The sky was resplendent in hues of azure, shining like a cloudy blue realm unmarred by imperfection. The clouds were tinged in soft pastel tones, blush pink blending with cream white. There was no sun, only the light of the Morningstar. It was neither day nor night, but a lost time in between, a beautiful warm dawn alongside a cool dusk. There was no ground, only infinite sky.
Mihira loved it, loved the colours that enraptured her heart and gave wind to her wings. There are wings on her, but she could not tell what colour they are. White as a swan? Light green, pastel pink, pale blue? The colours of the rainbow? They were not visible, and no matter how much Mihira willed it, they never appeared. At least the world around her was colourful, as always. She had this dream numerous times, and each time added more colour and details to the airy world. Mihira always embraced the dream and never questioned why it came to her. Enjoy the beauty and wonder of the world, that was what she told herself.
As she soared above the clouds, Mihira spotted a glimpse of gleaming towers reflecting the sky around them. The towers were mounted on floating cumulus clouds, and Mihira smelled the fruity scent of raspberries and rose petals on the wind. On her descent, she found the towers were connected by staircases made of clouds to a circular building attached to a courtyard. After flying down, she found a copper gate with carvings of little cherubs and swans and a swinging scale on top of it all. Something in her wanted to open it, to see the wonders that lay within the courtyard. She reached for the keyhole and-
“Mihira, wake up!”
Mihira jolted awake, looking for her friend. The classroom was empty, except for Kaori, who was still shaking Mihira’s shoulder, as well as some small weeds growing through the cracks.
“Kaori, why are you still shaking me? I-I’m awake now!” Mihira managed to say a few words before being shaken again.
“Oh, you’re awake!” Kaori stopped shaking her shoulder. “Why are you falling asleep in an abandoned classroom again? There are other places to fall asleep in, like your bedroom, in an actual classroom, on someone’s shoulder…”
“Ah Kaori, the best place to fall asleep is on your lover’s lap or shoulder!” Mihira exclaimed. “I know right now I am sleeping in our old classroom, but one day I will find the one to rest upon.” She looked around her old elementary school classroom and thought about the times she had fun with her classmates or that time she napped in the corner just before school, or that time she tried to make balloons for everyone. She wished her memories were as eternal as her daydreams.
The school was closed, like most elementary schools in the country. There weren’t enough children being born to justify keeping them open, or that was what the government stated. Too many Calamities have frightened the country, or so she heard. Mihira stood up and ran her hands over the grasses poking through the wood, and the little flowers too. The wind mourned alongside her, a low keening noise in the background.
“The world is changing, isn’t it?” She said. “It was only yesterday that we passed the tests for high school, right?”
Kaori chuckled. “That was last year, Mihira, and weren’t you and Kaede worried about if you passed or not?”
“Yes! I didn’t study and had to cram in one week, and Kaede had forgotten when the exam was taking place, so we had to cram together! We still passed somehow!” She laughed along with Kaori, soaking in moments that will never come again. “I can always travel to Nagasaki, but I’ll miss her.”
“You and me both.” Kaori contemplated the moment. “Hina is also moving to Canada too. After the break ends, we will be the only ones left.”
Mihira nodded. “That’s why we have to make this count.” She held up a medium-sized box. “When is the gift exchange again?”
“Today. In ten minutes.”
“...oh.”
While Kaori was pulling her across the field, Mihira asked herself how Kaori was able to run at such a breakneck pace. It was always like that since elementary school, Kaori dragging her to wherever Kaori wanted to go and Mihira following along. She wondered if the future will hold more moments like this, or will Kaori soon be gone as well? It seems like the whole world is falling apart, Mihira thought, with her friends scattered to the four corners of the world. At last, both girls reached their destination, although out of breath and gasping for air.
“Did you bring water?” She asked Kaori.
“No, did you?” was Kaori’s reply.
“No.”
“Why are you daydreaming all the time? And what do you dream about?”
“The sky.” An unearthly sky of vivid colours.
“Ah, Mihira, head in the clouds and feet in the air! Come back down to Earth please, we don’t want to lose you. Weren’t you the one to set this up?”
“Yes.”
Kaori sighed. “Well, at least we are on time.”
Mihira spotted two familiar figures in the distance, also running at the same breakneck pace. “Hina! Kaede! We’re over here!” She waves her hands in the air. Hina and Kaede wave back.
Once all four were gathered, Hina unceremoniously dropped the tiny package on the grass. Mihira’s teal package nestled on her lap, Kaede’s gift with the green bow is the same size as Hina’s, and Mihira noted that Kaori had a medium-sized box.
