling stuff like books and ink and brush. It was rather known with it good quality products and the fair price.

Today is normal day. The business is slow because the Entrance Exam for Lingyang College and Imperial Exam was still far. The business was at it best during mid Spring.

"Meimei! Get the ink box from storage. Five. Also grab small box of brush."

"Yes ma'am."

"Huo. You keep watch. I don't want anything missing or stolen."

"Understood."

It wasn't the season, but putting their products on display is a must. Who knows if someone running our of ink or their quill snapped. After all, prepare for the worst.

The staff quickly moved to put the stuff on display. If there's a certain kind of stuff sold out, they would pick more from the storage. Can't let potential customer go to another shop just because they run out of wages. The guard too, watching the customer goes in and out, keeping an eye for any shoplifter.

However, the neither of the staffs, the guard, nor the manager notice something.

That something is that a certain pink, wispy, winged thing entered the shop.

~X~

"Whoa..." Both Beiyue and Kero let out an appreciative, amazed sounds. The cub was hiding under Beiyue's hood, but he can peek out and see the Market. Not just any market, the Bugiel Bazaar. It was their first time coming here. Thus, the scenery alone, while for many is ordinary sight, for her it's magical.

After all this is her first time walk this far without feeling fatigue. Only a little tired, but with few short break here and there, it was manageable.

The streets are wide and bustling with life. There's so many people, wearing various state of clothes, coming from various status. The people here are either wealthy enough to afford the stuff here or servant to rich people. The price alone made Beiyue shivered, but she understood. The wares here... are high grade. Kero, not so much.

"Why does you have to pay three gold coins for ounce of ginger?" Grumbled the plush. "Spices here are overpriced, I swear it's highway robbery."

"But they're hard to obtained." Said Dongling softly so that no one heard her, except Beiyue and Kero of course! "The warriors have to go to the forest and search for these. And they come in limited amount."

"Haven't you lots thinking of saving some stuff to grow?" The cub shot back. "Plant Ginger and Onion on pot, water them like you do a plant, enough but not too much, and in few weeks or months they will grow and ready for harvest."

"Oh." Dongling paused and thinking about that. Hmm... yes. If she can get some of rare, exotic ingredients, she can plant them. If they do grow up then...! Yes. It worth to try! The Cloud Pavillion's yard is barren from life, turning the backyard into herb garden would give them some color. And the plant can be sold for extra money!

But where can she got the gold needed to buy the "samples"? and what kind of plan they can grow by themselves?

Hmm... they need a list.

"Let's go to that shop." Dongling pointed to a shop. The shop located strategically in corner of a crossroad. The plaque reads... The Scriber's Brush...?

"It's writing equipment shop." Said Dongling. "Princess Royal always buy her writing equipment from them. They sold good quality stuff with reasonable price. From copper at cheapest ware to gold at expensive, stronger, more exotic ones. Paper, Ink, Brush, named it. It's guarantee you won't come out empty handed."

"Do they sold in pack or per piece?" Inquired Kero. "Say, if we only need one or two sheet, should we buy entire book?"

"You can buy per sheet. They aren't picky on customer." Answered Dongling. "And I brought money too." She patted the pouch. With the belt on, she felt confident no one can rob her money. "It's only twelve copper, but it would do."

"But..." Beiyue remember how much Dongling make per week and tallied up the income, and she gasped. "But that's all of your money!" She whisper-yelled.

"It's okay." Said Dongling. "I can make more, after all... those dresses had give me lots of inspirations." She had some threads and fabric left. Enough to make embrodied shawl. If she do it right, then she can get more money. "Come on!"

Entering the shop, the first thing that Beiyue notice is distinct scent of ink. There's bottles of inks. Some low quality, some high quality. There's even colored ink, although it was only in dark red color and there's few of it. There's also blank books on display. Some are thick, some are thin. And stacks of white paper neatly piled up in shelf behind the counter. And brush. Of various size. Child-size, giant-size, normal-size. Some are plain, some are decorated with carvings and one box in particular buzzing with energy.

...buzzing with energy? Was it enchanted item...? No. No it can't be. Beiyue have been around enchanted item before. They even pass shop that sold Censer yet it register nothing on her senses. Nothing interesting, at least. So why does this box...?

"Kero, could it be..."

"Ah, yes." Kero nodded. "A Sakura Card."

He was silently amazed that Beiyue can notice it. The whole friggin place was Saturated with Magical Energy. Not just Ki in the air, but from the ground...! It's really hard to pinpoint energy, with all those Magical Energy and Ki from both people and enchanted item. Yet Beiyue manage to do it in short time? She must be really talented in it, or just very sensitive over Magic as compensation for lack of Ki.

"What do you mean you runs out?" Dongling's word snapped Beiyue and Kero out of their musings. Dongling was talking to the woman in the counter, who look nervous and ashamed.

"I... I don't know." She said. "We're sure there's some left. Surely..." she checked the accounting book and her frown deepened. It's weird. No one had buy the cheap, copper-grade Paper, and she's sure she put that stack there... so where did it go? "Huo. Do you see someone suspicious entering in and out?"

