HoloJourneys

by vanderblast

A fateful encounter with a fluffy sheep inside a castle dungeon, begins a journey that will change the world. In a world of magic, swords, magical spirits and endless possibilities, Anon, sets forth on a journey with his friend Watame to see everything this world has to offer and to find their origins. The journey won't always be easy, but together, they can always make it through.

32. A Desert is No Place For A Sheep

The streets of Judsmead are like a ghost town; the streets are completely empty and a heavy silence hangs in the air. You take a few steps forward, the sounds of your boots against the cobblestone echoes all around you. Is this the sight of your next battlefield? Fitting. Then, right on cue, Koyori stands opposite you a mere ten feet away in the middle of the empty road. She looks at you with the top of her hand held under her chin as her tail swishes back and forth behind her. It's still so surreal how cognisant you have become within your own dreams, but that at least has allowed you to be prepared for the mad coyote's appearances. You meet that maddening grin of hers with a steely glare. This might be the last place you want to be, but there's no going back now.

"Good evening, Anon." Koyori casually greets with a fluttering of her fingers in a flirtatious wave. "I'm glad you decided to join me. I was afraid you were going to stand me up and keep yourself awake as long as you could."

"I'm through running from the idea of you, Koyori." You coldly say as you give your own mana an internal flex to get the juices going. "Tonight's your last night of having free reign inside my head. Now let's do this."

"Oh~ Skipping the foreplay? How un-gentleman-like." Koyori purrs, mocking disapproval, but you can see the eagerness in her half-hooded eyes. "Lucky for you, I'm still riled up from last night, so I'll let you set the pace…this time."

After lowering her arms behind her and letting her white lab coat hit the floor, Koyori sensually runs one of her hands from her midriff down to where a pink potion is strapped around her thigh. After pulling the oval bottle from its holdings, she pops the cork with a flick of her thumb, and makes sure that she has your full attention as she gulps the entire thing down without taking a breath.

She then wipes a dribble of the pink liquid from the corner of her mouth as she gives you a cocky fanged smile. You knew you could only stand and observe to see what strange effects the concoction she just consumed will have on her, or you for that matter. Still, maybe you can land an early advantage by striking before her elixir can do its job.

You begin to channel your feelings to brew a raging storm within the palm that opens just past your waist towards Koyori. The more you look at that dark smile, the more your anger and determination fuels your waters. Surge past this coyote and wash her away. This is your dream. Now take it back!

Koyori's finger twitches, compelling you to act. Your arm jabs forward, and a jet stream of water fires from your hand. The coyote crouches down and manages to side-step your rushing deluge, and with claws raised, she starts to gallop toward you. You stop your spell to focus on defending yourself, but Koyori is already within striking range as she slashes at you with her sharpened nails. You manage to erect a mana coat of water around your forearm as you bring it to parry the coyote's strike, confident that you'll deflect the blow.

To your shock, her nails that are lengthened by mana, tear through your own magic like paper as you feel the red hot sensation of skin tearing along your arm. You jump back and hold a guarding hand over the wound. Koyori lets out a satisfied sigh.

There is no way she should have been able to breach your mana coat like that…did that potion increase her strength somehow? As you study her, she returns your gaze with a gleeful smile. You can tell she's practically begging you to ask her how she ripped through your defenses, but you won't give her the satisfaction. You won't let her play more mind games with you. Just keep fighting!

Not even taking time to patch your own wound, you alter your mana and thrust both your palms forward in front of you, pushing forth a gust of wind towards Koyori. The coyote takes off one of the pentagon shaped accessories she wears on one of her side bangs, and tosses it upward while flashing a fanged smile. The blue framed object begins to miraculously expand to form a see-through barrier between you and Koyori, completely preventing your gale force from impeding her.

That smug curve of her lips as she looks through her layer of protection in triumph at you practically says "Try again, Anon. I can handle anything you throw at me", ignites your frustration and anger. You clench your fists and cock them back at your sides as you charge forward. If you can't blow past this barrier with magic, you'll just have to punch through it, which is exactly what Koyori expects of you as she crosses her arms casually at your advance. Keep looking so sure of yourself you damn coyote, and keep your eyes wide open, you won't want to miss this new move.

As you approach the floating glass, you quickly disperse the green wind mana that coats your hands and lift them high over your head before slamming them towards the ground, throwing your quickly cast burst of wind at it. You jump in time with your spell to propel you off the ground and over Koyori's barrier. She still looks at you confidently as she reaches for one of the vials fastened along her hip, but you won't give her the time. After twisting your body and shifting your mana, you fire a jetstream of water from both your hands towards the sky; their force firing you down towards your opponent quicker than gravity would normally allow. Koyori can only clutch the vial she selected in her closed hand by the time you are already upon her, and you turn to bring your right fist down hard against her cheek.

Koyori stumbles backward, but manages to stay on her feet, while you fall to the ground with a hard thud. You quickly roll to give yourself some extra breathing room as you rise up to your feet. The scientist giggles darkly as she wipes the blood from her cheek. You want to press your attack, to not give this girl a chance to erect her countermeasures, but two spells meant to carry your entire body back to back have you trying to catch your breath. You curse at how lifelike these dreams are.

"Well well, that was pretty surprising, Anon." Koyori mocks as she brings the vial she has up to her mouth, and pulls its cork off with her teeth before spitting the plug onto the ground. "You've grown so much this week alone! I thought for sure you were going to punch your way through my handy reflector shield, but then you just fly up and around your problem."

"I've beaten your twisted inventions before by going around them." You bark back.

"But you can't just go around me, can you?" The pink coyote clicks as she brings the open vial to her mouth and traces her lips with its opening. "Wondering how you might try though…is getting me all excited~"

The way she talks, the way her confidence is unwavering, makes your knees quake. How can she get to you like this? You shake off the creeping dread and bring more mana to the surface of your arms.

"How about I just go through you instead!" You force a yell and charge forward. Koyori reacts by downing half the vial and throwing the remains at you. Fear takes hold as you grind to a halt and take the time to step out of the spinning glass container's way as its green contents splatter along the ground.

"Or how about…" Koyori coos as she dashes to bring herself a mere inch in front of your face. "I rip through these meddlesome clothes instead!~"

In a panic, you bring your arms up to guard your body, only for your layer of magical protection to be penetrated once more, earning you a fresh streak of wounds along both your arms from Koyori's now even longer claws. Through gritted teeth, you fight through the pain and resign yourself to brawling with the mad scientist. Even if whatever she drank made her stronger, faster, and even more wild, with no weird inventions to back her up, you'll outlast her. Your fist emanating a green glow, and the swirl of a light wind around it to give it more force, you swing for the coyote's head, only for her to grasp your hand effortlessly within her. Your eyes widen as you watch the mana and small supportive spell you created begin to fizzle away without your command.

Before you can try to retreat, Koyori's fingers tighten over your fist and her nails start to dig into your skin. She quickly grabs your other hand within your own and clamps down just the same. Trapped, you can do nothing but stare defiantly at those purple orbs that hide such madness within them. Your water and wind mana is not responding to you at all. The most you can manage is just a flicker before it is snuffed out.

"Tsk tsk tsk." Koyori tuts to get your attention. "You should have asked what my first elixir did when I gave you the chance. Maybe you could have avoided this situation, but then again….I kinda like holding hands with you. Do you like it too? You can admit it. It's okay. You can be as degenerate as you want with me~"

"Whatever you did, it's having some weird effect on my mana!" You growl, not wanting to give the coyote any mind to her sick attraction to you.

"Indeed, I'm glad you're starting to notice. For a short while, my body's perspiring a special chemical that can sap the very essence of mana. The closer you get, the quicker your spells will dwindle down to nothing. I was inspired by that fog you encountered back in that little fae's home. You won't be able to conjure a single water or wind spell when we're this close, which will come in extra handy the next time I have you pinned to the floor. You won't be able to give yourself a cold shower like last time!" Koyori starts to explain with building excitement.

"But there's more to me than that." You say with pained breath. "Let's see how your mutated sweat does with celestial magic!"

Silver-white light begins to shine over your bleeding hands and its hardening layer dislodges Koyori from your skin. Shocked, she tries to reform her grip around your hands, but your superior strength knocks those intrusive digits of hers away. Then, she lashes out, attempting to rend your chest. A quick guard from your forearm stops her claws as if they were trying to strike steel. The shock of her blow being deflected combined with her own invention not working as expected, put the coyote in a state of shock that you will not let go unpunished.

Gripping one hand under the collar of her shirt, and the other under the fabric of the skirt along her waist, you lift Koyori upwards with a powerful heave. Then, with your gained momentum, you slam her down onto the ground behind you. The air is forced out of the coyote's lungs with a loud gasp as she bounces from the impact.

It is hard not to bask in your momentary victory over one of the coyote's countermeasures with your own skills, but you cannot let your guard down, not yet. Even flat on her back, Koyori starts to move in a way that sets off your internal alarms. From her string of vials, Koyori pulls one out, flicks the plug off, and spills its entire contents over her head for it to land on and around your feet. Your eyes dart between the coyote and the strange orange liquid that pools and seeps into the ground, unsure whether to strike, or to somehow deal with whatever this mysterious mixture is.

Unfortunately, you are unable to do anything about either, as the goopy substance forms together and hardens up to your ankles. Try as you might, you are unable to break your legs free. You can only stare down at your feet that are now encased within solid amber in frustration. You pound against the solid casing with desperation with your magically enhanced fist, but it doesn't even crack. Panic starts to set in that Koyori actually has you trapped now. A snap of her fingers followed by her haggard chuckles pierces your ears, causing you to bring your gaze to the smirking coyote who now stands fully upright again.

Before you can utter some sort of response, a flash of hot pain comes searing from your back. You bend down to one knee as much as you can with your feet melded to the ground, and try to find the source of your injury. A streak of red flies from the corner of your eye as your side is stricken by a sharp force, causing you to buckle. You bite your tongue, you will not scream for this girl who delights in it so, and you will not break for her, never again. Shaking, you straighten yourself and try to calmly observe your surroundings. Koyori's notices your wandering eyes and beckons you to her with a flicking finger. Then, two floating spheres made of a glossy metal come out of your peripheral vision, and take sentry positions next to the scientist.

"You remember these little beauties of mine, don't you, Anon?" Koyori rhetorically asks as she gestures to the floating weapons as they fix their red eyes that shine with dangerous intent on you. "I used these to punish you in our last real world encounter. Even with your spell book, you were no match for my genius. Now look at you. Not able to budge an inch, and at my mercy. One little thought, and my creations will wear you down until you can barely keep your eyes open. It's my win again, Anon."

Is this really it? Is every confrontation with Koyori destined to end this way?

"Now don't look so glum, Anon." Koyori teases. "You really didn't have a chance from the start. You and I, we're part of each other now. I know everything you will ultimately try to do, before you even do it."

Koyori then takes long, drawn out steps while she walks in a circle around you.

"I know all your fears. Your doubts. Even your lust. I know that deep down, you want me to bring out your full potential. All so you can be that hero that shines on the world. Too bad that this world is heading towards being repainted by my darkness. Still, you will have a hand in that as well." Koyori says methodically as she continues her circular pace.

