Another day rose on the motel turned guildhall, and one Vince Rayburn found himself sharing his big comfy bed with Mila as usual. They slept under separate covers, but were close enough that they both reaped the benefits of etude.

Vince furrowed his brows; there was one person missing. Though he wouldn't wonder long as the lump on his chest began to move until finally Zephyr popped out from under the covers.

"What a sight for sore eyes," crooned the coy fairy. "This isn't becoming a regular thing," said Vince. "Oh, I think you'll find I can be very persuasive."

Before she could mouth off any further, she found herself grabbed and thrown away – not by Vince, but by the bed's other occupant.

"Mrrpgh…" Mila huffed, trying to go back to sleep.

Zephyr pouted, rhythm dust pouring from her wings as she indignantly floated halfway across the room.

While Vince and his two Resonators disputed the hour they woke, Shouri and his trio were already up.

Taika was on breakfast duty, as usual. Pacifica hummed away in the shower, also as usual. Which left Rebecca and Shouri to discuss current events – specifically what to do about a certain fairy's registration.

"I can't believe the Klein Foundation doesn't have someone suitable to chip her," Shouri grumbled, reading the bad news off of a tuner. "Shocking really," Rebecca mused. "You'd think with all their resources they'd have someone for the job."

"Exactly. Either way, I just shot a message off to Cheryth, so we'll see what-" before he even had a chance to finish that thought, the tuner started ringing.

Shouri stared at the screen for a moment. "I have a feeling I'm not going to like this, love," said the boy to his fox before he resigned himself to his fate and answered the call.

"Please tell me you're messing with me," Cheryth pleaded as soon as the call started. "Oh good, this is going to be fun." Shouri's voice could not ooze more sarcasm if he tried. "You're serious then? You people managed to not only find a fairy, but they want to be someone's Resonator?" Cheryth probed for clarification. "Yuuuuup. Vince specifically. She wanted me but I shot that down," he informed his liaison.

He could hear Cheryth dragging her hand down her face. "You told a fairy no. Unbelievable," she groused.

"I've done the four Resonator shuffle. Unless an Ethereal walks up and tells me they need me to help save the world, I ain't taking another," Shouri asserted.

Cheryth sighed. "Right right. We'll cross the Ethereal bridge when we get there." "You have such a high opinion of me. I hope your paychecks are good," Shouri snarked. "Oh they're good, but keep this up, and I'll have enough ammo to convince my boss I need a fat raise."

"Alright, well can you figure out how we get Zephyr registered properly?" asked Shouri. "Well it's kind of funny you mentioned Ethereals earlier," Cheryth trailed off. "No…" The dread Shouri felt at that moment couldn't compare to anything else he had experienced in his journey so far.

"Excuse me?" uttered Emily. "Once again, our glorious leader has concocted a plan beyond common sense," Elijah waxed poetic. "You shut the fuck up Klein – I didn't plan shit. In fact, you need to get your people up-skilled." Shouri pointed at the dramatic man.

In the center of the office sat Vince and Zephyr. "So Rose is the lady that invented the tuner, right? She's the only one that can do this?" asked Vince.

"No, but apparently, she's actually the closest to us. The qualified techs are all in Nabhon, and I am not trying to get through airport security with a fairy," Shouri shared with the gathered group.

"One thing that confuses me is why are all the highly technical tuner technicians concentrated in one area anyway?" asked Emily.

"It's quite simple: a vast majority of the Riterran manufacturing plants are there. It's a relic of the pre-globalized world; the best fire wielding Maestros made their homes in Nabhon, and as such they had a stranglehold on metalworking due to their control over fire," Elijah explained.

"Ah, got it. Tradition and all that," Emily nodded.

"Anyway, Rebecca and I are going to trade in our car and rent a minivan, then tomorrow morning me, Vince, and our Resonators will head to Loggiavento, where Rose is," Shouri announced their itinerary.

"First Sarayul and now Rose. I wonder if you are blessed by the wish sage," Elijah said with a titter. "Weird way to spell 'cursed', Mr. Klein," Shouri growled at the laughing man.

"Mr. Klein does have a point Sho," Pacifica commented.

The quartet sat in a circle on their bed. Shouri had returned to their room only minutes prior and had briefed the girls on their plan.

