She sat on the bed and pulled out the ocarina, turning it around in her hand and admiring it as she wondered how Lugo’s doing. Is he learning a lot? How much stronger has he gotten? Had he forgotten about her in his travels? Master Lumes said that he’s also returning to the orphanage in the morning. It’s been fourteen years since they last saw each other. Will they recognize each other? Or will they become nothing but strangers as they pass each other on the street? She thought of all those times he brought joy and laughter to her world. Those times when he lit up her darkness and pulled her into the light. Even when he was so constantly insistent on taking her to a bathhouse against her will, and it annoyed her, she missed him still.

She lifted the ocarina to her lips and played a melancholy song, swaying gently, side to side as it carried her heart with the wind and into the clouds. Oh how she wished she could fly, just fly away from everything and soar across the sky. She imagined she would be free from everything that weighed her down. Oh if only she could grow wings, then perhaps she can escape the nightmares that haunt her. She smiled wistfully and laid down on her bed.

Tsugi startled awake to a knock at her door. The sun had already set and her room was dimly lit by the dying fireplace in the corner.

She quickly got up and flung the door open, Ellie was in a beautiful elegant dress and her hair flowed smoothly over her shoulders.

{You look like you just woke up.} She chuckled.

{I got ready and just laid on the bed, but I must’ve fallen asleep. Sorry.} Tsugi smiled apologetically.

{Come on. The party’s already started without you.} She led the way down the hall and to the town square.

Uplifting music filled the night air, and mixed with the chatters and laughter of the village. Ellie walked toward the musicians and closed her eyes, before she started spinning, whirling and dancing with the group on the dance floor.

Tsugi chuckled and shook her head, before moving to the sidelines. She stood there with her arms folded and watched everyone laugh and dance. Ellie stopped and glanced around her, a little wobbly from the spinning. Her eye caught Tsugi’s and she came running over when the music stopped.

{Come dance with me!} She beamed.

{No, I don’t dance. I’ll just watch. I always love to watch you dance.}

{Come on! I can’t hear the music, I’m only dancing because I can ‘feel’ the music. You on the other hand can hear it. Come dance with me!} She pouted. {You’ll never learn to dance if you don’t try it!}

Tsugi pursed her lips, feeling shy and uncomfortable.

{Oh! Wait.} Ellie quickly ran out of sight and returned with two goblets. {Drink. It’ll relax you, and you’ll think less.} She chuckled.

{Jeez.} Tsugi muttered and took the goblet from her. The drink smelled sweet yet it burned her nose. Lifting the goblet to her mouth, she took a gulp of the wine. To her surprise it was wonderfully delicious. She finished the goblet, but she was still reluctant to take a step onto the dance floor.

{Would you like some more?} A man came over and held up a bottle.

{Uh…yes please.} Tsugi nodded politely. He filled each of their goblets and moved on to the next person. Feeling a bit parched, she finished her drink in one go.

{You might want to slow down.} Ellie gave Tsugi a worried look.

{Why? I’m thirsty and it tastes really good.}

{Just trust me.} She chuckled.

***

Tsugi grunted and groaned when there was a loud pounding in her ears. “Mmm.” She protested, but the pounding continued and was louder. “Stop.” She mumbled and blinked her eyes open. Light was streaming in through the window and she was sprawled across her bed in the inn. “Ohhh.” She groaned and pressed her hand into her splitting headache. The bright light made her headache even worse.

The door creaked open and the footsteps came over to the side of the bed. Tsugi could smell Ellie’s scent of apples and cinnamon. Tsugi turned to face her without opening her eyes and signed, {what the heck happened? What do I feel like crap?} She blinked and squinted, opening her eyes just enough to see Ellie in her sight.

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{I told you to slow down.} She chuckled. {But did you listen to me? No! You just had to drink more and more and more! That’s why you feel like this. I’m just surprised you can still wake up.} She scorned.