Your full potential? That's right. You do want to realize your full potential. If you stop growing, you'll never be strong enough to be someone who can actually stop people like HoloX, or monsters like Grendel. You were afraid that Koyori might actually be someone who can help unlock your own secrets, but never considered that this strange dream version of her could do that too in a way.

She even pushed you past your own limits both as a fighter, and as a person that day she ran her experiments on you. In some weird twist, your subconscious created this adversary not only out of your own fears, but your desires as well. A burning desire to be stronger than you are now, and that even meant mentally.

"Look on one of the many brightsides of helping me with my research. With you as my prime subject, I won't need to use Chloe as my guinea pig as much anymore. That poor, unfortunate soul has endured so much in her life already. Doesn't it make you feel a hint of heroic pride knowing you're lessening her suffering?" Koyori suddenly says to pull your attention back to her.

"Yeah she has endured a lot…and that's why I'm going to bring all of HoloX to the ground!" You spit. "She only puts up with your garbage because she never wants to be in chains ever again. You know what else? If she can survive actually going back to a place with the real version of you, I can stomach a made up version of you, no problem! I can also keep fighting you!"

"Yeah yeah, very nice bravado." Koyori claps with mock enthusiasm. "Although I am not 'real', I'm real enough to do with you whatever I please. It's just a matter of when I choose to do so."

"When huh?" You ask with a raised eyebrow. A sudden thought invades your mind. If you truly made this Koyori from both your fears and your aspirations, perhaps she can only truly be beaten by recognizing how she truly is a part of you.

"Yes, Anon. When." The coyote huffs at you. "And when you just give in to me, I will give you a nice spot in my lab where we will unlock all your secrets. Your full potential will be revealed by yours truly, and help my darkness take the world as she is meant to. Just in case you forgot."

"Why wait?" You shrug as you decide to try and prove a theory you just composed. "Let's go to your lab now. You beat me after all. I can't move an inch with these amber shoes I got on, so I'm just a sitting duck for those weird laser attacks you can do."

"Now you're speaking my language!" Koyori chirps as she clicks one of her heels against the ground, and the entire landscape begins to change in front of your eyes as a veil of white light washes over it. In seconds, you are back in the metallic hut that was set up in the cave off the coast of Bjornholm, where you first met the head of research. You look around unimpressed and put out a disappointed frown.

"This? This is that dank little place you had me in the first time we met." You scoff. "Don't you have a homebase lab somewhere?"

"This is my lab!" Koyori pouts at you.

"As far as you and I know.." You say as you cross your arms. This further solidifies a fact that is growing brighter by the minute. Koyori, THIS Koyori is your own creation through and through, and she only has as much power as you are willing to give her.

"I don't see what you're so uppity about! I can run hundreds of my experiments here! Some are even worse than what I put you through last time!" The coyote screeches with building anger as she points at you.

"It's a shame we can't know what some of those actual experiments could really be." You say to stow more coal on the fire. Koyori looks close to reacting, to order one of her floating contraptions to fire at you, but she somehow stills her hand. "Just like how Chloe grew from her own hardships, how I grew from mine, I have to believe that you, the real you, is growing from her own defeat. You've only been using the same old tricks on me, Koyori. Only stuff I've been afraid of myself. My mana being sapped from me, not being able to move, those painful laser beams. Those were all things I've been through already."

"And they still beat you. What's your point?!" Koyori demands.

"They only beat a part of me." You begin to explain. "There's a weapon I have that you haven't even gotten to see in a one on one match. Can you really say your inventions will render me useless if you haven't tested them against that?"

"Are you talking about the new wind spirit? She is easily accounted for. I have more than a few counter measures for-"

"What I'm talking about" you interrupt. "Is a part of me that has been at my side since I started my journey. It's stuck with me and always helped me protect my friends. It's fought point for point with the mace of a knight captain. It's cut through crimson red mana in the shape of a dragon! It's even slashed through the golden skin of a demonic beast! Koyori, you've never taken me on while I had my sword! In here, or in the real world! Now why is that, do you think?"

"W-Why would I willingly let you have something like that?" Koyori stammers. "Having some chunk of steel wouldn't change much."

"Except that's not who you are. You either had combat experiments planned where I could fight with it, or much more likely, you didn't think the bond between a warrior and his weapon is worth any weight. You underestimated the bonds my friends and I have for one another, as well as my bond with Undine. I bet you underestimated my tie to my sword as well!" You say with resolute conviction.

"A-And where is this sword you love so much now? If your bond to an inanimate object is so powerful? Not even your spell book is here with you, and that has a very clear connection to your soul." The coyote offers next in an attempt to sway the conversation back into her control.

As Koyori's confidence begins to wane, so does her control over your dreamscape. The metal roofing of her portable lab begins to fall apart piece by piece and vanish into the air. The gray stone of that seaside cave now rests under your feet, but the ceiling is gone to allow a view of a twinkling ocean of stars. One shines particularly bright for an instant as something hurls down from the heavens.

A glimmering blade flies down from above like a shining comet and pierces the pool of hardened orange amber between your feet. You reach down happily, much to Koyori's vocal protest and threats, to grip the handle of your trusty sword. It really is the perfect fit for you, not just because your dad forged it to be, but also because of the immense challenges this sword helped see you through. Letting your mana flow through your sword that is still lodged into the earth, you channel the magic of starlight through it and with a firm push of your will, send a silver-white pulse of light through the solid substance, shattering it from the inside. You bring your sword's blade to your face and admire its shine. It really is as much of a partner to you on this journey as Undine and Watame are.

Not willing to just sit idly by, Koyori stomps her feet and orders her floating contraptions to attack. Both spheres break formation and flank you from both sides, their centers glow with an unsettling red. You channel a mix of water and starlight mana into your blade's edge, and swing upwards towards one of the devices meant to harm you. A crescent of azure outlined with silver-white flies forth and nails the sphere right at its center; cutting it in two. The second fires at you, but you quickly bring your blade about face and deflect the red beam meant for your chest into the far wall. Another fluid motion completes your flourish to send another magical slash at your floating target, splitting it before it can move out of the way.

"And that's just a taste of what I can do with this." You smugly say as you rest your blade over your shoulder. "Now what else you got?"

"Don't you dare get cocky with me!" Koyori snaps as she takes another vial from her strap; its contents were pitch black and cloudy. You can't help but smile though. Seeing the coyote lose her cool is so satisfying, and it usually means she's quickly running out of options. "I am the head of research and development at HoloX! I am the greatest genius this world will ever know! You WILL be beaten by my superior mind."

"Since you're made from my mind, does that mean I'm actually the genius?" You say pointing to yourself with a finger.

"We'll see how smart you are when I take your sight from you!" Koyori barks back as she uncorks her vial and lets the puffy black smoke that was contained within begin to seep out and expand. In mere seconds your entire world is shrouded in darkness. You can't even see your hand in front of your face. A flash of red registers to your vision, but you are unable to react before a hot red pain erupts from your knee. You kneel down and feel the tender flesh of your wound, and then another blast hits your shoulder. Unable to see where your assailants are coming from, you lower to the ground and roll. You manage to dodge a few more blasts meant for your person, but you can't avoid being struck for much longer.

"Now what, Anon!?" Koyori cackles from all directions. "I can see you, but you can't see me, or my sentry spheres. What good is your little heaven sent sword now?!"

"For a girl who lives inside my head, you sure haven't been paying attention to what I said I'm going to be." You say proudly as you rise to your feet. The glistening metal of your blade begins to shine brightly with your celestial mana, lighting the area around you. The silver-white luminescence reveals five more floating spheres circling around you, poised to strike again. Channeling wind mana at your heels next, you dash forward with the winds of freedom propelling your steps. You jump up, the force beneath your feet giving you a brief flight, and slash the orb twice. As you land, the four even chunks fall to the ground behind you.

Two spheres fire at you from behind, and you turn and stand to meet them. A slight step to one side causes one beam to miss its mark, while the other grazes your left leg. The stinging pain fuels your sword arm as you perform a horizontal swing while your sword shines even brighter. A storm of azure balls of energy fly forward, colliding with three of Koyori's metal contraptions.

The more your magic builds, the brighter your sword shines. You begin to make quick work of the floating weapons, be it from crashing them into one another through the force of water and wind, or running them through with your blade. Each attack makes you feel stronger and more confident than the last.

"You can't fight me forever, Anon!" Koyori screeches from beyond the darkened veil. "I can keep making an army of sentries until you fall to your knees!"

"Then I better cut through the source next!" You retort as you ready yourself for one final burst of magic. Even in the pitch black, you can somehow feel where that mad coyote is. Embracing her existence, the fear she instills, but also the courage to face that head on, has made her a shining pink beacon within your mind's eye.

You sprint towards where your heart guides you, slashing through every beam, sphere, and creeping darkness that stands in your way. A half dozen orbs flank you from both sides, but you won't be stopped, you won't give up against Koyori ever again. A loud battle cry erupts from deep in your belly as a wide pulse of water magic washes over the floating spheres, shorting their circuits and robbing them of their ability to fly or act. The light radiating from your blade reveals Koyori looking at you in astonished awe as she steps back in fear.

"This time, the win is mine, Koyori!" You charge at the coyote, and before she reaches for the last vial in her collection, you bring the flat of your sword against her stomach. The wind is knocked right out of Koyori's lungs as you flex and push your muscles to complete your motion and blow the mad scientist away with an explosion of starlight magic from your blade. The explosion of radiance eats away at the artificial darkness Koyori's concoction created.

The setting of the seaside cave begins to change and shift to that of the never ending cosmos, but you feel as though you still stand on solid ground. You raise your sword up high in victory as you come down from the adrenaline high of your final assault. You actually did it. You beat the haunting specter within your mind with your own strength. There is just one last thing to do.

Koyori lies broken and defeated along the vast river of stars and planets. As you calmly approach her, you can hear her pained pants and sobs.

"How…." Koyori asks herself. "How did you win? My inventions were supposed to render your skills useless…it's not fair. There's so much knowledge I haven't uncovered yet….I don't want to go."

"You can't stay and have free run of my dreams anymore, Koyori." You say coldly. "There's a lot I need to do out there, in the real world. I need to be able to sleep through the night."

"I won't give up…" Koyori whimpers. "I'm the only one who can help you realize your full potential."

You raise your sword above your head, which causes the coyote who looks up at you from her fetal position to twist and turn her tail to you while she covers her head with her hands. As she shivers, expecting to die, what you do next surprises her. You grab her pink fluffy tail firmly in your open hand, causing an embarrassed and surprised yap to come from the coyote. You've always wanted to see how her tail felt, and now that you've touched Polka's too, you have something to compare it to. It definitely has a distinct hearty texture compared to the softer tail of the fennec. You suppose each variation of demi-humans that might share similar traits have things that make them truly unique to one another. A good avenue to potentially explore in the future. While your sudden touch caught the scientist off guard at first, she still quivers and cowers from under you. You pull her by the tail to the side to make her face you from her place at your feet.

"You're half right." You begin. "I DO need your help to realize my potential, but it's going to be on MY terms from now on."

"Y-You're not going to kill me?" Koyori asks in disbelief through forming tears. Then her expression grows considerably brighter. "I knew you would realize we were meant for each other!"

The coyote then tries to rise with her arms outstretched to possibly give you a hug, but you bring the tip of your blade to her chest and gently push her back down.