"Another Ethereal, huh? Wonder what she's like?" Rebecca pondered aloud. "Hopefully she doesn't have some crazy test." Taika rubbed her ears, the phantom pain of her failing his tests still afflicting her.

"Doubtful. Everything I've read online says she's kind of eccentric, but more leaning towards being a recluse. If anything, I wouldn't be surprised if we get there, and she turns us away, or maybe doesn't even bother to answer the door." Shouri shrugged, returning the tuner he was reading to his side.

Pacifica leaned forward and placed a hand on her Maestro's knee. "You're doing the right thing," she said warmly. "It's worth it."

"It better be," Shouri grumbled, placing his hand on Pacifica's and squeezing it tightly. Rebecca and Taika joined their hands on the pile.

A knock on the door broke up the tender moment. "I got it," Shouri decided, motivated after the impromptu etude.

Throwing the door open, he found Vince, and a package. Shouri scooted the box in with his foot while he greeted the other Maestro.

"Hey Vince, what's up?" "Can we borrow Taika?" asked the younger Maestro. "Or maybe both of you?" "Huh? Why?" Shouri raised a brow. Taika poked her head out from under her own Maestro's arm, having heard her name. "Zephyr can use lunar spells." "…what?"

Shouri, Vince, and their Resonators stood out in the field away from their guild hall. Rebecca, Pacifica, and Mila were off to the side to watch, while the two Maestros and the remaining pair of Resonators faced each other; Taika by Shouri's side and Zephyr on Vince's shoulder.

"Explain it again, Zephyr," Vince requested. "Right, so we fairies have different traits and skills depending on what village we come from," she began. The solar element flicked out her transparent lime green wings, sparkles of yellow rhythm shimmering off of them, but didn't exert enough force to take flight.

"I'm a luna moth, so besides the solar spells all fairies share, we also have the ability to use lunar support magic," Zephyr explained.

"No attack spells?" Taika wondered, brow raised. Zephyr shook her head. "None. We also can't use any of the lunar dual element spells, even the support ones," she replied.

"Can other fairies do similar stuff?" Shouri now questioned.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Yeah, there's like uhh flambeau butterflies who can use fire support magic, as an example," Zephyr confirmed.

Shouri nodded slowly, stroking his chin in thought. It was an fascinating aspect he couldn't claim familiarity with. Though, that did promote a new line of thinking.

"So what did you need from us?" he asked. Zephyr perked up. "Right, so uhhh, I know I can like do lunar magic, but I never actually learned any of the spells. So, I wanted to see what it was capable of."

"Oh, well we can also lend you and Vince our book on lunar Resonators. It has a good list of spells that says what they do," Taika offered.

"That's cool! Where did you get that?" Vince exclaimed. "This Luna-based book store in the Lutera Space Elevator," said Shouri.

"Wow, most interesting man in the world here," Zephyr commented. "I still want to see what's available to me."

"Right. Taika?" Shouri pulled the tuner from his side. "Si!" the vixen braced herself for the incoming rhythm.

"Rilevare l'intenzione, Presto," was the first spell called.

A staple spell of theirs, Zephyr watched Taika close her eyes and apply two fingers to her right temple. What was unseen was the thin wave of rhythm that washed over their surroundings.

"There are seven of us here," Taika spoke. "The tuner also gets updated with the readout of the spell," Shouri added, showing the two the map application – a cluster of gray dots were congregated in the little spot they stood. "Lento rank detects hostility towards you, so the dots will become colored to indicate that. Good for hunting Scherzando."

The two nodded, though were familiar with that aspect of it from Shouri and Taika's previous usages of the spell.

"Nuvola Oscura, Presto," was the next spell.

This one was simple in execution – Taika waved her hand and black smoke followed in its wake. The more she moved, the more smoke appeared. Notably, this cloud lacked any pungent odor like one would expect from smoke generated by fire.

"Sotto," with that simple word, the smoke rapidly dissipated. "Good for laying down cover while you run," Shouri informed the two. "Hopefully you never need it," he spoke, quieter.

"For this next one, I need you two to hold still, but brace yourselves," Shouri warned.

Vince ground his feet into the grass, tensing his muscles in preparation for what was to come. Zephyr gripped the fabric underneath her and similarly stiffened up, bracing for whatever they were about to be hit with.

"Onda Mentale, Presto," called Shouri.

