Where's Shouri and the others? Well they're fast asleep, tuckered out as it were. Today it is just you and I.
Who am I you ask? Why, I am Seres, the Time Sage. I am the keeper of the flow of time, preventing those who wish to sully its flow with their greed or regret. Though it flows like a river there are many branches in this delta.
Today I have a special treat - a small glimpse into one of those branches. Despite this being an alternate scenario than the one you have witnessed up to this point many things hold true - I ask you keep that in mind as we go.
With that preamble out of the way, perhaps you all have misjudged a certain woman. What if circumstances had aligned to allow a destined pair to meet much sooner?
What would change?
This is just one possible way it could go...
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“Your child has discordant willpower.”
“What does that mean?”
“It’s a serious condition, but thankfully one which can be treated.”
“What are the treatments?”
“The most natural treatment is of course a duet – a Resonator with the opposite stave alignment from your son. That will resolve the issue with the least fuss.”
“No, my son-!”
“James wait. Let’s try it. The worst thing that will happen is we just have to find the Resonator a new home.”
“…Fine.”
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Shouri kept his head down. It was too much effort to raise it. He wasn’t sure why he had been brought to this place. It was hard getting out of bed this morning.
Other kids played and laughed and enjoyed themselves, but he just felt… empty. So very empty…
He didn’t even know the words to express himself. The only thing that spurred him forward was that bright yellow curiosity. He was only curious so he could tell someone anyone how he felt. He knew very well that at his young age he shouldn’t feel like this, but he did and didn’t understand any of it.
“Alright Shouri,” his mom spoke up. “You’re gonna play with these Resonators today.”
With great effort, he lifted his head. All around him were them; the magnificent magical beings of their world: Resonators. Kids like him, but they had tails, horns, wings, and other body parts he didn’t possess.
“Find a friend Shouri, go on! I’ll come pick you up later!” His mom was abandoning him. He should have figured someone as broken as he was would earn his parent’s ire.
Who’d want a creepy child like him anyway? He punched well about his weight class mentally speaking – all in a vain attempt to express himself. All it did was alienate him from other kids his age.
Five-year-olds shouldn’t have these thoughts. His brain shouldn’t be this loud, he shouldn’t have depression. His stave…
…was a curse.
His head fell once more. The ground was his only friend. Not by choice, but by obligation. It was always there, and so his vision trained there. People were cruel. People were hard. People were exhausting.
“Oof!”
Shouri rubbed his head, having fallen on his rear after running into someone. As expected, a Resonator greeted his vision. A girl with short black hair, with a pair of canine ears poking up from atop her head. In her arms she carried a thick book. A soft fluffy tail curled around the inside of her legs.
“S-sorry!” squeaked the girl. “I-I was reading and didn’t hear you!”
Shouri blinked. Something was odd… but he couldn’t place what exactly. His eyes rested on the book in her arms. She was so small, the book was far too big for her.
But… she said she was reading?
Maybe she was a kindred spirit?
“What are you reading?” asked Shouri. His hands found their way to his mouth as if he couldn’t believe the words that escaped.
The girl’s eyes sparkled in awe. “I-I’m reading the uh…” she tried to mouth the words but her face rapidly flushed. After a moment of struggling, she just held out the book’s cover for Shouri to read.
“Whispers of the Faelands: A Resonator’s Melody”
Despite the book’s title, it wasn’t one detailing the finer traits of Fairy Resonators. It was a book older kids read, a fiction book about an older Maestro stumbling onto a fairy Resonator and their adventures together. Shouri hadn’t read it himself, but he noticed a lot of girls tended to read it. He wasn’t one to care about that sort of thing. If a book could teach him new ways to express himself, he’d turn the pages.
Perhaps it was that which made him act.
“Can we read it together?” he asked.
The little vixen couldn’t figure out the words, her mouth agape. She nodded eagerly before Shouri got cold feet and left her.
Much to her elation, he found a spot for her to sit with him. The young fox noticed something strange about the boy though. Whenever she got stuck on a word, he spoke up and told her what it was without her having to ask. He was reading faster than her but was infinitely patient - waiting for her to finish the page before they turned to the next one.
Her mind felt so clear, the buzz that made focus difficult steadily faded away. The world became so serene as it was just her and him with their shared book. She didn’t even realize her tail had snaked around and cushioned her bookmate’s back.
Neither of the kids paid the passage of time any mind – they might as well have exited the flow of time itself. However, the world was cruel and time marched on without their express consent.
“Shouri Tomoshibi, your mother is here to pick you up!” boomed the loudspeaker over them.
“Ow…” the girl whimpered, flattening her ears as the rude sky box ceased its horrible noise.
Shouri remained still for a moment, no longer reading with his book buddy.
“That’s you… isn’t it?”