"I don't think I can technically kill you." You correct her. "Second, we are in no way meant for one another. The person I created you from wants nothing more to further her own sick and twisted knowledge and doesn't care who she hurts to do it either. You're…something different. You feel real, just like all these wounds you gave me feel real, but you're still something I made. At first I thought you were just my trauma, and something to work through, but then you kept coming back, again and again, no matter how many times I tried to shut you out."

"That's because I'm smart enough to get past all your defenses." Koyori answers methodically.

"Because deep down, some part of me WANTED that." You correct her again. "I felt absolutely powerless against Koyori on my own, and I hated that. I hated that I put my friends in danger, and that I might do so again in the future because of who and what I am. I needed to prove to myself that I can beat you…that's why you're here."

"Like it or not, you are actually a part of me, at least an old me. So here's the deal, you're going to behave yourself and not make yourself known unless I ask you to. Do that, and every once in a while I'll call you to help me practice and come up with new moves. The type of challenge you give me is unlike any I've ever faced before, so it's good experience." You strictly explain as you bring your sword back to rest on your shoulder.

Koyori opens her mouth, likely to argue or make demands of her own, but she meekly shuts her mouth and looks down at the ground. Her pointy ears droop slightly as she nods slowly.

"Good. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to catch up on some very well needed restful sleep. So, shoo." You say with a wave of your hand. Then, just like how a spell dissipates into the air once it has completed its task or has no mana left to fuel it, Koyori vanishes into the cosmos in a display of glittering pink lights. You let out a heavy exhale and fall onto your back. It's strange, usually within this scenery you feel the comfort of weightlessness, but now, gravity works as it normally does.

"I actually did it…" You say to yourself after a moment. "I actually beat that damn coyote back…this is awesome! I can't wait to tell the others! And you!"

You lift your arm to bring your sword into view and give it an appreciative smile. "I couldn't have done this without you. You really have been there for me just like Watame, Undine, and all the others have. Now you really need a name!"

As you ponder what would be a fitting name for your blade, you remember the clear image from earlier of it flying down from the heavens, and how it tore through Koyori's creations like it was an unstoppable comet soaring through the stars. Then, the name hits you.

"Shining Comet." You say proudly and with assurance. "That's going to be your name, how's that sound?"

As if to give you an answer, the edge of your sword gleams with the light of the stars that shine all around you. A shining spark of hope and his trusted shining blade that cuts through evil like a comet. That sounds more perfect the more you think of it. You can't wait to tell Watame and Pomu, but first…you got some z's to catch up on. A quick thought and desire manifests a simple cotton bed in front of you, to which you happily lay yourself down under its blankets and close your eyes. Falling asleep within a dream? That's a new one, but you are exhausted…but in a good way for once.

From another dream that is decorated with the vastness of the stars, Sana sits upon a planet with her fists held to her chin, to possibly keep her own energies contained as she watches something from afar. Next to her, sits a blue haired human who she also offers her tutelage in celestial magic. The bluenette sits with an angry expression on her face as she is forced to watch the dream of another play out through a window in space. After she had passed today's lessons with incredible ease, Sana suggested they "tune in" to what another user of celestial magic was up to within his dreams, so here they are, watching a boy try to outwit a pink coyote with a knack for scientific potions and gadgets.

"Look at him, Suisei!" Sana points outwardly as the boy is reunited with his familiar sword. "Oh he's gonna let that mutt have it now! He's channeling his starlight magic into his sword perfectly!"

"Is that really so impressive?" Suisei scoffs. "It looks like to me he can't even manage anything with his magic besides mana coats and little splashes and breezes. Is he really this spark of hope you've been gushing over?"

"Mhmm! Mhmm!" Sana nods, seeming to pay no mind to her student's snide comments as she continues to watch the young man slash through his metallic adversaries one by one.

Suisei almost felt silly for being so angry. This boy that her dreams told her would steal her spotlight, was a total mess. He finally corners his opponent and can put her down, but he doesn't? He just starts going on about how she's a part of him. What kind nutcase ends up creating their own sentient dream demons? Then he doesn't even erase them for good? What a chump. Then, as the boy looks at his sword and even starts talking to it, the bluenette checks out completely and lets out a long sigh.

"Shining Comet! What a perfect name!" Sana then chirps, which brings Suisei's attention fully back to the conversation.

"Excuse me?" Suisei says with a hint of nervousness.

"That's what Anon just named his sword!" The cosmic woman clarifies. "Hey! You call yourself a comet too, don't cha!? You gotta think this kinda thing happens for a reason right!?"

As Sana continues to sing of the young man's praises and how she thinks he and the blue idol will make a great team, something snaps within the human girl's mind. Her fingers dig into the planet she uses as her seat, creating cracks large enough to allow her digits to fully grip the solid rock. Not only is this clumsy upstart trying to take the spotlight from her, he is using HER namesake. SHE is the one who is supposed to be a bright and shining comet that basks its light on this world. This…this pretender! Is just a cheap copy. He will learn what a real shining star looks like soon.

"Hey, Sana." Suisei says in a voice of fake and forced cheer to break the celestial woman from her tangent. "I think I would REALLY like to meet this Anon. I can someday, right?"

"I'm so glad you asked!" Sana returns the comet's smile with a genuine one of her own as it spreads from ear to ear. "He said I could point you in his direction anytime you asked! Don't worry, I didn't spill any of the beans about who or where you are. I know you pop stars like your privacy after all."

"Thanks Sana, I really appreciate it! So where is he?"

"On the move right now. Heading the kingdom of Shallah. He's gonna go fight pirates!"

Pirates huh? With any luck the guy will get himself skewered. The bluenette thinks to herself without letting her expression show it. If he ends up dying, he was never worth her time to begin with, but if he lives….

"Hmmm, could you maybe ask him where he is going to be next once he's done there? I have a couple weeks of performances ahead of me, so maybe I'll take a little break after those to go meet him." Suisei proposes.

"You got it, Suisei!" Sana gives her friend a thumbs up. "Oh he's gonna be so excited that another celestial magic user wants to meet him! Oh you are going to make his day for sure!"

"Oh trust me, it's going to make my day to meet him." Suisei returns with a hint of psychotic glee. It might be time to give her beloved weapon a long overdue shine. The blood of this wannabe hero will look perfect along its edge.

The songs of birds and a gentle breeze tickling the underside of your nose raises you from sleep. Your eyes blink a few times to bring the mid-morning sun that hangs high overhead against the clear blue sky into focus. Sitting up, you give your arms a nice big stretch above you, and bask in the feeling of a new day. The thought strikes you that you have slept, like actually slept, and you're feeling like a brand new man. Your excitement takes hold of you and you are instantly filled with energy.

"Hey! Chloe! You're not gonna believe this!" You say as you look to your side to tell the very first person you can about your latest achievement. However, where the orca slept on her own plaid quilt that she got with her own special five finger discount, was completely bare. It was mildly disappointing that your latest frenemy was gone. You would have liked to tell her that you actually overcame the nightmare version of her lunatic comrade thanks to her help, she might have gotten a kick out of that.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised…" You sigh. "It would have been nice to at least say goodbye for now. Oh well. I'll see her again at some point."

As you pack up your small makeshift camp and gather all your things, you can't help but laugh at the small adventure and mishaps you got into yesterday. You even have a completely empty, or rather; no wallet to show for it too. There is still one last matter to attend to before you can set off.

A quick summoning brings Undine right to you, and shortly following her sister's signal, Sylph appears in her spiritual state beside her. Both greet you with affectionate smiles. Their expressions grow brighter as they seem to notice something about you.

"Well somebody is certainly in bright spirits!" Sylph remarks playfully. "A little alone time really does wonders sometimes, don't it?"

"Indeed." The water spirit agrees as she acknowledges her sister's chipper smile with one of her own. "I take it your day alone was relaxing, summoner?"

"It was something alright…" You chuckle nervously. The initial plan was to get out of Judsmead before either spirit could be any the wiser to the trouble you got into, but you don't think you have it in you to lie to them. Undine has been able to tell when you were keeping something from her before, so it doesn't feel like you'll be able to keep what happened a secret.

"Summoner? Were you sleeping out here?" Undine asks while you stay silent to find a way to articulate what had transpired the day before.

"Yeah. I kinda ended up camping out." You say while rubbing the back of your head.

"Really?" Sylph says in mild disbelief. "Wasn't the plan that you were gonna find a nice place to crash and take a load off? Was the place too crowded? Oh! Could you not afford it?! You did spend a lot on Watame the other day."

"Yes. Yes. No. And no…probably." You answer each one of the wind fairy's questions one at a time. "Look…I kinda got in some trouble yesterday. I…I got in a fight."

Both spirits look at you with befuddled gazes. "Could have fooled me." Sylph shrugs.

"You do tend to look a little well…worse off? After you've been involved in battles." Undine adds, trying to politely say that you don't have a great track record for keeping yourself unscathed.

"Yeah…we were both kinda drunk." You shamefully continue. The longer you put this off, the worse it'll be. You take a deep sigh and decide to get the big reveal done with. "Chloe…and I."

"Chloe?" The wind spirit repeats. "You met a girl? And fought her? Not exactly what I meant by having 'you' time, but I don't judge…Oh wait! Are you saying you fought, but it was actually a different kind of 'fight'?"

While her younger sister entertained theories that your victory was that of a different type of conquest, Undine's eyes narrowed on you. She was giving you a choice; tell Sylph yourself, or she will.

"Chloe…of HoloX." You get out and resign yourself to divulging the entire truth. "We ran into each other by chance at a bar, she was on her way north after doing something she was ordered to. We fought. We barely landed any clean hits on each other. We got arrested, locked up, and then we escaped."

"HoloX….holy crap! You mean that crazy group that wants to take over the world?!" Sylph exclaims as her hands press against the sides of her head.

"Why didn't you call on either of us?" Undine asks sternly while coming closer to you and inspects your person for any signs of injury or worse.

"I tried to at first, but there were these handcuffs that block off most magic, and then Chloe started freaking out, and then-"

"Aww don't get so sour with him, Sis." Sylph says as she comes and gently pulls the water spirit off of you. "He's obviously fine, and actually a little better off than when we left him. There's gotta be a good ending to this story, don't cha think?"

"I suppose he is unharmed." Undine sighs. "And it is hard to not notice the considerable improvement in his mood."

"Oh. That's because I think I finally have full control of my dreams again." You say a bit proudly. "I actually beat Koyori in them."

"I knew you would find a way to triumph over your own demons, summoner!" Undine praises you and she steps forward again to give you a hug.

"It wasn't all me though." You say as you happily return the water spirit's embrace. Being away from her for just a day, while liberating, left you missing her close presence. "Chloe actually gave me a few good ideas on how to beat her, as well as a new perspective on a couple things."

"She did?" Undine asks in disbelief as she pulls away from you. "Are you sure it was not a form of trickery?"

"Turns out we both can't stand that mad coyote." You reply. "There's also a bit more to her than I first thought. She also wanted me to tell you she's sorry by the way. For kidnapping Uisce. She really doesn't like putting things in cages, but she didn't have much of a choice…from her perspective."

"I see." The water spirit says flatly as she processes everything you just told her. Those calm pools in her eyes look as if they can shift into a raging storm at any second. "Do you believe she is truly sorry?"

"I do." You say instantly. "After what she told me about her life, and how she reacted to being locked up, I know she didn't like what she did that night."

