Stepping off the Valkyrie, Punkin and Cer look back one last time to watch the vessels ferrying the dead sail away with Madame Eve looking forward, never turning back to wave goodbye.

“Where we going?” asks Punkin as she looks back at the journey before them.

With one hand on Fang and the other resting gently on the box on Cer’s back, Cer responds while scanning the area for danger, “You know, I have no idea where we are going. I know we have to find our way back home eventually, but first we need to find Miyas.”

“Madman Eve said it’s safe here daddy, you don’t needa look for trouble.” says Punkin giggling as she reaches to hold Cer’s hand as they walk.

“You are right. Let’s see where we need to go,” smiles Cer while reaching back down to hold Punkin’s hand and feeling at peace for the first time in a long time. “Let’s walk and see what lessons your mother has left you.”

Pulling out Claira’s book of mysteries, Cer speaks to the book “May you be open to speak, for you have knowledge that never sleeps, magic of abundance and boundless sharing, and wisdom for the unsparing.”

Ending the incantation with a warm exhale, Cer breathes on the book, causing a spherical concentration of dustly particles of light to form above the book.

With a playful tone of warmth and wonder, a voice emanates from the sphere. “Hello my darlings. You must be ready for your gift,,Pupu. I assume your father is nearby, otherwise, who else would have dared break my seal?”

“Mommy!!! You sleep in my book?” squeals Punkin with both excitement and confusion.

“Calm down, darling Pupu. As I expected, your father may have activated me too soon. I am not your mommy. I am what is left of all her memories and magic. I sound like your mommy because that is the love you long for and want to hear. I can only teach you what your mommy already knew and I can only provide information to questions your mommy had answers to. I am not sentient, which means I am not able to perceive, feel, or learn new things”.

“Fascinating. Well done Claira. I had no idea this is what you did.” smiles Cer with surprise.

“Again, I am not Claira. Think of me as a droid. But a magic one made of light since tech has been doomed for some time. Claira has found a way to encapsulate all her knowledge much like the computers of old. Please call me Clarity.”

“Clair-witty! I like it. You can be my pet… uhh light ball. Can I touch you?” ask Punkin curiously.

“Yes you can, I am made of leylium and your mother’s tears. I feel like soft tingly dust.” responds Clarity in a matter of fact tone.

“What makes you magical?” asks Punkin as she runs her fingers through the center of the mass of light dust.

Forming into small images of light, lines, and auric fields, Clarity responds, “To know that, you need to learn what magic is. Magic is made of three things.

The first part is Mystic. Mystic is your desire, usually influenced by emotion but really controlled by focus on intention and how much you want something to happen, also known as ‘will’.

The second part of magic is Mana. Mana is the energy, life force, and connection between your will and the world around you. Lightening and light are forms of energy, but by themselves, have no will, desire, or Mystic.

Lastly, there is Materia. Materia is the molecules and matter, or things, that conduct the mana and energy of magic which are controlled by the mystic or will. Like a lightning rod can attract or direct lightning or a light bulb can concentrate energy into light, but without mystic or will. To make something magical, you will need an object, energy, and something that focuses the intention on what you want to happen.”

Stolen story; please report.

“Do you understand it now Pupu?” asks Cer.

“Uhm… YES!!” shouts Punkin as she draws her bubble wand. “I will make magic happen.”

“AIYA!!” shouts Punkin as she swings the wand and creates a large bubble. “GO!!!! ATTACK!”

Smiling in astonishment at the size, aura, and density of the bubble, Cer nods in approval. Now I can see the mana and mystic in the bubble. The aura is strong. It must be big. But why is it just floating aimlessly? “Good job, Pupu. Now make it move!”

“It’s too tired.” pouts Punkin as she shrugs. “I telled it to move and I think it’s sleeping Hmm…Or lazy. It doesn’t want to move.”

“Maybe so. Let’s see what Clarity has to say about that… Clarity, why won’t Pupu’s bubble listen to her?”