“You need to start taking proper care of your gifts Hina! We won’t be seeing Mihira or Kaori in a while!” Kaede chided, her ponytail bobbing.
“I’m too exhausted…why did you make me run…we could have had a leisurely walk,” Hina replied, heavily panting while leaning on the side of the bench.
“I like to be on time, and I will not let your laziness jeopardize this!”
“We are all here now, isn’t that what counts?” Mihira interjected. “I’m here, so are both of you and so is Kaori. Hina, since you are here for only a few days, I’m sure you can find time to relax! It’s just important for Kaede to be here.”
The effects of the looming separation were left unsaid.
“It might be helpful for her to have some routine, especially since she’s moving elsewhere. Kaede, I understand your need for punctuality, but the future for Hina is very different from ours. This may be her way of coping with the changes in her life.” She smiled. “Why not enjoy ourselves while we can, huh? I have a gift for Hina, a going away present.”
Hina jumped at this. “What is it?”
Mihira gave the wrapped package to Hina. “Why don’t you open it?”
After a flurry of wrapping paper, Hina was left with a box. Opening it, she gasped at the neatly folded lolita-style teal dress with cream-coloured lace decorations and matching parasol.
“Thank you Mihira for the dress and the parasol! In fact, why don’t I try it on right now?” Hina started to unzip her jacket.
“I don’t want a repeat of the last year of junior high.” Kaori covered her eyes with her hands.
“You’re very welcome Hina, but I would like you to remain clothed for the rest of the gift exchange,” Mihira replied, hoping that Hina listened.
After that crisis was averted and Hina was persuaded to not change on the spot, it was her turn to gift Kaede. Kaede immediately ripped through the package and found herself holding a beautiful jade necklace engraved with writing. Kaede thanked Hina, which was rare enough.
The next gift was for Kaori. The small box that Kaede gave had a tiny white cushion inside, with two small deep blue earrings. Kaori replaced her old white studs with the new blue earrings and marvelled wordlessly at them.
Mihira was last, but not least. As she eagerly awaited her gift, her mind drifted off to what it could be. Maybe Kaori stitched together a piece of clothing? A beautiful lolita style dress like what she had sewn for Hina? A sketchbook? A boxed set of her favourite anime series? The medium-sized box wrapped in pink that Kaori held outwards seemed to hold a million possibilities. Mihira took it from Kaori and unwrapped the box. Opening it, she found something she hadn’t thought of.
It was a circular medallion, made of burnished copper that shone in the afternoon light. Four sections were either pale blue, or light pink, or split in half between the two colours. The top section was equally split in colour and contained a triangle pointing upward with a line going through it, which was also half blue and half pink. The left section had an open triangle with a dot inside, with the triangle being pink against the blue. The right section had a yang symbol outlined in blue against pink. The bottom section was empty. Turning it around, there was the symbol for women, with the circle and the two lines crossing each other. The medallion was revealed to have an inside compartment, dedicated to blush, eyeshadow, and a makeup brush. Mihira’s appearance in the compact mirror was different though. Gone were the black hair and brown eyes, replaced with hair split between blush pink and sky blue, with similarly split eye colours. She seemed to be wearing different clothes, but her glasses were still the same. Mihira blinked, but her reflection never changed.
“Thank you, Kaori.” She was still wondering why she looked completely different in the mirror. “I like the makeup kit inside.”
“Ah, you’re welcome Mihira! To be honest, I felt like the amulet was meant for you. I found it at a small store selling trinkets, and it just seemed right to give it to you.”
She pondered the locket, with its strange mirror and bizarre symbols. “I like it!”
That was truthful. It was very pretty, and she didn’t want to say anything that may insult Kaori.
Kaede stared at the amulet. “What are these markings? Those symbols look like the ones on my younger sister’s diary that she swears is magical. Something about Western alchemy or…”
Could this be the beginning of a magical journey, like what Kaede and Kaori loved to watch? Mihira occasionally watched magical girl shows with them. Something about love and friendship triumphing over evil appealed to her.
Hina looked at the amulet. “It looks like something you would buy at a fan convention, not a small store. Maybe Kaori was too lazy.”
“I would not give my dearest friend second-hand merchandise Hina! How dare you think that!”
As Hina and Kaori got into an argument over whether the amulet was genuine craftsmanship or cheap plastic, Mihira traced her fingers over the amulet’s many etchings, wondering what they all meant.