"But she also stabbed you." Undine reminds you.

"And I made her eat dirt." You shrug. "Which she didn't think we were even for until she pretended to not break my handcuffs so she could haul me off back to Koyori. That nearly gave me a heart attack."

"So if I could just recap." Sylph interjects. "You got into a bar fight with one of your old enemies, got thrown in jail, formed a friendship with that enemy, broke out of jail, and then camped out here for the night?"

"More or less. I'm not sure if I would call Chloe and I friends though." You answer as you start to think hard on the word in relation to the orca. "She is still a part of HoloX, and I don't intend to let them have their way."

"But you discovered that she at least has some good in her?" Undine asks to help you settle your own dilemma.

"Yeah, I think she's actually a good person deep down." You say, sure of the answer. "It's all the more reason for me to stand up to HoloX and make them give up this whole world domination thing. That way, Chloe can just leave those creeps and live a full, free life."

"Well, it appears that your excursion was more fruitful than we could have hoped." The water spirit then smiles. "Shall we go make our way to meet back up with the others?"

"Before we do that." You begin. "Can we keep the part about Chloe just between us? The girls will never let me hear the end of it if they found out what kind of trouble I got into on my own."

Undine wears a rather disapproving expression as she opens her mouth to likely argue against your proposal, but Sylph notices this too and floats in between you both.

"Now before you say anything." The wind fairy begins to stop her older sister from speaking her mind. "Don't forget that we told the girls that we would keep our eye on our summoner. If they find out he got into a little harmless trouble, we'd be on the hook for that too!"

"I would not exactly call what happened 'harmless'." Undine crosses her arms.

"But he pulled himself out of it all on his own…well…with a little help from who got him into trouble in the first place." Sylph rebuttals weakly.

"I suppose you are right. I wouldn't want the girls to think less of either of us. Still, it feels wrong to lie to them. You must think so as well, summoner." Undine sighs, seemingly okay to move along with your coverup.

"Who needs to lie?!" The wind spirit chirps. "Our summoner got into a little tussle with a drunk, and when the local lawmen saw how strong he is, they invited him to…uhh…test! That's right! Test their security facilities. You know, to make sure they're up to snuff."

"Chloe and I sure proved that they weren't quite ready to hold us for long." You chuckle with a degree of pride that makes Undine give you a scolding stare from those deep blue eyes of hers. You shrink down into your own skin at her gaze and promptly stop acting smug about your misdeeds.

"And he even got the supplies he said he was going to get." Sylph follows up. "There's no way we would think he was up to anything else."

"I suppose so." Undine exhales in exasperation. "It is also true that your day provided you with the inspiration you needed to overcome your nightmares. That should be more than enough for the girls. For now."

"You two are the absolute best." You step forward and give Undine a big hug, who now takes her own turn to return the embrace. "I also promise not to get into any more trouble on my own from now on…at least I'll try harder."

"Meh! I wouldn't worry about trying too hard, summoner." Sylph remarks as she joins in the now group hug, surprisingly making physical contact with both you and her sister. "Your kinda trouble is fun. Don't go changing for anyone."

"If you say so." You chuckle. "Say, Sylph?"

"What's up?"

"How are you touching me right now?" You ask curiously. "You shouldn't be able to touch anything solid in your spiritual state right?"

"Not unless it has a super strong bond with the elemental spirits. And guess what?! We got a bond that's super strong already!" The wind spirit chirps as she gives your cheek an affectionate nuzzle with her own.

"Really now?" You ask rhetorically as you think back on the past instants you've noticed one of your spirits touching something while they were incorporeal; Undine reuniting with Sylph, Undine hugging you before your day in Judsmead, and even back in Bjornholm. When Undine had found and comforted you during your meltdown over just being told you and Nene were to be wed. Even then, you shared a very special bond with the water spirit. There really is a lot to learn about them isn't there?

Before you can further talk about any further nuances to what a spirit can or cannot touch without being summoned, the chatter of several gruff, and particularly angry voices catches all your ears. You look past the water spirit's shoulder to see a gaggle of guardsmen slowly heading your way.

"Summoner…are they?" Undine starts as she turns to notice your approaching guests.

"Yup. A group of armed men who are not too happy with how easily I broke their jail cell's door, let Chloe knock a guard unconscious, blasted a table to bits, and made a rather cool escape out of the highest floor of their building. All because I might have smashed a bar up a little while fighting Chloe…" You list off as you get ready to make a mad dash.

"That part you conveniently forgot to tell us." The water spirit snidely remarks.

"And you'll be happy to know, I left the owner of that bar with every last coin I had to my name." You retort as you begin to run in place. "Flare will be pretty pissed that I gave away all my money before I could take her out on a proper date, but oh well. Guess I'll just have to face the music. Let's go!"

With the guards from Judsmead giving chase, you, Undine and Sylph make your way towards the promised rendezvous point. The promise of seeing your loved ones after a brief separation fuels your legs with vigor, and the desire to escape incarceration also does wonders for your pace. The thrill of outrunning your pursuers fills you with a mischievous glee. Perhaps it is the certainty that there is no way they could hope to contain you, even if they did manage to catch up. Or perhaps Chloe became a bigger influence on you than you first thought. It was incredibly fun escaping the law with her.

As the men still would not let up after a few more miles, you decided to mess with them a little. You have a brief exchange with Undine who agrees to revert to her spiritual state, which causes more than a few astonished cries from the running lawmen. You and Sylph share a hearty laugh over the minor trickery, and even Undine smirks a little at how the simple disappearing act from your pursuers' point of view has them questioning their own eyes.

The road began to incline gradually to a small slope, and over its hump you could see the converging of two dirt roads about a mile or so up ahead. At their joining, you see a group of blond headed figures. Despite the increasing temperature, your legs start to move faster, eager to reunite with everyone even sooner.

As you get closer, your and Watame's eyes meet, her face brightens as she begins to jump up and down while waving to you. When you finally reach your beloved sheep, you wrap your arms around her and pull her into a powerful hug that spins you both around as you continue to move forward.

"Watame! I missed you!" You happily exclaim.

"I missed you too, Anon!" The sheep says back brightly, giggling slightly from being literally swept off her feet by you.

After a few more joyful spins, you let Watame down and look deeply into her eyes. There is a lot you want to tell her about, to tell everyone about, but the sounds of the ever vigilant guards from Judsmead have you put all that off for now.

"I hope you guys aren't too tired, because we need to keep moving." You say as you take Watame's hand in your own and begin to lead her down along the road where the grass can be seen to start to thin and the ground beneath it shifts to sand.

"And hello to you too." Pomu remarks as she then turns to see the approaching armed and angry men. "Not exactly the entrance I had in mind, but I'm guessing they're not too happy with you, Anon."

"They're furious. Let's just go!" You yell back.

"It was ONE day, Anon!" Flare snaps as she and the other girls begin to run after you. "What on earth did you do in just one day to make an entire town chase you this far!?"

"It's all a misunderstanding! Honest!" You shout back between small fits of laughter.

"Why not fight big bullies then?" Nene proposes as she sprints to come up next to you. "Nene is glad you are back by the way." The champion of Ursol then adds as she gives you a quick hug.

"I'm glad to be back." You smile. "And no, we can't fight them. I'll explain later. If we get to the desert, they should stop chasing us."

"Should?" Polka asks between panting breaths. "Don't make me run a marathon just on a gut feeling, Anon!"

Soon, the border of the Shiso desert comes into view; the flat and seemingly endless horizon of tan sand. Your feet hit the giving ground of the desert and a wave of excitement flows through your body. You have actually set foot on an actual desert! The new sensations and surroundings are almost enough to distract you from the physical weight of the heat barring down on you from the sun. When the border of the desert is almost out of sight, you feel content that you aren't being followed anymore, and stop to take a much needed rest.

"Alright….*huff*...Anon…what was THAT about? Why were those guys chasing you?!" Flare asks as she slumps forward with her hands on her knees.

You take a few more needed breaths and wipe the sweat from your forehead, but before you can open your mouth to speak, Sylph flies to your rescue.

"So things might have gotten a teensy bit rowdy back at Judsmead." Sylph says coyly. "My summoner had to step in and go toe to toe with a particularly dangerous drunk. Once she was-"

"Once HE was taken care of." You correct the wind fairy nervously.

"Oh right! It was a he wasn't he?" Sylph corrects herself with a mildly nervous giggle. "It was hard to tell, couldn't really see the face on the account of that mask."

Likely by pure accident, the wind spirit was quickly adding too many details that someone could possibly draw a conclusion about WHO you were fighting. You groaned and dragged your hand down your face.

"Once my summoner did that" Undine joins in. "The guards were so impressed that they wanted him to test their holdings for them. They were unprepared for the power of his spell book however. Despite it being from their own invitation, they were rather upset with the damages our summoner caused."

"I really didn't see what the big deal was." You shrug as you join in to give the final confirmation of your story. "They asked me to show them what I was made of, and I did. When they threatened to lock me up for real because of it, we had to book it. Luckily they didn't find us until the morning. You were right though, Pomu. That town is as rigid as they come. I honestly wouldn't want to go back there."

"Well, what's done is done, I guess." Flare sighs. "At least it looks like you got the supplies we need…but it's great to just have you back, Anon."

The half-elf and you share an affectionate gaze. While the change of pace from the previous adventure was in the grand scheme of things good for you, you can't help but feel an immense warmth in your soul as you share proximity with this tanned skin girl. Flare's lips curve to a slight smirk as she seems to notice something.

"Did anything else interesting happen while you were on your own?" She asks with a smug certainty.

"As a matter of fact, yes. Last night actually. I think I can finally got control of my own dreams again. Koyori shouldn't be a problem for me anymore." You say with your own smug satisfaction.

"For real? Like, she's gone!?" Polka perks up at this information, her own smile matching yours point for point.

"It might be a tiny bit more complicated than that." You say to temper expectations a little. "But she shouldn't be making any unwanted visits while I sleep from now on. She knows that I'm the boss of my own head now."

Immediately you are showered with warm praises and short hugs by each of your friends, all happy that you look to have finally conquered one of your inner demons. When Flare takes her turn with you, she leans in closer to one of your ears.

"You know this doesn't get you off the hook from being my body pillow, right?" The half-elf whispers in a way that she was telling more than asking.

"Wouldn't dream of it." You whisper back with a slight chuckle at your bad joke. Once you and Flare separate, you begin to unsheathe your sword. "Pomu, would you mind taking a look at my sword again with that magic lens you have, and tell me if you notice anything different?"

"Sure thing." Pomu replies as she digs the small circular looking glass from her strapped satchel. "Should I see anything different? Did you get a cool new enchantment done?"

Before you can give the fae any sort of expectations, she begins to inspect your held out blade with mild interest. Her eyes then light up as she seems to find what you were hoping to have her confirm for you.

"It's got a name! Your sword finally has a name, Anon!" Pomu gasps, causing everyone else's head to turn her way.

"It's there!? You mean it's actually there!?" You ask, your spirits soaring from the prospect of your sword's identity being etched into its very soul.

"Cheyaa! It's right there in big bold letters. Name: Shining Comet. Oh that's good. I like that." The fae chirps.

"That's such a pretty name!" Watame beams. "What made you decide on that?"

"It came to me in a dream." You say matter of factly.

