A two-year-old girl named Kimiya tapped the crystal jar full of oddly-colored water.

"Red," she said, giggling.

Khumeia picked her up. "Now, now," she said sweetly, brushing the hair away from her daughter's face. "Don't mess around with your father's potions."

"They're not potions, dear," her husband said, picking up the jar of water. "Besides, I'm glad Kimi touched it. You remember the legends about the Celestial Stone. It takes a man, woman, and their child to create it. Kimi might have actually helped me." He turned to Kimiya and tickled her. "Would helping Daddy make you happy, Kimi?"

Kimiya clapped her hands. "Happy, happy, joy, joy!" she sang. "Happy joy, happy joy!"

"Khumi, would you pass me that amphora?"

Khumeia frowned and settled Kimiya in front of some blocks. "I've been telling you time and time again, it's Khumeia not Khumi. And our daughter's name is Kimiya not Kimi."

"But Kimi sounds cuter." He tickled Kimiya again. "Don't you like being called Kimi, Kimi?"

"Kimiya Kimi" Kimiya said. "Mommy Khumi. Daddy Bali."

" Bali" laughed and stood up. "See? She inherited her sense of humor from my side of the family."

Khumeia rolled her eyes. "Did she also inherit that annoyingly cheerful attitude from you as well?"

"Well, I know she inherited her rude mouth from you."

Khumeia blew him a raspberry. "Stupid bastard."

Her husband laughed. "You're just as feisty as ever, Khumi!"

Khumeia smiled tolerantly and shook her head. "Just get back to your alchemy."

"All right. I'm going to need both of you to get out of the room for a while."

"Whatever." Khumeia scooped up Kimiya and walked outside.

"Can't believe it worked," Khumeia said, biting a pastry.

"A complete success," her husband said.

Kimiya brought them a ladybug. "Look, Mommy. Look, Daddy. Pretty!"

The threesome was out having a picnic in a field. The grass smelled sweet and the sun shone brightly, but not so bright that it was hot and unpleasant. It was a lovely day.

"Khumeia?" a voice asked.

The family looked up. A red-haired, blue-eyed woman with a girl Kimiya's age was watching them, smiling.

"Ekaterina, hello!" Khumeia said.

"Hi!" Kimiya said to the girl. "I'm Kimi!"

The girl smiled and pushed back her straight, golden brown hair off her face. "I'm Yasuko!"

The little girls laughed and began playing.

"Your daughter looks very healthy," Ekaterina said.

"She's got her mother's health," Khumeia's husband said.

Khumeia punched him on the head. "He's stupid, but he actually did it."

Ekaterina's eyes widened. "Really! Impressive!"

"How's your work over at Door?"

Ekaterina smiled. "We're working on it. Any day now."

Khumeia and her husband nodded.

"Look, Mamochka!" Yasuko exclaimed holding out a bunch of red poppies. "Kimi and me got flowers for you."

"I'm jealous," Kimiya's father said. "You didn't pick any for your old man?"

Kimiya laughed and gave him a daisy. "Daddy not old!"

"Well, we should go," Ekaterina said. "Maybe you'll come visit us soon."

"Maybe by that time you'll be finished working on the stone," Kimiya's father said, laughing.

"Where's your house, Yasuko?" Kimiya asked.

Yasuko laughed. "Beyond the Door."

You can guess what the next story's going to be, right?