We are taking a walk in the park. The sun's rays in the afternoon gives everyone's faces a beautiful glow. But the most beautiful is Elma who is dressed in a fluffy two-piece outfit- something she hardly wears but nevertheless suits cream coloured sun hat compliments her outfit. The lining of her soft skirt bounces in the cool wind. She has been looking at the clothing in some stores in the area and learnt to shift her scales to match these types of outfits. As for me, I'm wearing a pearl-white batwing top and blue denim jeans with a pair of Ray-Bans.

There are many little children here today with their parents because it's a Sunday afternoon.

"Nai, do you want to stop for a rest?" she asks me.

"No let's continue. My feet are not hurting" I reply.

"You look very cute in that outfit" Elma says looking me in the eye and smiling warmly.

I blush. "Oh you think so? You look cute as well. That outfit really suits you."

"This world is like paradise for me. It has the right balance between sacrifice and fulfilment."

"I'm not really sure what you're getting at Elma. Sorry."

"I mean, back in the other world there was so much human sacrifices. I hated the sight of it. I never participated in it. It's something the Harmony faction had to do but I was silently against it. My ancestors told me that it's a part of pleasing the gods and it must be done."

"I see. That must have been hard for you- just witnessing it-"

"Yuka?!"

I turn around. A tall slim brunette with hazel eyes is standing with her mouth formed in an 'O'.

It's my older sister. "Nao? What are you doing here?"

She takes my hand. "I haven't seen you in like forever Yuka. How have you been?"

"Great! I thought you were abroad."

"Nai, do you know this woman?" Elma asks, growling and glaring at the strange lady who is holding my hand.

When my older sister had completed school, she chose to travel. Some people work and some go to college but Nao chose to travel the world. I haven't seen her since I was a child. She's eight years older than I am but she looks like she's in her mid-twenties. That was my older sister- the beauty queen. Many boys would ask her out and she would turn them all down. For an older sister, she was not present much in our home. Mom said she was like a stray cat. She basically had her life outside of our family home and only showed up here in the night to sleep for show. I wasn't really sure what she did all day because I was a school child at the time. Nevertheless it's not like I hated her or anything. I actually don't really know how I feel about her. I thought she hated us. She never did try to contact me or my parents after she had taken off.

The three of us are sitting at an outdoor cafe in the park after Nao suggests we do some catching up.

"Well after I left our home I visited over 20 countries. Travelling is amazing."

"Yes I like to travel as well. Seeing different places is always a nice experience Nao-san" Elma tells her. I could see she's trying her best to be polite and friendly, despite the awkwardness.

"Oh you travel too Elma-san? Hey Yuka- maybe you should bring your friend along and the three of us can go hiking in Sweden" she says with a large grin on her face. I remember her having a very upbeat happy-go-lucky personality. I guess she never changed.

"Um Nao, Elma and I are-"

"Wait you mean you two-" she says and then an awkward silence follows.

Her lips begin to quiver. I could see some tears at the corner of her hazel eyes.

"Are you ok Nao-san?" Elma asks, handing her a tissue. She dries her eyes.

"I'm sorry. Good. I thought my little sister would end up being one of those people who would be fine being by herself for life. She was just so quiet as a child. I'm happy for the both of you."

My sister was something else. "We're both happy to have your support Nao but there are some things I'd like to ask you, if you don't mind?"

"I'm sure you must have a lot on your mind seeing me after so many years. Ask away."

"What are you doing here? I thought you were abroad travelling."

"Yes I was but I returned to Japan recently because I am doing some research in this town of "Oborozooka."

"What kind of research?' I ask. Elma looks intrigued.

"Well, I heard there was a strange plant that only grows in this part of Japan. It may be able to cure some diseases. The Swedish are obsessed with finding out more about it so they sent me here because I know the language well. I'm sorry but that's all I can say."

"It's fine. Nao, did you leave because you hated us?"