After all of them said their goodbyes and promised to see each other soon, Mihira found herself on her bicycle through the streets of Tokyo. It was quiet, with a tinge of melancholy. A leaf landed on her nose, then the wind took it away as quickly as it came.
This world has ceased its motion.
She perked her head up. Sometimes, the wind spoke to her in cool breezes and warm gusts.
I do not understand why humans seek to divide themselves with imaginary borders and refuse to move from these imaginary boxes drawn on flimsy paper. That’s why nothing ever gets done, no justice or fairness or love. They just sit in their little boxes and hope the problem goes away.
“I think there is still justice and fairness, and there is love in this world. I love my friends, for example, and they love me too.” Mihira wondered who would be listening. The wind never talked to her like this before.
You are young, sweet child, though your soul is familiar. Your friends are scattered far away though.
“Yes, but we can still keep in touch, and Kaori is still here in Tokyo with me.”
The world is about to end, and yet you still want for others?
“Even though we are apart, I still can be friends with everyone. Distance isn’t a problem.”
The wind seemed to chuckle. Distance, ah yes. The distance you can cover, I see it. Distance won’t be a problem in the future.
Come to think of it, the wind sounded like Kaori. “I was thinking about my gift from Kaori and the symbols on the amulet seem magical. It’s probably magical.” What kind of magic though?
Magic that may save this sorry world. You do need to use your words carefully though.
“Huh?” The wind died down, and she was left with no answer. Silence infused the air, and Mihira couldn’t hear the wind anymore. She started pedalling again, thoughts still on the wind’s cryptic responses.
After reaching her apartment and unlocking the door, Mihira made udon noodles for herself. Eating alone, she thought about inviting Kaori, Hina, and Kaede for a sleepover. Being alone brought an eerie and unnatural feeling to Mihira, one that she refused to dwell on. Her phone was drained, as she forgot to charge it last night. Finishing quickly, she jumped on her bed and examined the amulet. It hasn’t changed, but she knew exactly what Kaede would say.
“If you ever find yourself in a situation that looks like the beginning of a magical girl show, just shout out as many transformation phrases as you can. Weird objects are probably what enables you to transform, so hold onto them. Be careful of beings that look like cats, if they try to get you to sign a contract, run away. Always keep a secret identity. Hope you get something better than miniskirts. Find a way to attack without shouting a long-winded transformation phrase. Conventional weapons are just as good as magical ones.”
Mihira nodded. Now is the time to test Kaede’s advice, but first, she should find out what those symbols mean. She looked at the triangle with the line running through it and tried to concentrate.
Moistness. Warmth. The air governs the movement of all things.
Next, Mihira stared at the triangle with the dot.
A need to initiate, to take a stand, to talk. Go seize your destiny.
Last was the yang symbol.
Upwards, a wave rushes.
Flipping the amulet, she pondered the large symbol for femininity.
Love, passion. Sweet-smelling roses, beauty in all forms.
Mihira knew what to try. She raised her amulet high in the air.
“Libra Star Power, Make Up!” Why not try her zodiac sign?
Nothing happened. The door to her balcony was squeaking in the wind.
"Strange copper amulet, please!" Still nothing. Do mysterious medallions have names?
"Raspberry Metamorphose!" Favourite food? She wondered if she watched too many old anime with Kaede and Kaori.
Night seeped into the sky, leaving a deep blue-black colour in the cloudless sky. Mihira thought it was a great time to fall asleep, especially since she had not progressed with unlocking any possible magical powers of the amulet. While she wasn’t sure if the amulet was magical, something within her felt that it was magical in some way. Mihira fell asleep and curled around the medallion, initially in a dreamless sleep.
The air was sharp and clear, Mihira noticed. The Morningstar still sat high in the celestial ceiling, but there was no pastel sky or strange cloud-bound structures. Instead, there were pine trees, a clear but sombre sky, and the lapping sounds of cool mountain water. She found that the horizon was bordered by a long series of mountains, each one enhancing the quiet atmosphere. The water stretched into the horizon as well. Walking along the water's edge, Mihira turned around at the sound of a bark. A long-legged dog with a reddish brown coat and some white areas was following along with Mihira. Mihira patted the dog on the head, which the dog appreciated, its tongue lolling. Over a clearing, there seemed to be a miniature castle with bright green roofs and little balconies that overlooked the wide body of water, still lapping at Mihira’s feet. There were red chairs in the distance and she had the stirring feeling that this wasn’t as fantastical as her previous dreams.
“Beautiful all the same,” She spoke aloud.