"You're quickly making a habit of doing things like that." Polka chortles teasingly at you, but then she winks and gives you a bright smile. "I think the name fits it perfectly. Nice job, Anon."

"Just because your sword has a name now, doesn't mean you are suddenly a match for Soul Quill and I." Flare remarks playfully while patting the handle guard of the rapier strapped to her hip.

"While I would love to prove you wrong, we should probably get moving. We have a bit of ground to cover to get to Shallah, and I don't think we want to linger in the desert too long. I don't know about you, but I'm already cooking a little." You retort playfully as you pull your collar out to let some of the hot air out.

With that, you all begin your trek through the Shiso Desert. The way your boots sink a few inches into the giving sand make your muscles have to work twice as hard to keep moving forward. On top of the physical exertion from below, the sun beating down from above makes it feel as though your body is at least twenty pounds heavier. The increasing heat that was quickly becoming sweltering also makes you require a drink almost every couple of minutes. The water skins you bought along with your existing supply that Polka readily presents to anyone who looks like they could use a drink, are certainly getting their use.

The landscape, while a completely new view to you, was also intimidating in its own way. There was nothing but sand as far as the eye can see, not an inch of greenery or wildlife anywhere. It almost feels sad to you, so much land, but seemingly so little life to inhabit it. Your opinion that nothing could comfortably survive in such a harsh environment is quickly overturned as you watch Polka, strutting through the sand like it was no different from the sturdy earth of the forests or the cobblestone streets of a town. She looks absolutely unphased by the weather. Could it be her clothes? Her outfit is certainly a little more…let's say breathable. That can't be the only reason though. Flare's outfit is also a comparable amount of breezy, and she's faring about the same as you are. Watame on the other hand…

Since you entered the desert the sheep was sweating considerably more than the rest of you, but she was so excited to be back with you and seeing new places that she didn't make her discomfort known. Now however, the poor girl had fallen to her knees as she pants under the harsh sunlight. Now that you are paying attention to clothing, cotton was not a great choice.

"Here Watame. Drink up." You say as you kneel down and hold your sheep upright as you bring the spout of one of the half-full water skins to her lips. She barely musters the strength to parse her lips and drink. Your worries begin to mount as you can feel her body temperature rise through her clothing.

"T-Thank shu…Anun…" Watame barely manages to slur out through heavy breaths.

"Shhhh." You gently hush your sheep as you place a cooling hand on her forehead, and begin to use your healing magic on her. Soon her pained breathing slows down and her expression softens slightly. You know this isn't a real solution, but it's a start.

"Here, let me carry her." Undine says as she phases back into her physical form. The water spirit then cradles Watame in her embrace and begins to radiate a lightly blue glow from her body. You can feel a cool run along the air, and you give Undine a thankful nod.

"We should find a place to cool off soon. I forgot you guys aren't really built for this like I am." Polka remarks as she blows cold air at Nene with a red and black paper fan she had conjured.

"This map Lui gave us I think marks some sort of pond about halfway to Shallah. We can stop there for the day." Flare says as she finishes giving herself a quick freezing from a dab of ice magic to her own forehead.

"Let's hurry so I can take a dip!" Pomu says as she fans herself with her hands, the sweat had made her hair stringy and the tips of her bow drooped down. The fae's wings had also become slacked and heavy looking upon her back. "Fairies are not made for the desert. I can't even fly in this heat. Anon…carry me…"

"Fine…Just shrink down and you can ride on my shoulder." You offer, trying your best to keep worry for Watame from evolving into a panic.

"No. Carry me like a princess. Carry me like one of your sheep girls." Pomu whines as she practically throws herself on top of you. The weight of the forest fairy in your arms suddenly makes your legs buckle, but you straighten and give the girl a very stern look.

"If you want a free ride, shrink down." You demand. "Or else neither of us are going to make it through this, and I will drop you first."

"You win, you win." Pomu shrugs, and in a small fizzle of magic, her body begins to shrink down before your very eyes, until she can fit in the palm of your hand. You marvel at the strange feeling of holding an entire person in your hand. Is this how Sana feels all the time? You then gently bring Pomu up and let her sit down on your shoulder.

"Thanks, Anon." The fae says to you, to which you give her a small smile.

From then on, each of you that was able to handle the heat more, kept a close eye on the person next to them. Polka kept close to Nene who was constantly pulling at the cut of her shirt to allow more air to flow down into her chest, and you kept close to Flare, who was quickly becoming beaten down by the blazing sun. A few times you both exchanged a cooling touch of water magic.

"Anon! Anon! Looky!" Watame suddenly bursts out after a short while, stopping everyone in their tracks. You quickly trudge to the front of the pack where Undine carries your sheep. Watame is pointing outwardly in the distance towards something. "Look! Noel found us!"

"Noel?" You ask in disbelief. That can't be even close to right. Noel is currently all the way across the sea, and she sure as hell wouldn't be in the middle of a desert for no reason. Still, you entertain Watame and follow where her finger points.

Over in the distance amidst the heat haze, is a curved figure. You blink a couple times and try to refocus. Even after trying to convince yourself of otherwise, you certainly think you see a silver haired knight with a curvature that could only belong to her just a good thirty feet away. Your stomach then drops at the idea. A hopefully irrational fear over how the knight captain will react poorly to what happened to her half-elf friend back in the elven kingdom still claws at your nerves. Not to mention you have no idea how she will react to yours and Flare's budding romance. You'd rather not find out, not for a long while.

"Anon? Are you alright, pal?" Pomu asks from atop your shoulder. "You look like you've seen a ghost. You're not going to get all overheated and loopy too are ya?! You're my ride!"

"Tell me what you see out there." You say simply to hopefully later answer the fae's question.

Pomu then leans forward and squints her eyes while holding a flattened hand above her brow to shield her vision from the sun. "I can't really tell. It could be a person…I think. It's kinda blurry."

"Noel!." Watame giggles. "Look how strong I got!"

The sheep somehow wriggles her way out of Undine's grasp and begins to swagger along the dense sand towards her target.

"Watame!" You shout in shock as you begin to chase after her. "You shouldn't be running! It's too hot!"

"Oh dear. Little sheep, please stop!" Undine pleads as she gives chase alongside you.

Everyone else begins to notice the sudden shift in pace near the front and pushes themselves to not fall behind, and somehow Watame is just as fast as ever while in the middle of a heat stroke. As you approach the figure, the image of Noel in her full knight's garb, with a face that does not look all that happy to see you, begins to shift. In its place, the shape of a rounded green plant that comes to about your height juts out of the sand.

"A plant?" You ask yourself as you come to a slow stop. In front of you, is a thick skinned cactus whose own arms protrude outward in a way that they could resemble that of a person from faraway.

"Noel!" Watame squeals as she lunges into the spiky desert fauna. You can only wince as her face makes contact with its midsection which you can only imagine looked quite different to the sheep to prompt her to dive head first. You and Pomu look on in pained awe as the sheep continues to nuzzle the pricks of the cactus. The heat must have fried Watame's pain receptors along with her senses.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Watame suddenly yelps as she falls flat onto her back. There it is…

A small silver lining was that the sheep was so out of it, she didn't squirm much as you carefully removed each needle that ever so slightly stuck to her face while you rested the back of her head over your outstretched legs.

"So I guess that was a mirage?" Flare remarks as she and the other girls took the chance to take a small breather. Although, a small breather in the middle of a searing desert atop hot sand is not exactly a welcome respite.

"I thought mirages were supposed to be what you WANT to see." Polka rubs her chin in thought. "Which explains why Watame saw a curvy cactus as your friend, but that doesn't really explain Anon."

"I think I'm more worried about the fact that I even saw the mirage at all." You sigh as you give Watame a small pass of your water based healing magic across her face, which earns a relaxed smile from her. "I'm starting to see why this place is so empty. It's hard just to exist out here."

"Is Shallah really any better?" Polka asks.

"From what I remember hearing from their traders, the coastline makes it a lot more hospitable." You begin to recollect. "The ocean air and water seems to balance out the harsh temperatures, and they said they got trees that don't grow anywhere else."

"Nene wants to see new trees." Nene chirps, trying her best to keep a happy face through all the sweat.

"We'll need to survive the trip first…" Pomu remarks from her sitting place on your shoulder. "Anon is doing all the walking for me, and I still feel like I'm wilting away here."

"Here, this might help us out a bit." The circus magician says as she takes off her hat, and begins to dig her plunged arm through its contents. Polka then pulls out a closed umbrella colored with red, blue, white, and pink stripes. It opens with a mere push of her hands against its shaft to outstretch high enough, and wide enough to cover your entire group from the punishing sun with ease. "Portable shade courtesy of Polka."

"Polka…" You grumble. "Why didn't you bring that thing out earlier?"

The fennec only shrugs. "Didn't really think to. I'm a fennec, you know. This heat doesn't feel like much to me. I'm well insulated."

You open your mouth to argue, but Flare just leans down next to you and puts on a hand on your shoulder. She gives a slow shake of her head that tells you to drop it. Something tells you that the half-elf had a similar experience not too long ago when her troubles could have been solved by one of Polka's magical circus creations, but the clown herself just did not consider the option at the time.

After securing Watame back within Undine's arms, you all begin to traverse the desert once more under the protection of Polka's umbrella. Not being in direct sunlight was already having a noticeable improvement on you all. Even Watame's temperature seemed to be dropping. However, the fatigue you all felt from your journey was beginning to wear you all down. While Polka and Undine are fine to keep going, you can't be sure how much longer you, Flare, or Nene can keep this up for. Then, not a moment too soon, a shape begins to form in the distance.

A collection of hearty and dried green bushes grow along the lip of a large pond. A semicircle of trees whose thin leaves form a drooping crown from their tops grow around the body of water. Your spirit brightens at the thought of finding an actual resting spot, but you temper your expectations, this could be another mirage after all. A part of you however, knows that this is no mirage. Even within the sweltering heat, you can feel the presence of the water that nourishes the small amount of plant life around it.

Everyone stomps through the sand with renewed vigor at the prospect of a cooler place to stop for the day. You hear several sighs of relief when you all come within inches of the desert oasis and confirm that it is very much real. Pomu even leaves her seat from your shoulder and immediately flies past the outlining brush and into the watering hole.

"Pomu made sure water real! Nene next!" Nene cheers as she jogs forward and cannonballs into the water, causing a moderate splash in her wake.

"I guess when it's this hot, it doesn't really matter if your clothes get soaked." Flare chuckles as she strolls past you, eager to cool herself down as well.

"Guess that leaves the rest of us to set up camp, then." You remark with fake reluctance. "Polka, mind setting the tent up for us? I'll get a fire pit set up with some of the wood around here. Undine, take Watame down to the water would you? You both could use a bit of soak. Sylph….by the way, how are you doing anyway?"

"Oh, I'm just peachy!" The wind spirit chirps at you while Polka and Undine move to perform their given tasks. "Even in my spirit form I can feel the temperatures a little, but without solid skin to sweat or anything, I'm just fine. Thank you for asking though."

"Well that's good. I wasn't sure how badly the heat would affect you while you're not solid. Undine seems to be holding up fine so far, but I want to make sure she has time to rest like the rest of us." You say as you begin to scour the area for any fallen twigs or branches that you could use for your fire.