Responding in a consistent nonchalant, matter of fact tone, Clarity responds, “She has not intended a target for the bubble to attack. Mystic requires focus on intention. You need to stay focused on what you want to happen for it to guide mana and materia to do it. Sometimes we use words, movements, objects, or runes to focus the intention of our mystic. Sometimes our intentions are controlled by our raw emotions. Pupu’s focus is on creating bubbles, not on what the bubbles need to do or what to attack.”

“Huh? Movement?” ask Punkin as she begins to dance like a clumsy ballerina. “Now attack!”

“No. The bubble needs directions from your brain or heart, and you are probably distracted.” Cer says gently.

“You are! I am Pupu, princess war-ya, pie-rate, witch!” shouts Punkin in response.

Sighing in frustration, Cer continues walking while trying to teach Punkin. “ Let’s try imagining that the bubble is attacking the tree.”

“Okay! Attack tree!” yells Punkin as she purses her lips intensely, furrows her eyebrows, and stares at the bubble floating ahead of them aimlessly.

This is not going to work. I can’t teach Pupu and prepare her by myself. I need more help. Why did Kala have to go the opposite direction? What if I can’t protect you or what if something happens to me… or worse, you. We need to find your mother’s friends. They’ll know what to do. I am your living armor until you can fend for yourself.

Interrupting Cer’s thoughts, Punkin laughs and throws a snowball at Clarity, knocking the book out of Cer’s hand. “I made magic! PEW PEW!”

“I think we are done learning for now. Thanks Clarity.” sighs Cer while picking the book off the ground.

Wait… the ground is wet. Did it rain?

Tuning to the environment, Cer notices cold crisp air snapping against Cer’s face with the sound of a light constant gentle breeze whistling softly by.

The absence of any auras nearby puzzles Cer.

“Pupu, are we walking in snow?” asks Cer.

“Yes, Daddy! I never see’d snow before. I like it. It’s cold and pretty and soft.” giggles Punkin as she twists her wand back into a necklace and begins playing with the snow. “It was sunshine and warm and now it’s snow land!”

Stopping to scan the environment again, Cer looks around and tries to feel the air.

Huh, this place is covered entirely in ley lines. Where do they connect and what are they connecting? What magic can change the weather that fast.

Thinking aloud, Cer tries to make sense of how they ended up in snow. “That’s what I thought. I thought we landed on a tropical island. Since we landed, the air has been colder than it should be. We couldn’t have walked that far. How far from the water are we?”

Giggling, Punkin interrupts Cer’s thoughts. “Silly daddy, the water is right there. Look!” Punkin points to the edge of the beach close by, covered in dry sand basking in the warmth of the sun. “It’s snow here. It’s summer there. Hehe. I like it here. I have summer and snow!”

“Really? That’s interesting. Haven’t we been walking inland long enough for the coast to be out of sight?” Cer asks curiously, just now noticing that though the air is cold, it is not cold enough to keep snow frozen. “Are you cold, Pupu?””

“No! I said it’s summer snow!” Punkin responds while making snow angels.

Turning around, trying to study the ley lines and find hints of topography and climate changes, Cer ruminates on possible explanations. Did we reach the other side of the island already? Is it snowing in the center of the island?

Speaking to Punkin earnestly, Cer encourages Punkin to take note of their surroundings. “We need to know where we came from and where we are going, otherwise we will get lost, Pupu.”

“ Are we looking for me-ass? Where is me-ass? What are we looking for, daddy?” asks Punkin.

“I don’t know.” responds Cer in quiet resolution. Sometimes ‘I don’t know’ is the most honest, truthful, and appropriate answer. Maybe we don’t find the answers, but they come to us. “Only one way to find out, let’s keep moving. If we just stand in defeat, were won’t be headed anywhere anyway. Let’s move in any direction, we will eventually end up somewhere.”

“We going ‘somewhere’? Okay. It’s gonna be fun going ‘somewhere’ with you.” says Punkin agreeingly while reaching once again to hold Cer’s hand as they walk deeper into the direction of snow covered lands.

I’ll go anywhere, everywhere, and even nowhere to end up somewhere with you…