The dog barked. Startled, Mihira noticed that the beach has turned into pink diamonds. She scooped some of the diamonds and tried to stuff her pockets with them, but a gust of wind issued from the mountains, knocking her down. The sky and the mountains faded from her vision.
‘What do you want?’
Mihira wasn’t sure who was asking, still dazed from the blow.
‘Your desires, your ideals. What kept your life afloat?’
My friends, Mihira thought, Kaori, Hina, and Kaede. Will I see them again?
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‘Yes, and others, although I can not guarantee you will find any of them agreeable.’
Mihira wanted to ask more questions, but the world spinning in her vision had tired her.
Mihira woke up still clutching that copper medallion. The smell of fresh pine and cool mountain breezes clinging to her room, filled her nostrils. Her confidence was restored, and she took the amulet with both hands.
“I know that Kaede would be annoyed if I did not follow all of her directions, but I trust whoever spoke in my dream.” Mihira took a deep breath. “I want balance, and I want fairness. I want everyone to cooperate, and I want a partner. Someone to love and cherish, to hold me when I can’t hold myself. I don’t want to lose my friends forever.” She did not often think of the state of the world, but she has seen the news frequently. “There is still love and beauty in this world, and I wholeheartedly believe in this. So, if this is truly a magical trinket, grant me powers to balance this world.”
The amulet remained eerily silent until it exploded into a ball of pink and blue light. Mihira felt the wind again, but instead of knocking her over, it embraced her like a close friend. Mihira embraced it too, and the wind spun her harder. Reaching for her glasses, she fumbled around until she got ahold of them and placed them on her nose. Her bedroom was a mess, her blanket thrown onto her vanity dresser, her newly made dresses splayed on the floor, and the door to her balcony was gone. The smell of raspberries and rose petals filled the air, and Mihira took a good whiff. Only then did she notice that there was a light blue hair strand in her vision. Running over to her vanity, she threw her blanket on the floor. For the first time, she did not make the bed and clean up after herself. No, she wanted to see what happened to her appearance.
The answer was that she changed drastically. Gone was her ordinary look of black hair and brown eyes, replaced with the bicoloured hair of light blue and blush pink split in half from her reflection in the amulet. Her eyes were of two different colours, the blue under the pink half of her hair, and the pink under the blue half of her hair. She was wearing white, a half-moon collar closely hugging her neck. The only non-white parts were the copper star, alongside two wings pressed close to her chest and two circular belts, with one arched. Her gloves reached her wrist, the base of which was decorated with blue and pink diamonds. Her skirt and stockings were split between blue and pink as well, but her shoes were the same. The sleeves consisted of feather-like appendages, and overall, it resembled something Mihira would have designed.
Mihira took her glasses off. The world remained blurry. Her severe myopia can't be cured by magic. She sighed as she put them back on. Surprisingly, they were unchanged by the magic appearance-wise. There were also a lot of white feathers floating in her room. Next to her, she felt the wind beckoning her outside. Following it, she finally discovered where her door had gone. A gaggle of residents were gawking at what remained of her white door on the sidewalk. Mihira suppressed a sigh. That was a beautiful door, she thought, she wished she hadn't broken it. She looked above. Dawn had tinged the clouds with pastel tones of orange and pink. Slowly, Tokyo was starting to wake up. The wind brushed her face.
Tell me, how does it feel?
"Beautiful, the sky looks like the one in my mind.” All of the clouds were perfectly symmetrical, not a single wisp out of line. The call of boundless sky called to her as if the glittering spires of her daydreams awaited her beyond the horizon. Mihira wanted to reach for it.
Fly.
Startled, Mihira gasped audibly. “Fly? I have no wings, I can’t fly.”
Who said you have no wings?
The mirror, Mihira thought, with my own two eyes. Her eyes were fallible though, and all Mihira observed was that she was in a white lolita dress. She noticed the feathers flying in her room, but no source was found. Her right foot stepped onto the balcony, and Mihira stared at the ground, the hard concrete sidewalk, and the nearby maple trees. Can she fly? Does she have wings?
“If this is a dream, I’ll wake up before I hit the ground,” She whispered, leaping off of her balcony.