After Polka's tent is set up next to the water's edge, you assemble a small stack of wood, branches, and kindling to ignite later, no reason to make things hotter until the sun goes down or when you need to cook. You and the fennec walk over to the pond's edge and observe everyone else just basking in the azure purity. Pomu has reverted to her normal size as she floats on her back next to Nene who does the same. Flare was content to dip both her legs in from her seat along the sloped earth, her white stockings folded and her blue shoes neatly placed next to her. You decide to follow the half-elf's example and after setting down your things, you take off your own shoes while rolling up your pant legs. Taking a seat next to Flare, you dip your feet in the water and shudder from the cooling sensation that somehow runs all the way up past your spine.

"Yup. That's amazing." You sigh happily as you let your legs sink further down so that the water reaches your knees.

"What's amazing is that something like this is even out here." Flare comments after a short laugh at your expression. "Not that I'm complaining, it's just surprising is all."

"Every desert has to have a watering hole or two." Polka says as she kicks off her pointed red shoes and takes off her own set of stockings. "Everything's gotta drink sometime ya know."

You nod in agreement with the circus fox as she takes a seat next to you and dips her own legs into the water. You can't help but notice this is probably the first time you all shared a dip like this together. Usually moments like this are meant for washing up, so you're sent on your way to do that all by your lonesome. Being next to your favorite girls AND having the comfort of water? If it weren't for the fever inducing sun that still beams down from overhead, this could very well be a paradise for you right now.

"Hey Undine. How's Watame doing?" You call out to the water spirit who stands half submerged while cradling your sheep in her arms.

"Much better now." Undine replies with a smile. "Her fever is down, and she has begun to rest. I will take her inside the tent to dry her off. Do not worry, summoner. I will stay by her side while you cool down."

While you wanted to offer to help the water spirit tend to the sheep, you know that she knows that you are at the threshold of utter exhaustion. The cool reprieve from the desert pool is helping stave that off, but only so much. Best not to argue on this one, Anon.

"That will be great. Thanks Undine." You give your spirit bound family a small smile as she breaches the water and goes to steps onto the sandy ground. You watch her hold Watame's head close to her bosom as she walks to the front of Polka's colorful tent, opens the flap to the side, and enters.

"She'll be alright." Flare says as she places a comforting hand on top of your own. "You and Undine kept her hydrated and comfortable. After a small rest she'll bounce back."

"Yeah. I know. We'll need to figure something out for the rest of the trip though. Her traveling clothes were almost a death sentence." You say as you start to think about tomorrow's expedition already.

"From the map, if we leave early tomorrow, we should reach Shallah's borders by the afternoon. Hopefully it gets cooler the closer we get to the ocean as well." Flare says as she idly kicks her legs lightly in the water, drawing your eyes to those perfect coffee colored legs of hers. With brand new stressors, it dawns on you that you didn't take care of the main reason you wanted to be on your own for a full day. Now, stuck in the middle of a scorching desert, you're now hot and bothered twice.

"T-That still doesn't really help with the fact that Watame is a sheep and her outfit is almost entirely made of cotton." You say to bring your thoughts back to the problem at hand.

"I'll just make her something lighter to wear for the trip then." Polka shrugs. "By the way. How were we not carrying you along with Watame? Your clothes practically cover you from neck to toe. You were probably getting heat flashes."

"I was surprisingly alright. Well…the sun was miserable, but I didn't feel like I was in any danger if that makes sense. I can't handle this heat anywhere near as well as you can, Polka, but you are right it is kinda weird how I managed so far." You say as you give the idea a little more thought. Just HOW did you avoid falling into the same state as Watame with your current outfit. The pants and shirt are breathable for sure, but that can't be the only reason.

"Anon not get sick because he is strong." Nene suggests as she comes to the edge of the pond to lift herself up and take a seat next to Polka. The wild girl then shakes some of the water out of her hair, spraying you and the fennec with a fair amount of droplets.

"Or maybe it's the whole 'summoner' thing." Pomu adds as she is next to exit the pool, making sure to ring her long blond hair of any excess water, before moving on to the ends of her dress. "Is that possible, Lady Sylph?"

"Hmmm." Sylph hums as she sits crossed legged in the air and spins herself in a small circle. "The details are a little fuzzy, but I think I remember something about how we make each other stronger because of our pacts. Maybe that's it? Sorry that I can't be sure though."

"That's okay, Sylph." Flare says with a warm smile. "We'll help you remember everything in no time. You might be onto something though. Anon might have avoided having a heat stroke because his body has not only become a house for you and Undine, but also because he trains so much with water and wind magic. Both things that can help stave off the heat."

"I have heard that training with magic that comes from nature can have that sort of effect." Polka adds to confirm the half-elf's theory. "A true mastery of mana coats can help shield you from things like extreme heat and cold too, but you'd need to be good enough to cover your entire body at once."

"Speaking of training~" Flare says as she gives you a sly look. "Want to do a little practice, Anon? Just a little. You need to make up for skipping yesterday."

"Oh yeah?" You scoff as you remember the small little advancements you made with your own starlight magic with Chloe's help. "And what did you all do yesterday without me? I find it hard to believe everyone was practicing."

"Girl stuff." Polka and Flare answer in unison.

"And we started a book club." Pomu decides to declare. You can only guess that it was the fae's own idea too, judging by how proud she looks about it. "You can join too if you want, Anon."

"I think I'm okay with letting that be part of girl stuff, thanks." You shoot the idea down. "Alright. Let's do a little practice, Flare. Seeing as you got a little distracted yesterday."

"Says the guy who was busy getting into bar fights and busting up jails." Flare scoffs while kicking a small splash of water at you. "Now fully get in. I had another idea of how to help you with your water magic."

Seeing how fast Nene's and Pomu's clothes dried in the desert heat, you feel more than comfortable letting yourself fall fully into the shimmering indigo waters. The weight of your damp clothes pressing against your body is actually quite refreshing. Your satisfaction is doubled when Flare joins you as well. The half-elf flips her now wet hair out of the way of her face, and gives you that famous confident stare of hers.

"Remember. This is a magic lesson." Polka calls out teasingly from her seat on the sidelines. "So stop staring at Anon's wet shirt, Flare. And that goes double for you, Anon."

"Who invited the fox who can't do elemental magic?" You ask your partner smugly.

"I believe you did to start, and now she's stuck with us forever." Flare replies with an air of mock regret.

"Oi! Don't make me come in there!" The fennec chuckles again.

"I'd be happy to call that bluff, but I'm actually curious what Flare's idea is for us being in the water itself. So, don't leave me in suspense. Why am I standing waist deep in water with my clothes on?" You remark, happy to keep playing along, but also eager to start the training the half-elf planned.

"We're simply going to focus on our water spells today. I think us being in water will help us feel more in tune with it." Flare says intelligently.

"That actually makes a lot of sense." You feel yourself awed by the idea. "I was able to first meet Undine after sinking to the bottom of the ocean."

"And you met me while falling through the air." Sylph chirps.

"So are we going to need to find a giant icicle for Anon to sit in next?" Pomu asks, half-jokingly.

"Then we throw ice off cliff, right?" Nene asks.

"Okay. Starting the magic now. No more questions while we concentrate." You snap to stop the teasing comments from the peanut gallery. Closing your eyes, you let the sensations of the water around you flood your senses. Their ever changing form, their gentle embrace, their role as lifeblood in most living things. With these thoughts in mind and the push of your own mana, something begins to feel…different.

With the amount of mana you have spent already today along with your physical exertion, a clear orb of water should be more difficult to make, but a small sphere appears between your two hands without much effort at all. When you open your eyes to behold your creation, you become astounded to see that small amounts of the water you stand in are funneling into your own mana that fuels your spell. You look at Flare in front of you who is doing the same spell as you are, although hers seems to be made more from her own mana than the already present liquid of the watering hole.

"Glad to see I was right." Flare says with a proud smile.

"You knew this would happen? I'm…I'm using real water to make my spells? They're a part of my spells now?"

"It's not all that different from what you do when you and Undine resonate. I've seen you both use the very waters that surround you to create new spells, and even make them part of your attacks." The half-elf responds. "Although Undine may have created the waters, you already have a deep connection with them. That connection should not only allow you to get a little help from them to give a boost to your spells, but it will allow you to control and alter your spells after you cast them."

"That kind of skill can also help you lessen the impact of enemy spells too!" Polka chimes in. "Kinda like what that one girl from HoloX can do. I'm not sure what her deal is, but she's able to just magically inhale water. I'm not saying you should try that, you'll probably drown or at least have to go to the bathroom all night."

The mention of Chloe makes you tense up slightly, afraid that through some freak chance, Polka knew who you had spent the day with yesterday. The spell that floats in front of you spasms and loses some of its shape for a few seconds. You quickly get a hold of yourself and will it to become stable again.

"I know that girl gave you a rough time before, but I don't think you have to worry about that anymore." Flare says when she notices your minor break in composure. "You're not only a better fighter since our battle in Bjornholm, but you're getting a lot better with your spells too! You even have another element to fight with. That girl can't completely neutralize you now."

"Yeah…I suppose you're right." You laugh a little, relieved that the half-elf took your reaction as a sign that you were unsure of your battle prowess and not because you had actually seen the orca yesterday. "Do your spells also come a little easier when we cast them like this?"

"A tiny bit." The half-elf replies as she begins to take her practice further by expanding and retracting the wet sphere that floats above her one hand. "When it comes to being a nature nut though, you will always have me beat. So this type of spell casting will do more for you than me. But….you could have an entire ocean at your back, and I would still kick your butt."

"Let's test that when we get to the coast, shall we?" You grin, eager for another chance to put the half-elf in her place.

"Ohh~ How about we make another wager?" Flare grins back. "This time we'll make it a contest. Spells against spells."

"You're on! When I'm back near the ocean, I bet my magic is gonna blow yours away." You say with increasing excitement, the sphere above your palm appears to respond as it unconsciously changes its shape to your go-to new spell of a throwing star.

"You both remember we have a job to do when we get there, right?" Polka snickers as she watches you and Flare have one of the fiery exchanges the fennec has come to adore watching. "Instead of fighting each other, why not use the pirates to settle this little score?"

"Ohhh! Good idea, Polka." Pomu cheers. "How about….whoever beats up the most pirates with their magic spells, is the winner?"

"Nene want to be part of contest too! Nene will beat up more pirates than anyone!" The champion of Ursol says with fierce determination.

"Your claws are technically magic, so it counts." You shrug, not all too displeased to have Nene joining in on the fun. After how fierce she was in the last black castle, she will be a tough competitor for sure, and that makes you even more excited to show your stuff. "Should we set any ground rules though? It might seem unfair if I count any wins I get while I'm joined with Undine, or even Sylph."

"Ohh! Oooo! That's right!" Sylph squeals as she floats herself down next to you, and puts an arm around you to bump you into her. You can't help but smile at the wind fairy's excitement along with everyone else's confused faces to see an incorporeal spirit actually touch and move something solid. "We haven't gotten to do a true spirit resonance yet! I want the first time to be awesome! Big Sis told me how the first time you two resonated, you were fighting this old master mage. Ours needs to be just as cool. Okay, summoner!?"

"I'll make sure to give you a grand entrance." You chuckle, your excitement building further to find out what sort of powers you'll both unlock when you synchronize your spirits together. Will you be able to fly? Maybe you can create full tornados together.