"The only suspicious guy is this little lass." Huo nodded jerkily at Beiyue... who keep her hood on even inside the shop.

"I-I'm sorry..." Stammered Beiyue. Stumbling upon her words. "B-but... I... I was sick and n-not used to sunlight... m-my eyes hurts..." She said in timid, weak voice. "B-but I won't steal anything... I swear!" She hastily added.

The woman at counter then frowned even deeper. "So that means... the paper mysteriously disappears?" That was impossible. Paper can't move by itself. Someone must be took them away. "I'll check the storage. Please wait here."

And so, Beiyue and Dongling (and Kero) found themselves waiting in the almost empty shop, glared with scrutiny by the guard.

"No stealing."

"I-I-I won't." Beiyue replied exasperatedly. "I...I just a-admire the brush. I sw—wa-wait. Where did the box go?"

Her words caused Dongling and the Guard to look at a shelf across the room. The Guard, Huo, has his eyes widened when one box of expensive brush was gone from its location.

"What the...?" He stared in surprise before turned to Beiyue. "It better was not your doing."

"I c-c-can't cultivate." Normally Beiyue won't admit it, since that way lies pain and humiliation. But for once, her inability to cultivate work in her favor. "Let's... let's just find it."

Huo glared at her a bit more, but nodded. Better search it now and then check the two girls later, rather than be suspicious and get chewed out by Manager.

And so, the three of them (plus one hidden cub) search for the mysteriously disappearing box. After ten minutes searching, not only they still haven't found the box Beiyue described (wooden, light brown color, with wings engraving on sides), Huo also find some stuff are displaced without his knowledge. It was like someone messed up with the shop.

He was not pleased.

Beiyue, finally after several "false alarm" and "false lead", finally found the box. "F-found it!" She cheered when she finally found the box, sitting innocently in the corner of shop. She quickly moved to grab it and—

Fwoosh!

Beiyue blinked when the box suddenly grow wings and disappeared.

"Umm... Kero."

"That... gotta be [MOVE]." Said Kero. "That was mischievous card. It can move stuff and the likes and... well... you get the gist."

Suddenly stuff suddenly missing become easy to understand.

"Where's the box?" Huo asked. Startling Beiyue.

"Ah... umm..." Beiyue panicked. Yikes! She shouted loudly when she found the box. Now what should she do—AAAAHHH! "T-there!" She pointed at The Box on top of tall shelf. Huo turned and frowned.

"How did it get there?" He asked, quickly move to reach it. With his height, it was possible. Yet when his hand was about to touch it, the thing suddenly grow wings (again) and fly out of reach. Stunned the man.

"What the hell?"

"Did it just fly?" Ask Dongling. Equally unable to comprehend what she's seeing. She turn to Beiyue, who pointed at kero hidden under her hood. It doesn't take long before Dongling made the connection and her mouth formed an O.

Huo, oblivious to their exchange, move to grab the winged box... only for it to disappears and reappear somewhere else. It was Dongling who found it under the counter. She quickly make a dash attempt to grab it, when the box moved several inches aside, missing her completely and resulting in Dongling crashed into the counter.

"Yeouch... It goes there!" Cried Dongling.

What come next would be hilarious... should it wasn't potentially dangerous and reputation destroying. Beiyue, Dongling, and Huo trying to grab the box, who dodge them by doing disappearing-reappearing act, or flying / moving out of reach. Once the Box (and the Move) float in middle of room, Beiyue and Dongling tried to get it by trapping it from two different side... only for the Box to fly upwards and causing the girls to collide with loud THUMP.

Huo had it worse. He was nearly send to crashing into a shelf containing several ink bottles. Thankfully he manage to stop himself on time!

Beiyue would have Kero helped too... if not for it would breaking the secrecy and put the girl under scrutiny. After all Beiyue claims to be unable to Cultivate yet she can command a baby Spiritual Beast? Pull the other joke!

Speaking of help... why no one coming in? They aren't exactly discreet with all the ruckuss!

"Ahh... finally found it." And of course. That would be the exact time the Counter Saleslady return, carrying stack of neatly bundled paper. "How did this going back at storage I'll never kne—okay. What's going on here?!" She cried in shock seeing the state of the store. No, the store is fine. It was her co-worker and the customer that makes idiot out of themselves. "And why is that box flying?" And don't forget the box.

"W-we don't know." Lied Beiyue. "The box is m-missing and when we search, it suddenly can m-m-Move by it-itself." This one is the truth.

The box take it as its cue to get out from here. It moved (fly) towards the direction the lady come from.

"Ah! That's the storage room!" The Saleslady said, dropping the paper on the counter before turning around. "Huo! Stay! I don't want anymore stuff suddenly life! Check for missing stuff and suspicious stuff! I'll get this box!"

"L-let me help!" Beiyue was only two steps behind.

The woman want to rebuffed her, but she can't. The storage room is spacy! There's supposed to be other staff but they called in sick or going out for lunch break! "Fine, but don't messed up or I'll have your hide!"

Beiyue gulped, but nodded nonetheless.