Her hair flew back, and she heard the gasps of pedestrians below. The asphalt edged closer and closer to her eyes. Her glasses flush against her face, Mihira hoped that the wind was not lying and that she possessed wings. Otherwise, she will meet her great-grandparents very soon. She’s already passed the fifth floor, so she thought of her friends. Will she ever see them again after they have left? One day, Mihira vowed, she’ll use her wings to find Hina and Kaede and Kaori, and then they will meet together and have fun again. The distance between Mihira and the ground decreased, and Mihira started screaming. Suddenly, the scent of raspberries burst into the air and she shot into the air, ascending higher than she ever has been before. It wasn't until she found herself staring at her reflection in a glass building that she realized why. Two outstretched wings, cream in colour. One was tinged in blue, the other in pink. Overhead, the sky beckoned her, and she responded in kind.
No wonder humans dreamt of flight, to behold the world from such a vaunted position. Tokyo was awakening in the early hours, with many starting their Friday workday and others riding their bicycles with a carefree attitude. All are minuscule to Mihira. Threading between buildings, she caught glimpses of the shining azure of Tokyo Bay and flies onward. In the early hours, the water sparkled in the morning light. Mihira lightly touched the water and smiled at the cool refreshing sensation. She ascended higher, watching the city melting into mist and fading impressions of stocky towers. Before she knew it, the only thing below her were fluffy clouds. The Sun bathed her in warmth and comfort. Clouds surrounded her, their wispy forms forming little landscapes. The wind called to her, and she shaped it, formed a ball, and gently released it. It makes a hole in a nearby cloud. Mihira giggled and used the wind for shearing off sections of a cloud. Shaping it into a dress, she wondered if she could use that technique for other purposes.
Before long, she has created a cloud wardrobe full of shoes, dresses, skirts, and shirts. She’s also made a basic sewing machine, a needle, and three spools of misty thread. The power of the wind in the palm of her hand, she thought, oh how Kaori would have enjoyed it so. While Mihira always felt connected to the wind that whispered sweet nothings, it was Kaori who dreamt of magic and flying. Often, she confided to Mihira that she wanted nothing more than the sensation of freedom and flying to wherever her heart desired. Hina would have loved to see the clouds, Mihira thought, to nap among the stars. Mihira’s thoughts turned towards Kaede, who would have wanted to study the sky, the mysterious chamber in which Calamities brewed.
You are thinking of your friends now? When you have a whole sky to yourself?
“Why would I not? They would have done more than me, making home supplies out of wisps.” Mihira saw the sky as a beautiful landscape to admire, as she curled a small puff of wind between her fingers.
Do you understand your gift?
“The wind and the wings are gorgeous. I can fly, I can control the wind, and…not much else.” A few things were nagging at her mind as well, but Mihira thought that the wind would explain everything.
Ha! Silly girl, for you to think I will give you all of the answers! I will tell you this though. Look at your precious amulet, and tell me what you see.
It took a while for Mihira until she found her amulet. It looked the same, except for the gleaming glyph of her zodiac sign and the letters V and two Is on the bottom.
“The sign for Libra and a V and two Is.” Mihira watched as the foreign letters shifted in her mind. “Wait, those are the Roman numerals for seven.” She was not the worst in her English classes, but she was not a student who can instantly recite passages from literature, especially not Latin.
Ah yes. The gift of being able to speak, understand and communicate in multiple tongues. Fitting for the Lady of the Clouded Courts.
“Lady of the Clouded Courts?” The spires on clouds, the interconnected structures, the copper gate, the seat of her undying admiration. “Is that connected to the Seventh House?”
They are the Seventh House itself. Beauty incarnate, they represent the universal principles of justice and harmony. Of course, it would be better to see them with your own eyes, not through daydreams.
Mihira nodded. “Where is it? Can I take my friends with me?”
That lies within the Lady’s mind and the Scales of the Four Winds. My Lady had never blessed me with such knowledge. The Scales lie to the west, in a land that fights the sea tirelessly. Once, the Seventh House would have been amenable to mortals, but no longer. Find the watcher who stands vigil amidst mountains, the one in your dream. Then you can bring your friends.
What kind of land fought the sea?
A sharp scent broke through, and Mihira caught a whiff. There were notes of sorrow and isolation, she thought. Overhead, the sky darkened slightly. The little gusts that previously twirled around her now fled, leaving her alone with the sound of wingbeats. Not just her wings, but something else’s wings. Who or what is coming? Her cloud wardrobe was starting to dissipate into small wisps. Mihira wanted to shout, to ask who was flying, but something inside her told her to keep shut. As the wingbeats sounded closer and closer, she hoped that she remained unseen by whatever this was. The clouds were gone now, and all she could see was a storm cloud. No, not just a storm cloud, but larger, with a bulging bottom and roiling lightning that sought to challenge the Sun’s light. A Calamity, like what Kaede loved to study, except this one is in the path of Mihira, her friends, and her city. Mihira had the wind at her command, but she didn’t know what she was facing. She could not fight a Calamity on her own. It was better to wait, and she descended below.