"No Yuka. If I hated you, I wouldn't have spoken to you in the first place when I saw truth is, I despised that place. I always wanted to leave that village. It was in the middle of nowhere. Everyone was so traditional. There wasn't much that interested me. The villagers-they never understood me. Even our parents treated me like an outsider just because I wanted to leave that place." She slams her hand on the table.

A few painfully awkward seconds pass. The smile on her face returns. I assume she has composed herself. "I'm sorry I get emotional whenever I think about it. But I never hated you. You were always a timid child and never in anyone's way. But you were just a child. Had you been a little older- I would've taken you with me."

"Nao. You don't have to feel that way. Mom and Dad loved you. I know they did. When you left, Mom got sick."

Nao looks shocked. She gawks and clenches her fist. "I don't even know what to say. I'm a terrible daughter." She pauses and takes a deep breath. "I heard our parents had passed on. Is that true?"

"Yes they both had peaceful deaths."

"And grandfather?"

"I'm sorry" I tell her nodding my head. Our grandfather had also died from tuberculosis five years ago.

She doesn't make eye contact but instead stares at the empty white plate on the table. "He was the only one who showed me one bit of kindness in that entire village. I could have spoken to him about anything. He was the one who gave you the name 'Yuka'. It means 'gentle flower'."

I notice Elma's eyebrows rise a notch. Yuka was a pet name given to me by my grandfather but I guess I never told her that.

"But I want to put the past behind us.. You're the only family I have left" the brunette says.

We exchange contact numbers.

"I'm glad we had this little chat, Yuka. I'll be leaving the country next month and I don't know when again I'll return here but I promise I will see you if I ever come back."

xxxxx

"Your sister seems like a nice person. I'm glad the two of you reconciled, Yuka." Elma winks.

The two of us are standing in line at a crepes van.

"They are almost sold out. You think we'll get to buy any?" she asks.

I count four people in front of us. "I don't know. I hope so though" I reply.

"Help! Someone please help me!"

We both look to our right where the sound is coming from. In a tall mossy tree we see a little girl on the branch. She is hugging the branch for dear life.

"She's stuck. Someone please take her down" a woman with a pixie-cut cries. A young lad begins climbing the tree but before he could even reach the second branch he slips and falls in the bushes.
"I'm okay!" he shouts. The girl, who looks no more than 8 years old, is on a higher branch of the tree. If she falls, she could be seriously injured.

Elma looks at the van and looks at the tree. She does it again. Her facial muscles clench from deciding what to do.

"You have to-"

She cuts me mid-sentence. "I know." She dashes to the tree which is like twenty feet away from the crepes van. I follow her barely able to catch up. She starts climbing the tree. It looks very slippery. Her grip must have been very strong and she is fast as a squirrel. The branch makes snapping sounds from the weight of the girl's body. She screams.

"Hold on tight. I will get you down!" Elma shouts. She has two more tree branches before she could reach the girl. By now, many people have gathered around the tree. The mother's face is filled with worry and panic. We all hear snapping sounds again and the crowd gasps. The branch lowers from the weight. If it snaps one more time, I'm afraid the little girl could fall.

"You have to hurry" an old man tells her.

"You can do it Elma!" I shout.

She is very close to the branch the girl is on. She knows she can't put her weight on it or else the branch will fall with her and the little girl. I know Elma will be alright but I'm worried for the child.

She stretches her hand out to the girl. "Take my hand!"

The little girl hesitates and looks down. "HURRY!" Elma calls out. The scared girl takes her hand and Elma bravely slings her on her back. The branch collapses but the two of them are safe. Deftly she places her hands on the rough tree bark and shimmies down effortlessly, wind blowing in her entire descent is over in seconds. The crowd looks awe-struck.

"You saved my little girl" The mother comes running to us and takes the trembling girl from Elma's back.

"Thank you. I wanted to follow the cute kitten and I ended up in the tree" the girl tells Elma.

She pats her head and smiles. "It's alright."