Shouri awoke Tuesday morning in the tight embrace of the loves of his life. He wanted to fall back asleep so badly. Heaven was right there under the covers.

But alas, they needed to get going sooner rather than later. Ten more hours remained until their next stop, and they had to get breakfast before the hotel closed it up for the morning.

"Girls," he called. Almost immediately there was groaning in protest. "I know, but we paid for the continental breakfast so we need to go get it," he continued (as did the protests.)

After much gentle coaxing, he finally got the rest of the room up and going. Pacifica slid into the shower, and Taika slowly changed out of her pajamas.

Rebecca and Shouri ended up getting into their daily wear the fastest, but ended up having to wait. The two sat on the couch, Shouri on Rebecca's tuner, while she leaned on him. Eventually he slid an arm behind her and stroked the back of her head.

"Hrmph," Shouri hummed, scrutinizing the article on screen. "What is it?" Rebecca shot a lazy glance at the page he was browsing. "Just election news; figured I'd actually pay attention to it this year," he told her. "Huh, why's that? I thought you could only vote when you're twenty." Rebecca raised a brow, sitting up. "Guildmasters are exempt from that rule. So, I can actually vote even though I'm only eighteen," though he said this, the boy's expression spoke to the trouble brewing in his mind.

"Is that a problem?" Rebecca questioned. "It's… an interesting system. They want young blood in the guild system. Someone like Vince can become a guild leader at fifteen. Granted, he would have to front the application fee and pass all the background checks as well as the feasibility analyses they run on any guild application. Early voting powers is one of the perks of being a guild owner," said Shouri.

"I didn't even know there was actually anything else that went into opening a guild. I thought just anyone could do it if they wanted." Rebecca frowned, stroking her chin in thought.

"No. Cheryth told me after the fact that our stuff got automatically approved. There are people in the government that want to keep an eye on us." The grip around his tuner tightened.

Rebecca slowly nodded. "We are à deux users," she noted. "That's one thing, yes. But we also managed to befriend the daughter of the king and queen of Luna, the son of the current CEO of the Klein Foundation, a Natural, and took down a man unleashing a rhythm-based plague on the world all in half a year." "So what's bothering you?"

"They're going to figure out how to use us as leverage against those powers. Miro I'm less concerned about, but Emily and Elijah are two highly influential figures." Shouri turned the screen facedown so he didn't have to look at the article anymore. "It just worries me."

Rebecca wrapped her arms around him and leaned her head into his shoulder again. "We need that overwhelming power then," she whispered. "We'll become so strong they'll need us," said the fox on a breath.

"Yeah…"

Shouri and his merry band of tailed maidens made their way down to breakfast with plenty of time to spare.

Taika's ears twitched as they reached the site of the sacred meal. "They're here," ominously spoke the fox. "Who?" Shouri asked.

His question was answered almost immediately by the sound of a familiar voice.

"Get out of that! Other people are supposed to eat from there!" came Vince's scolding. "They can pry my bloated corpse out of my heaven, this is where I'm dying!" Zephyr's protest followed.

"They're causing a mess," Shouri guessed with a tired sigh. "It's too early for this shit." "Told you we shoulda killed her, bossman," Rebecca joked.

Shouri rolled his eyes, shaking his head but smiling all the same. He approached the arguing duo from behind. Mila spotted him, but remained firmly outside the domestic disturbance. She wanted no part of it, just watching from the side with arms folded across her chest and a slightly amused smirk. As suspected Zephyr was attempting to swim in the fruit platter and Vince was doing a poor job at keeping her out of it.

"Ahem." Shouri cleared his throat.

Vince and Zephyr jumped, slowly turning to face the guildmaster behind them.

"I would like to assume my cute guild members are behaving themselves in public, right?" asked Shouri with a strained smile.

The two nodded quickly and scurried away so Shouri and the girls could get their food.

"Didn't know you had it in you," commented Mila, still openly wearing her amusement at the situation. The boy slumped his shoulders. "Someone's gotta be the authority figure I guess." Taika patted his back, giving him back the spent motivation.

With that matter settled, breakfast was peaceful (lest Shouri be forced to put on his authoritative voice again).

Full of the delicious offerings of the complementary breakfast, the gang packed up into the van with Shouri behind the wheel.

"Alright, last call – do we have everything before we head out? I do not want to have to come back because someone forgot something," he called to the rest of the van.

"All's good here," Pacifica replied for their group. "Yeah, we're good, let's get out of here," Mila answered for their trio.

"Good enough for me." And with that, the second part of their trip began.

Once more Vince noticed Zephyr was strangely transfixed by the Lyberteran landscape. Specifically, the rugged mountains they were starting to get into. The fairy looked up in awe at the rocky walls that seemed to stretch up into the heavens as they drove through.

Even outside the craggy bordered roads, there was plenty more to see that they couldn't at home. The barren arid landscapes were a change from the usual farmland or vibrantly green grasslands of their home region.