Her patience was rewarded. Below, she saw the bulge in the cloud, threatening to burst at any moment. It remained intact, save for one small detail: pale wings like a bat that occasionally emerged from the sac of the storm cloud. Mihira hoped that whatever it was couldn’t see her swooping and trying to get a closer look. Her small risks were rewarded. The wings looked like a bat, it seemed to be a part of the clouds themselves, there were times when it stuck out a pig-like nose and sniffed, and its feet were shown to be clawed like a hawk. It was larger than Mihira, likely the size of her apartment building. Strangely, Mihira was completely transparent. She touched her fingers, making sure that they were present. At that moment, she crossed the threshold out of ignorance and found herself face to snout with the creature. Its black beady eyes paid no attention to her, and Mihira breathed a sigh of relief. Unfortunately, that caught its attention. It shrieked loud enough that Mihira thought her eardrums burst and agitatedly beat its wings.
“Ayah!” Mihira shouted, finding that she returned to being visible. “I’m not here to hurt you! I was wondering why you are in this cloud-”
One stroke and that was all it took for one of the cloud-coloured wings to send Mihira tumbling out of the sky. Regaining her balance, Mihira floated upwards before she realized that the creature was charging forward, barreling through all of the clouds. Moisture clung to her wings, but she soared in spite of it. The strange creature was descending, two great wings flapping. The bulge has disintegrated, and Mihira felt the sting of torrential rain on her face. The storm and the creature were descending, further and further into the city. Mihira dove down, willing the wind to assist her. A Calamity of this magnitude is bad enough, but a strange creature that acted like a wild animal? Disaster awaited Tokyo. She had to find her friends, and soon.
The rain and the hail made it hard to see where Mihira was going. Trying to find Kaori’s house was nearly impossible. At least Mihira managed to become invisible so that there would be no one to impede her. With the red spire of Tokyo Tower in view, she landed on it and started to look around. Hail the size of golf balls showered Tokyo, while the rain whipped at the exposed trees below. The strange creature’s bellows could be heard, even though it wasn’t in the vicinity. Mihira wanted to talk to it, to ask it to calm down, but she was the aggressor in that situation, and she had to wait. In the meanwhile, she needed to find her friends. It had been a while since she visited Kaori’s house, but she recalled that it was two minutes away from Tokyo Tower. She stretched her wings and dove, barely managing to not get hit by the massive hail. Her wings seemed to be partially waterproof judging by the way the large drops rolled off of them, but the rain soaked into her hair.
Who is the Lady of the Clouded Courts? The wind never answered her question, but she seemed to be related to the Seventh House, which is where Mihira’s gifts came from. She knew that she connected to the wind in ways that none of her friends comprehended or that she had a talent for “drawing out the inner beauty in people” as Kaori put it, but not in a magical sense. Mihira still pondered at the identity of the Lady, and why the seeming mistress of the Seventh House bestowed her powers on a small copper amulet.
At last, Mihira arrived on Kaori’s balcony and knocked on the door. Shielding her body from the rain and hail with her wings, she waited for a response. Right after shedding her invisibility, Kaori opened the door, a green toothbrush still stuck in her mouth.
“Who the f-” Kaori squinted as the rain punted her face. “Who are you? Why are you on my balcony?”
“It’s me, Mihira.” Wait, her hair and eyes are different. “I just look a little different right now.”
“Mihira? How did you get up here? I didn’t hear you come up the stairs, and you certainly aren’t athletic enough-” Kaori finally caught sight of the giant cream-coloured wings. “How did you get those? Where can I get some?”
“From the copper amulet that you gave me.” Mihira held up the medallion. “There are such things as magical girl trinkets, there’s probably more.”
Kaori nodded. “As much as I want to know all about this.” She waved at Mihira and her large wings. “You should come inside, there’s a Calamity out there.” Kaori glanced at her narrow doorway, and back at Mihira’s wings. “Actually, why don’t you enter through the skylight? Or can you detransform?”
Mihira shrugged. “I’ll use the skylight.”
When she dropped down, hailstones filled the floor. Hina yelped and tried to hide behind Kaede’s back. Kaede herself remained resolute, but Mihira noticed her hands were shaking. Kaori is still brushing her teeth, though her eyes darted wildly across the room, at Mihira, and up in the clouds.