They followed the Box, which quickly vanished between the shelves.

The Storage Room is spacey. As big as Cloud Pavilion! Figures. The row of shelves upon shelves held paper, books, ink, and other item such as stamp and seal. The place was a labyrinth by itself. If you don't know the way around, it will be easy to get lost.

"Ugh..." The Saleslady groaned. "This is going to be chore. Girl. You go there, I'll go here. Scream if you found that damned thing."

Someone looks like in bad mood, Beiyue wisely shut her mouth and nodded.

Once the lady vanished between shelves, grumbling, Beiyue waited until she can no longer hear her footsteps before pulled the hood down.

"Okay Kero. Where should we look?" She asked.

The lion cub looked to all direction before closing his eyes, like meditating, and glowed. "There!" He pointed to a direction.

Beiyue nodded and run there. As she picked up pace, she pulled out the staff key and chanted, "K-Key that hides the power of the stars, show your true form before me. I, Beiyue, command you under our sacred contract. Release!"

In bright flash, she held a staff within her right hand. Thankfully the staff is barely reaching her chin, and she's into shorter side of kids her age. This way it won't knock anything and make mess. She followed Kero's pointer and arrived in a corner.

"Beiyue! Above you!"

Beiyue looked up and find the Box, and The Move, floating up. Almost mockingly in fact.

"Go Beiyue! Seal it up!"

"R-right..." Beiyue nodded. "M-Move... I c-command you to return—kyaaahhhh!"

Move revealed it has another card in its (metaphorical) sleeve when it spread its Area of Effect and causing the stuff on shelves to sway dangerously before floating midair, ready to dive down.

Time seemed to slowed down. All Beiyue can think is that if the lady heard the mess she will find a strange cloaked girl armed and standing atop pile of messes! She will get angry and Beiyue and Dongling will get punished and if the words come out there will be consequences! If only she can prevent Move making mess—

Wait a minute... prevent making a mess...?

The pile dropped simultaneously.

Beiyue act quick and draw a card from he card holster. "Windy! P-please return those stuff to their intended place."

Windy come out with a FWOOSH! Quickly, she use wind to caught the failing piles of stuff and put them down on their place.

"Windy... once again...! P-please stop Move from going away...!"

Windy smiled and quickly become rope. Yellow, glowing ropes made out of wind quickly wrapped themselves around the box and pull it down to Beiyue's reach.

"Move, please stop making trouble. Return to the guise you're meant to be... Sakura Card!"

Beiyue tapped the box and it glowed brightly. Something pink comes out from the box, formed a silhouette of a card, that upon solidified flow to Beiyue's hand. Beiyue quickly dispel Windy with a thanks, and caught the flying box.

Hearing footsteps behind her, she quickly shrink back the staff and put Kero on her head before pulling her hood on. Just in time for the saleslady to turn around and found her.

"You found it." She said in relief. "It... it won't go away again... right?" She sounds out of breath. Probably on other side of the storage when she saw the light show and quickly run here. Beiyue feel guilty of this.

"U-umm... n-no ma'am. I... I jump and c-ca-caught it... and held it tightly s-so it w-won't e-e-escape... t-then something pink comes out and go s-somewhere..." She lied. The hood did good job obscure her face, because she had no poker face whatsoever.

"May I see the box?"

Beiyue gave her the box. The woman do inspection over it, and hummed.

"You're right. There's trace of energy from the box. It's... it's weird energy. No wonder I can't sense anything. But it's gone."

Beiyue wonder how different Magic Kero promise to taught her to Ki, that it can't be detected. She also found that wings engraving was gone. Ah. Those probably come from Move. Tricky little thing.

"Come. Let's go back."

"Y-y-yes ma'am!"

"Meimei is fine."

~X~

In the end, none of the shop's staff know what actually happens. Just that someone put a prank on that particular brush box. Meimei vowed to tell the Manager this, so they can report this to Merchant Union under Bugiel Family and get this incident investigated.

As a little thank you, and apologize for being suspected, Beiyue is given a better quality brush. The one in Bronze-range price. "Beginner's Brush", it was aptly named.

She and Dongling, who carried the papers, were walking away from the market. It was still bright so they went to a public park, a bit far from the market. The park luckily had bench, and since nobility had their own garden, the park was mostly used by commoner. Beiyue and Dongling sat on a bench under tree.

"Today was... intense." Admitted Beiyue. Her face flushed.

It was heart-racing with thrill and adrenaline. The fear she might've get caught and get into big trouble, as well the thrill she felt when she do it right and escape unscratched.

It was amazing...

"Eh. Don't worry." Said Kero. "Move is mischievous card. Just wait till Ye got harder card."

Harder card. That means... the more dangerous one, right? Powerful... but with power come great consequence. They're the ones that could kill her should she aproach them carelessly. She had to be careful in dealing with them. One bad move and it's all over.

And yet...

"I... can't wait..." Beiyue collapse to Dongling's shoulder, fall asleep. The fatigue and adrenaline finally crash on her and they crash hard.

At the least she sleep with smile on her face.

TBC