He turned to face the fox-girl by his side. Her ears remained flattened, the hurt shimmering in her eyes. The pain of the impending departure was especially poignant as the young vixen fought her emotions in a rapidly losing battle.
It hurt. It hurt so much. It was horrible. He didn’t want to move, and not because of his broken stave, but out of stubborn refusal of the call. However, he knew he had to – there was little choice in the matter. His eyes welled up with anguished frustration he was barely able to contain.
Heartbreak.
He had read that word once in his studies.
That’s what this was.
He was heartbroken, she was heartbroken. That’s what this was.
“Find a friend!”
His mother’s words rang out like law in his head. What was this feeling but of friendship? This girl met the requirements of the assignment given to him.
“Find a friend!”
“Eh?” the girl was suddenly yanked to her feet, her hand taken by Shouri’s. She didn’t say a word as she was pulled along towards the front of the building.
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Imagine Lila Tomoshibi’s surprise when her discordant son walked to the front with purpose in his step – his head raised, his gaze focused, his gait expedient.
He dragged a small girl along with him, raven-clad as she was, her hand was interlinked with his and she followed along as a willing participant.
Lila opened her mouth to greet her child, but he spoke first.
“I want her.” The voice that came from his lips wasn’t like anything she had heard from him before. It was so confident; it knew what it desired.
The research center’s employees were stunned silent. They had watched the boy when he came in, and this was not the same sullen child.
Lila smiled warmly, she turned her head back to the caretaker. “Well? Can he have her?” she asked.
“We’ll need to run a quick tempo test to ensure compatibility, especially since this is a medical treatment, but that’s quick enough to do.”
Lila ushered the two children along, taking an appraising look at her son’s selection. The first thing she noticed was the distinct sensation of darkness wafting from the girl. It was one she was familiar with – that of the Lunar element. The woman smiled. “Yeah, you’re my son alright,” she whispered.
The facility itself was massive and outside of the housing for the Resonators to be adopted out to perspective Maestros, there were many other wings, like the medical wing they were currently visiting.
It was a very impressive state-of-the-art building now that Lila was allowed to properly take in its various amenities. They were led into a room with two exam tables and a computer terminal. There were a couple of chairs for family or caretakers to sit and watch and the usual assortment of medical equipment one would expect in an exam room.
Lila took a seat while the two children were helped up to their respective tables.
“What are you doing?” her inquisitive son asked. The doctors were attaching diodes to both him and the fox Resonator who they still didn’t have a name for.
“Excuse me,” Lila spoke up.
“Yes ma’am?” One of the attending nurses asked. She was a bovid, a cow – a Resonator commonly found in medical offices and professions due to their particular affinity towards healing magic. That much Lila knew.
“Do you have a file on her I could look at?” requested the mother.
“Oh yes, Doctor, can she-?”
“Yes, go ahead and give it to her.”
With no further fuss, the mother was handed the file on the girl her son had chosen. Lila perused the contents of the folder. There was much that was outwardly obvious. She was a fox, a Lunar element. The woman’s eyes rose to see the little girl being stuck with several diodes that matched her son’s.
“Gonna have to talk James into this one,” she muttered under her breath, returning to the documents before her.
Patient Information (Resonator)
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Taika [Unknown Clan or Mixed-Clan]
Birth Date: 7/16/2000 (Age: 5)
Weight: 19.7kg
Height: 107.9cm
Blood Type: B
Element: Lunar
Attribute: Healing
Strong Stave: Will
Weak Stave: Knowledge
Species: Silver Fox
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Resonant Registration
[Organization Registration]
Stratos Lab of Rhythmology Riva Solare
14378 Harmony Place
Riva Solare, Lybertera
Care of:
Dr. Ciarán Steffen (Caretaker/ Facility Lead)
Maestro License ID: 74788-85696
General Medical History
Vulpid Madness - Immune
Pale Eye - Immune
Flower Diptheria - Immune
SIAR - Immune
Surgical History
None
Known Allergies
None
Regular Medications
None
Current Spell Registration
Luce Lunare – Piano
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Rilevare l’intenzione – Presto
ad Libertum
Unknown quantity at this time. The subject hasn’t exhibited any inclinations towards any of the known Lunar ad Libertum.
“Oh, my word.”
“Doctor is that accurate?”
“We’ll run the test again just to be certain, but I have little reason to doubt the accuracy.”
Lila perked up at the sudden commotion. “What’s going on?” she asked.
“If this second test comes back with the same results, I can guarantee this Resonator will be perfect for your son’s condition,” the doctor told her.
“That’s good, but what makes you so certain?”
“These two have perfect tempo,” revealed the doctor.
The elder woman furrowed her brows. “Perfect?” Lila questioned.
“You are familiar with the concept of tempo, yes?” the doctor asked back.
