Pruned Trees Re-Sprout!! ~ Ragazza Volpe Magica ~

In a normal town, Aura would have made waves having a dragon Resonator following behind her. In the dragon capital of the world, however, it proved to make her fit in. Nobody looked her way any longer and carried about their business.

“I’m glad this town is the same as it’s always been,” Chiara spoke up.

“Why is that?” Aura glanced over at her new Resonator.

“We blend in nicely here. It gives you an opportunity to gather your bearings before we set off for other ventures,” Chiara advised.

“I specifically picked this town to sleep near for this purpose,” the dragon added.

“Pretty forward-thinking of you,” Aura said, impressed.

“Of course, of course! I always try to make sure we’re well prepared for any trouble,” the small girl boasted. “I already have our cover story spun up.” Reaching into the folds of her top, she drew out a large Rubato crystal.

“Why?” Aura’s eyes widened upon seeing the massive glowing rock.

“Today is the day I become an adult per Drahgo tradition! Ah, a poor orphaned runt of a dragon such as myself would have never made it if it wasn’t for a kind stranger like you helping me pass my trial, oh thank you Miss Auerolin! I am forever indebted to you!” the Ethereal spoke theatrically.

The Maestro chuckled sheepishly. “Aha… okay.” She accepted that was their story and committed it to memory.

“It’s what we will need to tell the attendant at the Maestro Affairs Office. You will need a tuner for me after all,” Chiara pointed out.

“Right, it would be less suspicious that way.” Aura slumped over. “God I’m fucking tired.” She let out a big loud dramatic sigh.

“Chin up, you just have to deal with the matter of my registration and then Damian. Per your own admission, he will undoubtedly have a meltdown upon our return.” Chiara patted her new Maestro’s back.

“Please don't remind me,” Aura mumbled.

“Welcome to the Central Drahgo Maestro Affairs Office, how can we help you today?” as practiced as always, the attendant maintaining the front desk inquired of Aura.

“Yes, I got a new Resonator I need to register.” Aura motioned to the small dragon next to her. Chiara had already lost the script, looking around in awe at the modern facility they had entered.

Upon awakening, Chiara was made aware of the concepts of the modern age she found herself in, though it never prepared her for actually seeing new technology and innovations. Innovations such as the Maestro Affairs Office, a recent invention when compared to her extended history. The ground underfoot was so shiny, polished to a near mirror-like sheen. The air was clean and chilled to a comfortable level. There were confounding devices affixed to the walls projecting strange illuminated pictures upon their surfaces.

“Oh? She looks quite young.” The attendant noted the small dragon’s curiosity running amok.

“R-right. Chiara?” Aura shook the Ethereal’s shoulder.

“Ah! Yes! I am an adult!” Chiara yelped, completely forgetting the story she had crafted. She realized her blunder instantly when a suspicious gaze was cast upon her Maestro.

“What I meant madam was I passed my test!” Reaching into her robes, she drew out the massive crystal – showing proof of her success. She set it up on the counter. “I am but a runt of a dragon, but this brave Maestro helped me out of the kindness of her heart!” Chiara explained, laying it on thick with the dramatics.

The attendant hummed in thought, looking over Aura’s attire. Sweaty, dirt-covered casual wear hardly seemed like ideal mountain climbing attire. Actually, upon further inspection, this woman wasn’t even wearing shoes.

“Please, we really did get this crystal from the Fangs of the Dragon, we worked hard for it,” Chiara pleaded, turning up the puppy dog eyes as much as she could muster. “I must repay Aura for her kindness in helping me,” she admitted, quieter.

“Please,” Aura added in. “I want to give her a home.”

The appeals to the attendant’s humanity worked. “Alright, fill this out please,” they gave in, handing over a tablet with the requisite registration forms already on screen.

Chiara’s curiosity continued to get the better of her as they walked through the medical wing. There were so many other rooms they were just passing by. Why couldn’t they stop and look? So many questions brewed in the dragon’s mind, though she frustratedly couldn’t voice any of them in the company of strangers – in this new era, she was unsure what she should and shouldn’t know.