{Can’t you just heal me and make this go away?}

{Nope. You will have to suffer through this. Hopefully you’ll listen to me next time you decide you want to drink that much.}

{Why are you yelling at me? You were the one that gave it to me?}

{I only meant to loosen you up so you would dance with me. I didn’t mean for you to drink the whole barrel!}

{What?!} Tsugi sat straight up and a wave of dizziness hit her, she groaned and leaned over the side of the bed. Ellie quickly pulled a bucket in front of Tsugi’s face, just in time to catch the vomit. Tsugi groaned and wiped her mouth. {I finished a whole barrel?} Tsugi looked up at Ellie with one eye open and one closed.

{I’d say you had a little more than a whole barrel, but I didn’t exactly measure.}

{Ugh. I feel horrible!}

{Hey, at least you danced!} Ellie’s grin split her face. {In fact you laughed and really enjoyed yourself last night. It looked like you had a lot of fun!}

{I did?}

{Yeah! You don’t remember?} She chuckled. {You probably blacked out from all the wine.}

{Jeez, the one time I actually danced and I don’t remember any of it.} Tsugi chuckled and quickly regretted it, when the splitting headache came back ten fold.

{Come, we’re heading back. Master Lumes is waiting for us downstairs.}

{Damn it. I have to travel like this?}

{I warned you.} She smiled and picked up Tsugi’s bag, swinging it over her shoulder before assisting Tsugi to her feet.

“You look deathly.” Master Lumes raised an amused brow as they walked out of the inn.

“I feel like death.” Tsugi groaned, squinting at the bright sunlight offending her eyes.

“At least you had fun last night.”

“Yeah, but I can’t remember any of it. It was a waste.” Tsugi muttered with disappointment. Ellie let go of Tsugi and ran back into the inn.

“Well, maybe next time, just don’t drink a whole barrel.” She grinned.

“Apparently I did, and I don’t remember any of it. Does the whole town know or something?” Tsugi squatted to the ground and placed her head in her hands.

“Actually…yes.” Master Lumes nodded. “The whole town was there, when you declared, ‘I betchu…I can finish…this WHOLE baywole’!” She slurred dramatically and held up her fist, lifting her nose into the air triumphantly as she mocked Tsugi’s actions from the previous night.

Tsugi’s eyes widened with astonishment with color finally returning to her cheeks. “Oh god…I really said that?”

“Yep!” Master Lumes laughed. Tsugi let out a low shameful groan and buried her face into her hands.

Ellie returned and handed Tsugi a goblet.

{No! I don’t want anymore!} Tsugi signed with intensity.

{It’s not wine.} Ellie chuckled. {It’ll help you feel better.} Tsugi quickly grabbed it from her hands and drank it quickly.

{What is it?} Tsugi sniffed the goblet. {It doesn’t smell like anything and it just tastes like water.}

{That’s because it ‘is’ water.}

Tsugi frowned and handed the empty cup to her. {I thought it was some kind of magical herbal drink or something.}

{There’s no magical cure for a hangover, you just need to drink water and wait for it to pass.}

Tsugi groaned in disappointment.

“Stop your moanin-and-groanin and stand up. We need to get going.” Master Lumes rolled her eyes.

“Wouldn’t it be dangerous to travel if I’m like this? Wouldn’t I just be a liability? Can’t we just stay here for another day?”

“Okay.”

“Really?” Tsugi looked up and smiled, but quickly frowned when her head throbbed painfully.

“‘You’ can stay and Ellie and I will head back. I’m sure Lugo won’t mind waiting another day to see you.” She smiled.

“Damn it! Okay.” Tsugi took in a few deep breaths and stood onto her feet. She held her hands out to her sides to steady herself, squinting and blinking in an attempt to ward off her nausea.

Master Lumes smirked and Ellie laughed loudly, causing Tsugi to look at them in confusion.

“What are you complaining about? It’s not that long of a walk.” Master Lumes, crossed her arms across her chest and looked around them.

{Look around you silly.} Ellie chuckled. {We got back last night already.}

{What? But I was just sleeping in the…} Tsugi pointed her thumb behind her and looked back, but the inn looked different. She glanced around her and blinked as fast as the flapping wings of a hummingbird as if it would sober her. The buildings and town looked familiar, like that of a distant dream. Horse hooves clopped, and carriage wheels rolled across the cobblestone road. Voices and chatters finally reached Tsugi’s ringing ears and her vision finally settled in. She was back in Thandeur.