"Alright." Flare starts as she lets her spell dissipate and it falls down into the clear pool in a small cascade. "So any opponent we defeat using magic will count towards our score, and since I'm so nice, I'm going to allow your spell book too."

"BUT! If Flare casts the spells for Anon, she gets the points too." Polka chimes in, clearly having as much with this idea as everyone else is.

"Sounds fair to me. Now let's talk about what the winner gets." You say as you exhale and let your own spell disappear.

"Same as last time?" Flare proposes.

"Fine by me. The winner gets ONE free, no questions asked favor from the two losers.." You agree.

"Ooooo, that sounds spicy!" Pomu exclaims as she takes a seat to dip her legs back in the water. "I'm not sure who I want to win."

"It's me. You should want me to win, Pomu." You remark playfully to the forest fairy as you lift yourself out of the desert pool and begin to let the sun dry you down.

"Yeah but…Flare and Nene are really good." The fae says as she quickly realizes her choice of words and stammers a quick recovery. "B-But you're good too! Just…I've watched Flare kick your butt the past few days…and I watched Nene plow through demons like nobody's business. You got stiff competition, Anon, and this fairy likes to back winners."

"Then it'll be that much sweeter when I come out on top." You scoff as you twist the ends of your clothes to get some of the remaining water out of them. "I'm going to go check on Watame. The sun looks like it should start to set soon, so I'll get a fire and dinner going."

With a new contest set between you, Flare, and Nene, you leave the girls to further relax and possibly talk about their own game plans as you enter the circus tent with Sylph floating behind you. You spot Undine sitting on her knees next to a slumbering Watame that lays on her usual sleeping bag, blissfully breathing in and out. The water spirit notices your presence and invites you to come sit with her. As you lower yourself onto your knees next to Undine, a smile begins to creep along your face as you notice Watame's comfortable expression. A wave of relief washes over you to see your beloved recovering. Not wanting to make any noise and stir the sheep awake, you decide to commune with Undine in another way.

"Thanks for looking after her so much, Undine." You reach out to the water spirit with your thoughts, who then turns her head to you and gives you a soft smile.

"Of course, summoner. My little sheep is very important to me. I am relieved that she is making such a quick recovery." Undine responds within your own mind.

"Oh neat! We're doing thought conversations now!? This is kinda fun. We can talk without moving our mouths!" Sylph joins in your internal exchange without you realizing. "I didn't know we could do this. Does everything we think just come out for us all to hear? How exactly does this work? If I think of a tree? Do you see a tree too? Or what if-"

"I'm pretty sure this works just like talking does." You cut off the wind fairy's thoughts with your own as you give her a slightly exasperated look. "Undine and I haven't been able to share images so far anyway. Could be useful if we could do that in the future though."

"Perhaps our own capabilities will increase along with our bonds? While it is a little inconvenient not to know what our true potential is that comes with our pact, I must admit that I feel a twinge of excitement in discovering the unknown." Undine thinks with an optimism that brightens your heart.

"Learning as you go, is the way to go!" Sylph happily exclaims in your minds.

"Sylph is right. We will keep getting better and discovering more things together." You express confidently.

Your group agreement and resolution leaves all three of you with bright hopes for the future. Feeling your own stomach growl harder than it ever has before, you are prompted to undergo your chef's duties for the day. Undine offers a slight apology for your hunger, seeing that she has exerted herself just as much today as you, you were likely bearing the brunt of both your empty stomachs due to your pact. You wave off the apology and assure the water spirit that it's no problem.

Leaving both spirits to look after your sheep, you grab a couple cooking utensils; an iron pan, a set of metal tongs, and a small stack of porcelain plates from the corner of the tent that holds a lot of the groups' various things. Once back outside, you stack the various branches that are covered with dry foliage in a nice square formation, and ignite a fire from them. Digging into your own pack, you pull out a couple slabs of the salted meat that are still left over from your purchase yesterday, and throw them onto your pan. The juices from the excess fat begin to secrete into the pan and bubble from the roar of the fire in a pleasing symphony of sizzles and pops. You happily watch your creation begin to brown when Pomu surprisingly walks up to you.

"Smells pretty good, Anon." She compliments. "Need any help?"

"I could use a little help making something for Watame, actually." You gladly accept the fae's offer. "I got a head of lettuce in my bag, and a few apples. If you can cut all that up into easier to eat chunks, that would be great. The water rich foods will help her out. When you're done with that, there's a few peppers I'd like you to chop up too so I can roast them."

"You got it, Anon!" Pomu solutes as she begins to do what you ask. After only a few minutes, the fae comes into your view and drops a few handfuls of sliced peppers into your pot. You look over surprised at the fae, having no idea how she already managed to cut the green and red vegetables into perfect strips so fast. She looks smugly at your expression and twirls a small cutting knife between her fingers.

"I've lived on my own for a while ya know?" She says proudly as she holds up a plate of neatly cut lettuce, and apple slices. "Plus, you can always count on your wingfairy for anything."

"Even if she doesn't think I can win a contest of pirate bashing." You chuckle as you take your metal tongs and flip the meat onto its other side.

"Hey. I was just being honest." Pomu whines slightly. "You'll just have to prove me wrong. Shouldn't be too hard for you, right?"

"Piece of cake." You chuckle as you sift the vegetables around. "So, how do you like the desert so far? You probably got the best view of things from your spot on my shoulder earlier."

"The sun is going down and it's STILL too hot." The fae groans. "I think it's actually getting hotter if you can believe it…I'm also not used to so little…green."

"Not much of that for miles." You agree. "I admit I was a little put off by it at first, but I think I'm starting to appreciate what makes this place special and unique."

"Getting dehydrated in ten minutes just by existing is certainly a unique trait to be sure."

"But there's a lot more to it than just a harsh landscape. The sand here was molded by the earth itself. It may not be the easiest place to live, but there are clearly things that call this place home, and that's what makes it special." You begin to work through your thoughts, your own admiration of the tan strand coming to the surface. "Think about it. Look at the place we are now. For such a place to just spring within somewhere so dry and barren, is a miracle of nature! A small thing like this alone lets countless other things live. I bet animals come for miles whenever they need a small drink."

"You really are a nature nut like Flare says." Pomu giggles.

"I think it's more about being a summoner, but regardless of what it's called, that's just who I am." You shrug.

"Well let's hope we don't get any late night visitors. I know you'd be excited to see what lives out here, but I'm not so sure I am." Pomu says as she holds up an empty plate for you to place one of the well cooked slabs of meat on.

When all the individual meals are plated, you call over the rest of your group that then leave the refreshing oasis waters to come near the fire to eat. Once the girls are seated on the sand that is hardened somewhat by the nearby spring, you take a plate for Undine, and Watame inside the tent.

"Little sheep. It's time to wake up." Undine whispers softly as she starts to bring the sleeping girl upright. "My summoner has brought us something to eat."

While Watame was slow to move her eyelids at first, the mention of food however, raised her to a full alert. Seeing that cute and hungry smile of hers as she eyes the plate you bring over to her, makes your heart aflutter.

"I'm glad someone is feeling good enough to eat." You chuckle as Watame graciously takes the food dish from you, and begins to immediately munch on some of the fresh lettuce. Once you are sure the sheep is strong enough again to support herself, you hand the second plate that includes a fork and knife to Undine. "Eat up you two. We're going to rest here for the night, and get to Shallah tomorrow."

"Anon?" Watame says in a low tone. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry you and Undine had to take care of me so much."

"It's not your fault, Watame. We couldn't have known that your sheepyness would make the desert so unbearable for you." You say with a smile as you pat the top of the sheep-girl's head. "I'm just glad you're alright. Tomorrow Polka is gonna make sure we stay under some shade while we travel, and with me and Undine by your side, you'll stay cool."

"We were a tad rushed into the desert, so we didn't properly prepare for our journey either." Undine brings up as she begins to carefully cut her food and eat it one piece at a time.

"Good point." You nod as you push down the embarrassment you feel from indirectly causing that outcome. "I'm going to head back outside and eat. Once I finish, I'm going to take a small look around the oasis. I want to make sure there isn't anything lurking around that we wouldn't want to meet in the middle of the night."

"Sounds like fun! I'll tag along for that." The wind spirit chirps as she takes an idle floating position at your side.

"Well hopefully it'll be boring, but sure." You give Sylph a small smile.

"Anon? You'll come back right after, right?" Watame asks with wide, pleading eyes. The way she looks longingly at you, especially in her worn out state, breaks down all your mental walls and turns you into an obedient pile of mush within this sheep's hands.

"Sure will." You answer immediately.

"Good!" Watame beams. "I want to tell you about the book I've been reading. It's my very first book! I never knew reading could be so fun. It's like going to another world!"

Your heart feels like it lurches up to your throat as you remember the brief synopsis you read of the book Pomu promised your sheep. She wants to talk about that book? With you? Is she going to compare the relationship and acts between the supposed human and sheep-girl main characters of that story with what you two have done so far? One part of you screams to be excited for this, to wish for the type of outcome your body and soul have been yearning for, but you try to temper your expectations. This book was provided to her by the fae after all, and you've learned from her first hand that appearances can sometimes be deceiving. It could be something entirely innocent after all…but maybe hopefully not?

"It sure is!" You manage to say. "I did a good amount of reading growing up, and a really good story can just take you places you've never even dreamed of. I'm looking forward to hearing exactly what this story you've been reading is about, so I won't be gone long, okay?"

"Yeah! I'll make sure to finish my food before you get back!" The sheep says back, that eager smile of hers makes it harder and harder to not be hopeful that the coming tale she wants to tell you about will lead to something more.

"And I think you better get a move on, and get some food in ya, summoner." Sylph snickers to help bring you back into focus. "I think the desert heat is getting to ya even in here, you're flushing up."

In an attempt to ignore the wind fairy's teasing, you turn and stomp out of the tent, but you can't exactly escape your soul bound tormentor, who just floats along after you. "Later sis! Watame!" She utters between laughs.

Outside, everyone is more than halfway done with their meals, so you take a seat between Polka and Pomu where your plate of food was left. You happily relay the news that Watame is doing much better now, which earns more than a few relieved smiles from your friends. As you continue your meal, you enjoy how it has cooled down while you had your talk with Watame. You can feel your muscles and stomach thank you for each morsel you send down your gullet. After the girls finish their meals, they get up to go and check on Watame themselves. You mention that you're going to take a small stroll around the oasis to check for anything or anyone dangerous. Flare thanks you and proposes that after you're donet, you put the fire out and join the rest of them inside for the night. You nod in agreement and finish up the last of your dinner.

When you begin to roam around the watering hole's perimeter, the change in temperature becomes noticeable right away. With each passing moment, the sun goes further down, and with it, the heat. You suppose with the lack of humidity and the sand itself, the land just can't retain the heat it gets in the daytime, how strange. With things getting colder by the second, you try to hasten your sweep of your surroundings. Thankfully, there is nothing really of note within the dried bushes. You manage to catch a small red lizard scurrying away once you pull the branches of a small brush aside to reveal its hiding spot. That alone filled you with a strange sense of satisfaction. It was the first native animal you've seen to this region. There aren't too many lizards back where you grew up, so seeing the scaled reptile lift all four of its stubby legs to take it away from you was an interesting treat.