“I am.”
“Perfect Tempo is typically found in duets where they have been allowed to etude for years. It is extremely rare to encounter even in those settings. There is a fluctuation of about ten to twenty percent,” began the doctor. “With these two they’re sitting at a stable 100% tempo – there isn’t any noise, their rhythm is perfectly in sync with one another.”
Lila nodded slowly, her face still contorted in thought.
“I must insist as a doctor that you take this child with you, for your son’s sake.”
She looked to her son, then the girl. It didn’t matter what her husband thought at this point. They were being handed the miracle cure on a golden platter.
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And then ten years passed within the blink of an eye.
Speaking of, Taika opened hers. The TV blared on across the room. The oranges of the waning sun poked into the room. They must have fallen asleep. She nestled back into Shouri, who lay behind her. His arms wrapped possessively around her stomach and upper chest. He was a greedy boy, but she would have no one else. She was his, and likewise, he was hers. The way she snaked her long fluffy tail around his legs staked her claim.
The book they had been reading lay on the ground in front of the couch, it must have fallen when they conked out.
If James walked in on them, they’d get chewed out again. Thank god he hadn’t caught them making out yet.
At least this summer they could finally leave. The privacy of the MA Offices would give them plenty of freedom to express themselves further. Anything more right now was simply too risky.
Regardless, school had been particularly tiring today, and the young vixen didn’t feel like taking an earful from her Maestro’s father.
“Sho, get up,” she nudged him.
“Mrrphh…”
“Eep!”
The poor vixen squeaked as he tightened his grip around her. She didn’t hate it – quite the opposite, she loved being in his warm embrace.
Now wasn’t the time though!
“C’mon Sho!” Thankfully she was stronger than her Maestro, so breaking out of his grasp wasn’t a difficult feat. She wiggled out gently, not wanting to hurt him. Freedom sent her to the ground, the spine of the book hitting her side and causing her to roll into the middle of the floor.
Thankfully her foresight was rewarded by the bedroom door swinging open.
Shouri’s father stood there. “Come,” he spoke in his usual stern tone. It wasn’t Taika that was directed at, but her Maestro.
The boy rose. The exchanges father and son had were tense, bordering on mutual hatred. Taika had gotten particularly good at hiding her feelings on the situation. At least in front of James. Such slip-ups only led to Shouri returning to her worse for wear.
He was using Shouri to get at her. She knew he despised her, but they were at an impasse. Taika was a powerful Resonator. Ten years of being with Shouri, even with the student permit locked tuner saw her punching well above her weight class in school battles. They were untouchable by their peers. Unfortunately, all the fighting strength in the world couldn’t help her in this situation - she couldn’t do anything to James lest she get Shouri in trouble for not controlling her.
And without her, Shouri was defenseless.
James knew that and used that.
It was a war of attrition with Shouri being the victim. They had to last until Shouri’s fifteenth birthday. Then they were gone.
James was well aware of this fact. Hence his “education” of his son had turned into a daily occurrence.
He was an idiot. He forewent the Resonator aspects of their world, he didn’t understand the bond a Maestro and Resonator shared, especially not the one shared by herself and Shouri.
Even now, she could close her eyes and hear everything he heard, feel what he felt, see what he saw. It wasn’t perfect, it was as if she was daydreaming – but even with the hazy filter of rhythm, she knew exactly what happened.
James Tomoshibi was a monster. It was a wonder that a horrible creature could sire such a wonderful human being like Shouri.
Other Maestros weren’t like Shouri though… a lot of them didn’t understand the connection like she and Shouri did. Maybe it was for that reason he became so conscious of Resonators, not just her, but all of them.
Taika was snapped out of her thoughts by the connection of a spell. La Bella Vita, cast in rubato. Her heart throbbed painfully. He was going to come back messed up again… she hated seeing him like this.
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11:59:56PM
11:59:57PM
11:59:58PM
11:59:59PM
12:00:00AM
May 13th, 2015
Two teens ran. Out the front home of the manor they called home and out onto the streets of Riva Solare. Each had a bag on their backs filled with everything they thought they needed to live a life on the road.
Shouri’s fifteenth birthday started this way, and while the outside observer would see their desperate escape as heartbreaking, the two teens were grinning brightly; borderline laughing with excitement.
They were free!
They were really free!
Nothing was going to stop them!
They ran right through the streets, counting their blessings they had taken track and field in their last year of school specifically to prepare for this journey.
When they arrived at the closest MA Office, it only took them both a minute or so to catch their breath before they were calmed once more.
Given it was half past midnight or so, the lobby was relatively empty. There were a few hunters who had finished early for the night, relaxing from an evening well fought. The typical attendants were stationed at the counter – a Maestro and the usual bovine Resonator, a female of the breed.