Taika held out a hand and a gentle force radiated from her palm, pushing on the pair. The warning Shouri gave was well founded, Vince realized, as he would have easily been knocked without it.

"Next up, Zephyr, try to resist this one," said Shouri. "Esaurimento, Presto."

Fairy and fox locked eyes, and in that instant Zephyr felt strangely groggy, her lids felt impossibly heavy. It was then she realized what that spell did. She jumped up and exerted her scale, the yellow sparkles of rhythm dust twinkling especially bright.

"Sleep spell," she realized. "Bingo. Low ranks are easier to break out of. High ranks are harder, simple as," Shouri explained.

"We have two more right now, first let's do this one: Fissare la Ombra, Presto."

A single shadow arrow appeared and was waved forth by Taika, flying true until it found its target: Zephyr's shadow.

"Woah! Hold on!" the fairy yelped, feeling her body suddenly constrict, pinned by her shadow. With the restriction of her movement, she began to plummet. Vince caught her thankfully, breaking up the arrow's hold over her shadow and freeing her.

"I recommend calling that with a recast modifier like Staccato. The more arrows you can pile on, the longer the pinning will hold," Shouri advised.

Vince looked to Zephyr who nodded in agreement with that assessment.

"The last one we have is this one. Passo Silenzioso, Presto."

Just like the first time they tried the spell, nothing happened.

"Huh? What's this one do?" Zephyr questioned, trying to figure out what had happened.

Shouri smirked. Unlike when they unlocked the spell, they had learned since then. "Throw a spell at her," he requested of the pair.

Vince looked between Shouri and Taika. They both seemed fairly confident in whatever the mystery spell did or could do. "Go on Zephyr, Luce del Sole, Piano."

With her Maestro's rhythm coursing through her, Zephyr kicked off his hand, shooting out like a bullet. Her speed was unmatched, as she cleared the distance between Vince and Taika within a second.

But at the last possible instant, Taika became a shadow that Zephyr harmlessly passed through. The fairy hit the brakes and spun around. Taika now stood slightly off of where she had been before.

The three Resonators on the sidelines all were just as baffled as the attacking fairy.

"Passo Silenzioso is a dodge spell. It boosts your speed and allows you to avoid incoming attacks by becoming a shadow," Shouri clarified for the confused audience.

"The timing is tricky, but I think I got it down now," Taika chimed in.

The tuner agreed as it started beeping, indicating the spell in question was now one level higher than it had been previously.

"Neat," Shouri noted, before returning the device to his side.

"Looks like you're going to have a lot of things you can do," Vince said to his new partner in crime. "Naturally, I am pretty great after all," boasted the partner in crime in question.

"Okay, this isn't as bad as I thought it was," admitted Rebecca.

They had picked up their new wheels – a minivan with two rows of three seats. With the additional row of seats, there was room to carry eight people total (nine if counting Zephyr).

"We should have done this sooner. Would have made grocery trips a lot simpler," Shouri commented. "Yeah yeah… Blame a girl for having tastes."

Shouri chuckled and stroked the girl's hair. She wanted to lean into it, but she was driving, so she behaved herself (she'd tackle him for the owed cuddles later).

"So what's the plan?" asked the fire fox. "Loggiavento is a twentyish hour drive. The tricky part is a good chunk of that drive goes through the Loggia Mountains, so we'll be between towns for a while," Shouri said, reviewing the trip on his tuner. "Will we be okay charge-wise?" asked Rebecca, stealing a glance at the charge meter on the dashboard. "Yes? I mean the app I'm using shows we should make it to each station where we can recharge. Worst comes to worst I got a recharge kit we can use to limp along to the next station," Shouri replied. "Hm?" Rebecca resisted the urge to shoot her Maestro a look in favor of keeping her eyes on the road.

"They sell kits that let Maestros and Resonators recharge cars with their rhythm. Kind of sketchy in my opinion. Apparently its very dangerous and the return on investment isn't very good, but it's a decent break the glass kind of thing if we get stranded," he said.

"Good point. Doubt anyone wants to play protect the van all night in the mountains," Rebecca agreed.

"Between the seven of us, even if it came to that we should be able to limp along to the next charging station." "Hopefully we don't have to use it." "That's the dream."

The conversation lulled to silence, only accented by the hum of the harmony drive.

"Maybe we'll be able to spend more than a week at home after this," Rebecca sighed. "God I fucking hope."

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