“I’ll say thank you to my parents for the Calamity-resistant glass, but I would have rather have no Calamity. By the way, where were you, Mihira?” Kaori asked.
“In the sky.” Mihira pointed upwards.
“With the hail, and the rain, and the wind, and, wait, how long have you had wings?” Hina babbled out before Kaede rolled her eyes. “Most people don’t have wings!”
“We were worried for you! We called you several times, and you didn’t answer. We all thought you were stuck outside. There were reports about a monster and I-”
Kaede never finished her sentence, since the large glass window overlooking Kaori's balcony shattered into a million pieces. The girls yelped while Mihira sneaked into the living room. A furred paw had burst into the living room and was rummaging around, knocking over two white chairs and the dinner table. Mihira knew that it was the creature from the clouds, playing with the furniture.
“Mihira? What’s out there?” Kaori whispered. “What’s going on?”
“The wild creature I was telling you about,” Mihira replied, unfurling her wings. “Maybe I can lure it out.”
“Didn’t it attack you? How do we know it won’t do that again?” Hina asked.
Hina had a good point. “I’ll stay back.”
“Wait, what if you hit it with wind attacks?” Kaede suggested.
“I’d say we should be more concerned about why it’s attacking us,” Kaori jumped in.
“I think it’s because I appeared threatening.” How did she become visible?
“I’m not sure how anything you did could have set that thing off, but I’m not an expert in whatever that is.” Kaori seemed deep in thought. “Didn’t you say it was in the Calamity?”
“Yes.”
“Maybe Calamities are sentient,” Hina offered an answer before Kaede smacked her back. “It might be true!”
Mihira thought about it. It was probably defending itself, which meant that it perceived her as a threat, most likely because she invaded its space. It sensed her breathing, but she wasn’t sure if the wings, her voice, or her suddenly becoming visible set it off. Whatever it was, she can’t be seen as the aggressor. She opened her amulet. The compact mirror greeted her, along with the dazzling variety of shades available. Mihira noticed the makeup brush in a shade of blush pink. Makeup can enhance my look, she thought, or it can be used to conceal.
After careful deliberation, Mihira was ready. Letting her wings trail behind her, she looked behind her at her friends. Hina's long hair covered her head as she dozed off on the floor, Kaede was monitoring the immediate area, and Kaori was wary, her eyes quickly darting around. Her toothbrush was still in her mouth though. Mihira smiled slightly and walked out onto the balcony. The clouds were not finished with Tokyo yet, as multiple buildings had their roofs pulverized due to hail. The creature before was bellowing, a loud rumbling sound that moved her a few centimetres to Kaori's TV. Bracing herself, Mihira called out to the towering creature.
"I'm not here to hurt you." She dropped her wings further to the ground, making her seem smaller. "I am not a threat, see? I'm harmless." The makeup she applied was intended to soften her features; to portray her as meek. "I want to know about you, why you came here, and where you came from.”
The creature has both eyes fixed on Mihira, and its breath threatened to overpower her nose. It seemed to be listening though.
"If you need a home, there are always the forests nearby or the clouds above. Unfortunately, you can't stay here. I know you would want shelter, but the hail you bring is not good for the people here." She waved her hand at the destruction wrought on the buildings and the trees. "These clouds, this hail, they may seem natural to you, but they aren't for humans. It damages our homes and it makes it harder for us to find food safely." Mihira hoped the creature understood her, even though she was shaking inside.
Eyes studied her, rolling from the top of her wavy hair to the soles of her white shoes. As long as it trusted me, Mihira thought, all will be well. She thought of harmony, of the wind soothing and calming all around her.
"I can take you to a safe place." Mihira extended her hand out. "One with plenty of food and no humans like me. All you have to do is come with me." The message was persuasive enough, right?
The creature looked at her hand and roared to Mihira’s surprise. Noticing that its eyes were fixed on the amulet, she stowed it in Kaori’s potted plant, but it remained fixated, attacking the potted plant and shredding it into pieces. In a mad dash to save the transformation trinket, with one swoop of her wings Mihira knocked it out of the balcony…right at Kaori’s feet.
The creature lunged into the living room, spreading glass fragments into the smallest corners. Its clawed forelegs reached out in a display of aggression toward the girls. Kaori held her hands in front of her face, preparing to defend herself against an onslaught of glass and claws until she felt the brush of soft white feathers.
“Don’t hurt them! They have nothing to do with us!” Mihira’s eyes teared up. “I can move my amulet to a safer place.” She lifted the amulet. “See? I will put this in that drawer over there.” Mihira stepped over to Kaori’s drawer. “And I won’t touch it, alright?”