Satisfied that there is nothing lurking around the oasis, you head back to camp with Sylph and pour some sand over the dwindling fire to fully snuff it out. A thin trail of smoke rises up to the darkening night sky. You take a second to admire the twinkling stars as they appear along the skyline one by one. The coming of night used to be a minor stressor for you, since that meant you would have to sleep soon, and possibly deal with Koyori. There is still a chance that your victory could be short-lived, but something tells you that you've beaten her back for good this time.

"Let's turn in for the night, Sylph. We got a big day tomorrow." You say as you turn to the circus tent's front flaps.

"Sure do! I think I'm gonna head back to my realm for the night. I'm working on sprucing up the place a little. Big sis and I got to do a lot of that yesterday with our day off." Sylph says back to you.

"Alright, catch ya tomorrow, Sylph."

"Night summoner! Call me if you need me!" Sylph chirps before vanishing in a glimmer of light green magic.

Once inside the tent, you notice most of the girls already curled up in blankets, the sudden shift in the outside temperature can be felt even in here. At least that means there's not a good chance of Watame overheating in her sleep. You happily take a comfortable seat on your bed roll that lays in between hers and Undine's and give them both a bright smile.

"Everything looks good out there." You say giving a small thumbs up. "All we found was a tiny lizard living in the bushes."

"Thanks, Anon. Now can I tell you about the book I've been reading?" Watame asks with brimming interest.

"A-Are you sure you want to talk about that in front of everyone?" You whisper slightly, a little worried about the contents of said book being said aloud for everyone to hear, and more importantly to see your reaction to.

"Oh that's alright. We talked about it already yesterday. I wouldn't be spoiling anything for them." The sheep straightly answers.

"Of course you all did…" You sigh as you notice Pomu's and Flare's smug stares coming your way. They already know exactly what you're in for.

Watame then began to tell you all about her impressions of "A Sizzling Summer With My Shepard". Like you guessed, she was making a lot of comparisons between the two main characters and yourselves. The human and sheep-girl of this story both lived in the same village and knew each other for years, a part that Watame said she found incredibly cute. She then goes on to say how while that would have been nice for the two of you, she wouldn't change a single thing about how you both met, which not only makes your heart leap,and causes an audible "Awww" from the rest of the girls. Watame had quite a few choice things to say about the supposed inaccuracies of the sheep-girl's tendencies and mannerisms.

"Not once did the author write about how much work it is to keep your horns and tail in good shape!" She exclaimed at one point. "If I don't brush my tail at least every day, it gets all scraggly and coarse."

You can't help but giggle at how worked up Watame got over little details like that. She also had a not so minor nitpick that the sheep-girl was primarily opposed to eating whatever plants she could find in the wild. You asked if that was maybe part of her character, and something that is expanded upon later, but that question is met with a firm shake of the head. As Watame continued the story of the romantic journey the fictional pair underwent, she got tired fast. She laid the back of her head down on your lap, and began to speak slower and slower. You simply listen and acknowledge the sheep's retelling with a few nods as you stroke her soft head. Soon, yawns begin to interrupt almost her every sentence, just as it was getting to the parts about their climatic revelation.

Knowing that she would not be able to continue much longer, Watame gives you a genuine smile as she looks up at you.

"Anon, I'm glad you became my shepherd." She says sleepily. "You're going to lead me safely through the desert…and then we're gonna fight pirates."

"And we won't stop there either. We're gonna see the whole world, Watame. We're gonna find where we came from, and help all the people in need along the way. We'll lead each other to it all." You say with a loving smile.

That statement makes Watame sigh happily as she quickly drifts off to sleep while still laying her head on your lap. The simple act of this girl being comfortable enough to fall asleep like this with you sends you over the moon. Your own position however might be hard to maintain after a while. Sensing your concern, Undine stacks yours and Watame's pillows behind you to give your back some support to lean against. You look over your shoulder and mouth a "Thank you" to the water spirit.

When you turn your head back forward, you are met with some very wide and grinning smiles from your audience.

"Okay, show's over." You say to hopefully stop any trading comments before they can begin. "We need to get some rest. The desert won't be any colder tomorrow. Polka, get the lights please."

"You got it, Shepherd." Polka grins as she claps her hands twice to make the magical light that illuminates the inside of her tent to dim and eventually go out.

"A shepherd of both sheep and fox." Undine muses mischievously. "My summoner will be quite well versed in demi-human care."

"And now that Polka called me her shepherd, it's official." You join in on the teasing.

"Okay! I get it!" Polka snaps. "Good night everyone!"

You and Undine share a brief giggle along with the other girls minus Polka. It certainly is an interesting life you lead. Demi-humans are such interesting beings. Finding out that Chloe was one was an eye opener for sure. She showed you that some can hide in plain sight. Maybe your senses will be keen enough one day to pick one out of a crowd. You'd love to meet more and learn about them after all. Speaking of demi-humans though, it is time to see if you'll be forcibly met with one of a coyote variety while you sleep tonight. Only one way to find out.

Your restful and surprisingly uneventful sleep is interrupted by the weight on your lap shifting. You open your eyes groggily to see Watame slowly making her way out of the tent while rubbing her eyes.

Man…what time is it? Everyone else looks dead asleep. Where's Watame going anyway? She did need a lot of water today. Maybe she needs to use the little sheep's room? I better go out and do the same. Last time she left on her own to do this in the middle of the night while we camped out, she got chased by wolves…

Although it is a slightly irrational fear, you don't want to take the chance of some nighttime predator catching the sleepy sheep off guard. You grab your sword that lays next to your bedroll and stand up to then quietly walk out of the tent. Once outside, the chill of the desert night hits you like a club. The air is brisk and Watame is nowhere to be seen near the immediate campsite.

A sudden rustling from the bushes near the watering hole reaches your ears and you tense up slightly. The moon, large and high overhead makes it easy enough to see everything around you, but you still have an uneasy wariness of what could lurk in the night. You quickly talk yourself down and rationalize that it must just be Watame doing her business. Your hand leaves your sword's hilt as you exhale, only for your senses to be jolted once more by muffled gasps and screams coming from your sheep!

"Watame!" You call out as you pull Shining Comet from its sheath and run around the tent towards the source of the noise. When you cut the corner your eyes behold a group of four…five…no…seven! Seven figures are running off with your sheep; her ankles and wrists bound together by rope, and her mouth gagged. It was like your entire world ran red. Someone was trying to kidnap Watame. You don't care who these people think they are. NO ONE will take your beloved sheep from you.

Channeling your rage with your mana, you slash your free hand forward; your entire arm glows a radiant deep blue. An azure deluge forms in the air alongside the arc of your downward movement, and flies to curve and cut off the escape of the kidnappers. Your spell crashes into the sand in front of them like a wave pounding against the shore. The voices, female voices, exclaim a mix of gasps and hisses. You spring forward with your sword at the ready, and the thieves turn to face you.

"One chance. Put my friend down. And leave." You growl as you stop just short of sword's reach of your foes. Your blade begins to shine with a mana coat of starlight to further expose your opponents.

Looking at you with a mix of shock and adversarial contempt, are a group of lioness demi-humans. Like Watame and Polka, they look mostly human, with their rounded furred ears atop their heads, thing long tails that are tipped with a thick brush of fur matching the owner's hair color, and ferocious fangs and visages acting as the clear identifiers of their prideful heritage. All these feline women are clad in tight black tops, and each wear either bracelets, necklaces, earrings, or combinations of all three, each looking to be made with strung together teeth or bones.

Their hair colors range from dirty blond, brown, black, and even silver-white. All of their hair styles are purely wild, but each managed to have groomed themselves to have their own unique style, by either length or cut.

Two of the black haired lionesses take a firm step towards you, their fangs bared and their claws raised. Your grip on your sword tightens as you bring your blade in front of you and take a sturdy stance. These odds are not great, but you will NOT let anyone take Watame, especially not blood thirsty predators.

"Last warning." You threaten.

"Like some human is a match for us." One of the girls snorts in a low growl.

There was your answer. Your body shifts and moves along the cool sand and in an instant, you are standing between both lion girls. A quick swing with the flat of your mana coated blade collides with one's midsection, while your other hand extends and opens to unleash a forceful gale from your palm that knocks the other over.

Two smaller lions charge you next, yowling their battle cries. Sharpened claws meet and scrape against starlight armor that you create around your forearm. A swift kick, sends one of your adversaries backwards, while you slug the other in the face, sending her falling to the ground.

With your adrenaline pumping, and your enemies not able to match your magical and martial prowess, you turn to advance and remove any other obstacles in the way of freeing your sheep. Then, instead of another lioness stepping up to take her turn to be knocked down, a small round black object looks to be walking towards you with tiny stubby legs. This too had the ears and tail of a lion, but it was clearly metallic. You stare in morbid curiosity, and when it reaches just short of your feet, do you notice the small fuse fizzing down near its top.

"Girls! Scatter and retreat!" A cool and commanding voice shouts from the front of the pack.

Before you can react, the small mobile bomb explodes, sending you flying backwards and the sand in front of you surges up like a geyser before it falls down like rain. You push yourself to your feet as fast as you can, and run blindly into the smoke that still lingers. Try as you might, you can't find your foes. Only after breaching the smoke, do you spot the sheepnappers running off towards what looks to be a flattened mountain far in the distance.

"Hey!" You shout as you start to give chase, but your legs buckle at the sudden exertion. "Get back here and fight!" Another hard step forward shoots a shock of pain up from your leg, causes you to fall to one knee to then find that your one leg is bleeding, your clothes and skin opened from the explosion. You curse and try to use your sword to help you up, but you can do no more than hobble forward.

"Anon!" Polka calls from behind you as she and Undine come running towards you.

"Polka! Undine!" You cry, tears welling on your face, but not from your injury. "They took her…lions took Watame!"

"What!?" The fennec gasps as she comes and kneels next to you and starts examining your leg. "Where?! Who?! Lions shouldn't be living out here!"

"Well they're here!" You shout in growing hysterics. "They had some bomb thing that blew me away…I couldn't stop them."

"Okay okay! They won't keep her for long. Let's get you up and running again, and we'll go get Watame." Polka says as she puts a pink glowing hand to your injured leg and it begins to heal.

"How many were there, summoner?" Undine asks in a serious tone.

"Seven…four of them were pushovers so far. When I get my hands on them! If they harm one hair on Watame's fluffy head! I'll…I'll!"

"You'll chill out first!" Polka hisses as she finishes her spell and gives your knee a hard slap. "If you go in there all pissed off, they'll dupe you again."

"They're lions, Polka! They want to EAT Watame. I can't be chill!" You almost scream. "I'm going to go rescue her. Now."

"I know I know!" The fennec grunts in frustration as she presses the sides of her head with her hands as she paces in a small circle. "Fine! The three of us will just go. With any luck we can bring Watame back before anyone even knows we're gone."

"We should join together, summoner." Undine suggests with a fierce resolve. "We can travel across the sand much faster if we use the magic from our resonance."

"Let's do it." You agree as you offer your hand to the water spirit. Once she takes your grip in hers, your burning desire to bring your sheep back safely merges your spirits, and the resonance takes hold of you. "You next, Polka."

Before the fennec can argue, you hook your arm around her waist and pull her close to you. A small pool of water forms underneath your feet that you will to flow forward like a rushing river, carrying you all across the desert sand.

"Don't worry Watame. We're coming for you."