"We're high up," Zephyr spoke suddenly. "Are we?" asked Vince, taking a peek out the window. It didn't look any different than the flatlands they were previously in.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "We solar elements are sensitive to that sort of thing. It's in the winds or something," the fairy trailed off, her eyes still glued to the rapidly passing landscape. "I see…" Vince's tone similarly quieted.

Mila hummed and shot the two a sideways glance. Her eyes met with Pacifica's, who was looking back. "Ah," the fire cat breathed out.

At the next rest stop, Mila pulled Pacifica off to the side. "What's going on?" asked the cat of her otter counterpart.

Pacifica looked around before speaking. "It's not really my place to say but, when Zephyr left her village something bad happened to her. Like really bad. She's hurting a lot," the otter quietly revealed. "At least if I'm reading her right."

Mila nodded. She didn't know the otter very well if she was being honest, but Shouri had some level of intense trust in her, so she trusted those words for now. "Got any ideas on what?"

Pacifica furrowed her brows, humming in thought. Though that simple gesture took the cat off guard. The way she hummed and held herself… it was a lot like the way Shouri looked when he was deep in thought.

"It's like when Sho first got Rebby. I think maybe she didn't leave her village by choice and was taken," Pacifica posited. "I could be completely wrong on this, it's just a guess."

"If she was taken though, why wouldn't she just go back if she's free now? Why look for a Maestro?" Mila contended.

"That's the detail I'm missing. I'm just kind of guessing based on how she's reacting to questions and topics brought up," Pacifica told the cat.

Mila slowly nodded. The two girls stood for a moment contemplating the situation.

"Don't push her," Pacifica suddenly warned. Mila was again caught by surprise – was this otter secretly a mind reader? Either way, the cat smirked. "Alright, maybe I'll trust what you have to say," the fire element acquiesced.

As Mila wandered off, Taika found her way to her fellow Resonator. "What were you talking about?" asked the lunar fox.

"Zephyr," Pacifica replied, watching Mila as she vanished into the restrooms. "You think something is weird about her?" asked the otter, turning to give Taika her full attention.

"She's very small," the fox astutely observed. "But non, she's just clingy?" The more Taika pondered that thought, the more bothered she began to look. "I guess I don't understand why she is here? With us I mean. Why did she come out? From what I know about fairies they don't leave their homes."

Pacifica smiled; glad she wasn't totally off base with her hypothesis. "Maybe I'll talk to Sho about it," she suggested.

"Good idea," Taika agreed.

Welcome to Ventallo Flats – The crossroads of tranquility await you –

Read the sign as they crossed into the city limits.

Sure enough, the city they approached was quite flat. It was a quaint little town, with the Loggia Mountain range as its backdrop.

"Why is it coooollld?!" Pacifica whined.

Rebecca turned back to address the whining otter. "It's November, of course it's cold." "But look at her!" Pacifica gestured to the huge lake to the north of the city. "She's begging for me to swim in her!"

"Then do it," said the fire fox. "I will die in this cold," asserted the water otter. "Sounds like quitter talk to me." "Don't make me push you in."

Taika leaned forward, placing a hand on Pacifica's leg and Rebecca's shoulder. "Fate i bravi," was all she said.

Mila shook her head and smirked. Speaking of behaving, she turned her attention to the quiet duo staring out the window looking south toward the small city.

"You two awake?" asked the fire cat. "Yeah," replied Vince, though he sounded tired. "Mhm," same with Zephyr. "We can get some shut-eye at the hotel before we try to figure out the cave situation," Mila reassured the younger pair.

"Yeah," repeated Vince, though this time he yawned.

"230 for two rooms with king-size beds isn't terrible I guess," Shouri muttered to himself while checking their finances. He sat on the edge of the bed, with Rebecca by his side as usual.

"We're still on our own for dinner," Rebecca reminded her Maestro, sitting up as she spoke. "True, but at least we get another breakfast," he said, reaching over and patting the girl's head.

Before they could discuss food any further, Pacifica and Taika approached the two.

"I don't like the way you're looking at me," Shouri noted immediately. "Yeah." Pacifica wasn't going to hide it. "I think something's wrong with Zephyr. Or at the very least she's not being entirely forthcoming with us," said the otter.

Shouri nodded. "I agree. Her entire everything is suspicious."

Pacifica recounted her discussion with Mila earlier in the day as well as her own thoughts on the matter.

Once she was done, Pacifica deferred to Shouri for his thoughts on the matter.

"You're probably on the right track. I don't think you've steered us wrong before when reading people." Shouri accepted the otter's hypothesis on the matter.

"I'm just not sure exactly what happened to her and why she's suddenly wanting a Maestro," Pacifica mused.

Shouri nodded in assent. "It is real suspicious. Before we throw ourselves into a dangerous Scherzando filled cave I think we need to confront her about this," he stated.

"Right," the trio of Resonators agreed.

Though their plan of attack was simple, they knew it wasn't going to go that easily. The only hope they had was that the explanation wasn't too convoluted.

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