It still lunged forward, while Kaori and Kaede screamed. With a quick movement, Mihira blasted two twin gales at the creature. She hoped she didn’t hurt the creature severely.
“I’m so sorry for that, but I said don’t hurt my friends!” If they were hurt, she wouldn’t know what to do.
The creature stopped and watched. It pointed at Kaori and circled around her head.
“She’s my best friend,” Mihira questioned why it seemed interested in Kaori. “We’ve known each other since elementary school.”
To her surprise, a furred grey paw clasped her hand in seeming agreement. The eyes of the creature betrayed no hidden sensibilities, only that it trusted her. Mihira gently shook its paw, still in mild shock. She wasn't expecting it to agree that easily, but before she left, she must say goodbye.
After attempting to calm everyone down when they caught a glimpse of the creature on Kaori's balcony, Mihira stood awkwardly in front of her best friends, shuffling her feet.
“Mihira, you still have hail on your wings. I’ll go grab the blow dryer.”
One minute later, Mihira was brushing off small pieces of hail into Kaori’s sink while her wings were blow-dried by Kaede, who admired the shimmering feathers on Mihira’s back. Hina was standing in the doorway with her mouth open in an expression of shock and Kaori was still brushing her teeth. After the cleaning and drying process was finished, Kaori jumped on Mihira.
“ Do you have some sort of tool or weapon? Are those real feathers? Does this have anything to do with the wind whispering you talk about? Are there any other magical girls? Does everyone get a lolita dress? Does everyone have elemental powers?” Kaori rambled. “Tell me everything!”
Mihira summarised what the wind whispered to her friends, and demonstrated the fact that she had control over the wind by blowing a gust of wind at Hina, who wanted to feel the air outside. “Yes, Hina, that large creature out there was inside the Calamity.”
“Can I take it with me to sleep?” Hina asked.
“No, it’s larger than your bed. And it's a wild animal."
"Maybe there are other smaller creatures?" Hina snapped her fingers. "What if they are the cause of Calamities?"
"Hina, you've been listening too much to Riku-san and their insane theories again. I’ve told you multiple times that-” Kaede started.
“What were you saying about the person you have to find?” Kaori asked.
"There's someone out there that I have to find. They…might be like me." The watcher in the mountains, whoever they are. "I…would like for you to come with me to find them." She can't bear to leave her friends, not when they were on the verge of separating. “...I don’t know where they are though.”
“Mihira, I love you, but I’m not built for the travelling lifestyle. I would only be a burden to you. Besides, how can I keep up with you?” Kaori waved at Mihira’s wings. “I don’t have wings to fly wherever I want to go, nor any powers. Where are these mountains anyway? There aren’t any European-style castles near the mountains here.”
“My thinking was that it is either in Europe or other Western nations, like the United States or Canada,” Kaede interjected. “If you are Libra, that means that there are probably eleven other girls with amulets, right? Did the wind say anything about the other girls?”
“No, only the watcher in the mountains. I had a dream about mountains, with a cute dog following me around.” Mihira answered.
“Huh.” Kaede scribbled down on a notepad. “There might be twenty-three other girls then.”
“Should I still go?” Mihira hasn’t been outside the city, let alone the country. “If I leave, will you be safe?” Without her friends…what will happen?
“You don’t need to worry about me and Kaede!” Kaori stared at Hina, still snoring. “We can take care of Hina. You should go and find the watcher. Maybe they will be the partner you’ve been looking for.” She smiled widely. “You have a rare chance, so fly forward and seize the moment!”
“What about our parents?”
“Oh don’t worry! If I can effortlessly lie to my parents about how I am failing Math, I can easily lie about your whereabouts and what happened here to yours!” Kaori winked.
With that, Mihira understood what to do. She wrote a small pink card for Hina, stating that she’ll be gone for a while and that she hoped to see her soon. For Kaede, Mihira promised that she’ll send whatever she learns about Calamities to her immediately. For Kaori, Mihira hugged her.
“I’ll be back soon,” Mihira stated. “I’ll let you know when I find a partner.”
“I know you will, Mihira. You and your charming face should accomplish that quite easily.”
One last glimpse at Tokyo, at her friends waving goodbye through the broken glass, Mihira breathed in the ocean air. Her wings extended to their full length, and she ascended into the sky, the wind at her back and a companion at her side.
This is the dream, this is the harmony you’ve been seeking all your life. Balance the world, and let yourself soar above the lands of fairness and love.