“Welcome to the Riva Solare Maestro Affairs Office, how can we help you this evening?”
Shouri wasted no time. His black tuner was slammed onto the counter and he pushed it over. “I just turned fifteen. Please upgrade my tuner and license,” he demanded, the grin on his face wide.
The cow Resonator tending to the counter couldn’t help but smiling herself. “Couldn’t wait?” she asked.
“Not at all,” Shouri said trying to suppress his excited laughter.
The Maestro attendant took the device to the back, while the lunar pair was left with the bovine attendant.
“Should I book a room for you two?” she asked.
“No thanks.” Shouri politely declined the offer.
“We’re going to catch a plane in a couple hours,” Taika chimed in.
“Where to?”
“New Draxgow!” the two declared excitedly.
“Oh my! That’s a big city, will you two be okay?”
“Definitely!” They continued to speak in tandem. “We’ve been waiting our whole lives to see the world.”
The way they spoke together was disarming. Even the other Maestros in the room could sense it – when that tuner came back unlocked, something incredible was going to be unleashed upon the world.
And there were no complications here.
“Thank you so much for waiting Mr. Tomoshibi,” the Maestro attendant returned, and placed the midnight black tuner on the counter, she pushed it to its owner. “As of today, you are officially a full-fledged hunter. We look forward to your service ahead and wish you-”
BEEEEEP!
As soon as Shouri laid his hand on the device it instantly began to go wild. The spell screens came up, tons of notifications adorned with bright “NEW!” gracing the screen. The Resonator attending the counter caught the flash of multiple Fortissimos in the short time she had to take it in.
“Thank you, we’ll do our best.”
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Taika’s heart pounded – part anxiety, part excitement. She wished the bus would drive faster. The flashes of the light poles they passed as the vehicle marched on taunting her. Maybe it was because of her lunar element, but she always loved being out at night. The way the moon lit up the sky, and the many stars that sparkled in approval.
It was all so very beautiful.
As the Maestro of a lunar element, she knew Shouri felt the same. He was right there with her, gazing out at the passing shimmering cityscape as their transport marched on.
The bus stopped at the airport terminal, allowing the passengers off. Shouri and Taika had practiced this before in their heads numerous times. They had their tickets already. They arrived stupidly early. They even knew the exact route they needed to take to get to their gate.
In just a few short hours they’d be boarding their plane to New Draxgow, the biggest city in Lybertera on the complete opposite side of the continent.
The only thing they hadn’t counted on was the sheer audacity of one James Tomoshibi and the lengths he would go through to spite his son.
“Mr. Tomoshibi,” a deep voice called out as soon as Shouri and Taika disembarked from the bus.
Given the time of night, there weren’t very many people at the terminal. However, Tomoshibi wasn’t exactly a common last name.
An unfamiliar man in a black suit, bald, with black shades stood barring Shouri’s way. Next to him was another large man, one bearing great horns atop his head – a bovine. But unlike the gentle healer they met at the MA Office, this was a bull, the nastier tempered of the two bovine variants.
“He’s Null,” Taika whispered to her Maestro, who nodded in agreement.
“Let me go,” Shouri challenged.
“I cannot,” the man raised a tuner.
“Don’t do this. You know as well as I do, fighting in a public place is illegal,” Shouri warned. His voice was loud enough to catch the attention of the other people at the terminal.
“Luce del Sole, Fortissimo!”
“Esaurimento/Scudo Prosciugante, Lento/Crescendo!” (RUBY TEXT THIS)
It all happened in a flash of light, earning many screams of fright from the unrelated on the terminal. When it was all done however, the bull had collapsed on the ground while Taika glowed with abundant rhythm.
The opposing Maestro suddenly felt much less confident. “How?” he muttered.
“Bulls are weak to mental debuffs. Esaurimento put him to sleep easily. Plus, your Luce del Sole was weak, old man. Even the Crescendo version of Scudo Prosciugante was able to absorb it. Nice try though,” Shouri explained.
“Your spells they shouldn’t-”
Shouri snapped his fingers. “Hey.” His eyes glowed brightly with swirling blue and yellow rhythm. “We didn’t always have tuners to cast with, consider that.”
Before Shouri could say another word though, the security teams showed up and apprehended the baffled hitman, who remained too stunned for words.
“What happened here?” asked one of the security personnel.
Shouri shrugged. “My dad is a sore loser, so he thought it’d be cute to try and get me arrested before I left.”
The guard looked between the small fox and the large bull they had effortlessly incapacitated. “I see,” was all they had to say.
“We wouldn’t be very good hunters if we couldn’t protect the public,” said Taika.
“And we’re the best after all,” Shouri boasted.
This earned an incredulous stare from the guard. “How old are you?” they questioned.
“Fifteen, as of about an hour ago.”