Aura meanwhile was just fighting her exhaustion. It had been such a long day and she just wanted to sleep. Even so, she knew she was in for a tongue-lashing from Damian when she got back to the room; especially when she told him she got kidnapped and nearly killed.

Oh, what a joyful life she led!

“Here we are.” The attendant motioned to one of the open rooms, woman and dragon followed the unspoken demand.

“Sit up on here,” Aura directed Chiara. The Ethereal complied, using a bit of her flight magic to hop up on the examination table to sit. The Maestro meanwhile took her seat in a nearby chair.

A new person arrived in the room, holding the clipboard with the paperwork Aura had completed earlier. “Good afternoon, what can I do ya for?” they asked.

“Need to register her.” Aura pointed to the dragon-winged maiden sitting on the examination table.

“No problem!” The man drew some equipment out from the cabinets affixed to the wall.

First was a wand-like tool with a screen on it. The second, and more interesting item was what seemed to be some packaging, which he tore into. “Says here this is your second, right?” the technician asked of the Maestro.

“Yessir. Didn’t come here expecting to get a dragon, but she just kind of clicked with me,” Aura replied.

THWUMP

Into the trash a booklet from the packaging went. “That’s how it usually goes. Just make sure to take good care of her. Dragons have different needs from dogs or cats. Some people say they’re needier, but I think that’s just ignorance. Those strong wings and tails need exercise.” He held up a syringe that came from the plastic packaging, tapping it a couple of times to get the air bubbles out.

Chiara raised a brow, wondering what was next. The tech stepped over to the table. “Head down please,” he requested. She complied, and he parted her hair. First came the wand device. The technician passed it over Chiara’s neck and head. “No chip,” he muttered to himself, pocketing the first tool. A cold wipe graced the back of her neck, making the skin rapidly cool, the gentle smell of a disinfectant wafting down from where the site had been cleaned. Finally, the technician drew the needle out. “This’ll sting for just a second.” With precision and accuracy, he delivered the injection right into the base of her skull.

Aura winced, averting her gaze. No matter how many times she saw the procedure done, it just didn’t sit right with her. And while she wished she could avoid having to put Chiara through this, it was a necessary evil. They had to blend in, no matter what. Properly registering her was the first step to accomplishing that goal.

Even Ethereals could get dizzy, Aura learned, as Chiara began to sway once the technician stepped away. Aura rushed over to steady the small dragon girl. “What in Cievo’s name is happening?” Chiara breathed out, taking hold of her head in a vain attempt to steady the swaying world around her.

“He chipped you; it’s a normal process to link you to a tuner,” Aura whispered back.

“Ah, you mortals still doing dangerous things to bind Resonators. I thought that would have improved,” Chiara snarked.

“Well, the death rate on this procedure is near zero from what I’ve heard. At least as long as the tech is licensed.”

That certainly mollified the dragon, she had no further rebuttal and just leaned into Aura’s chest. A small smile cracked the stoic dragon’s lips. “Warm.” She mouthed while keeping her head down.

“Here you are.” The tech had returned with a clear-bodied tuner, the electronics of the device being visible through the currently transparent shell. Aura already knew what to do with the non-functional device; she waved it behind Chiara’s neck, at the site where the chip had been injected into. After a moment there was a beep from the device and Aura pulled it away.

Chiara watched with curiosity as the clear shell began to opacify, slowly darkening from clear to a solid white, representing her Solar element.

Aura quickly navigated the menus, ending up on a status screen.

Auerolin Tomoshibi

Resonator: Chiara (Shine Flute)

Species: Ethereal (Sky Dragon)

Element: Solar

Attribute: Almighty

Rhythm: 75%

This was no dream.

This was real.

This Ethereal was hers.

“Are you sure you’re fine?” Aura asked Chiara as they walked through the Maestro’s quarters of the MA Office.

“Yes, I’m fine. I’m made of tougher stuff than that, Aura.” Chiara waved off her Maestro’s concerns.

“Alright, if you say so.” Hopefully, no one was paying attention to how fast Chiara recovered from being chipped. However, Aura’s concerns were unfounded as they reached room twenty-four without incident.

The newly formed pair stood for a moment as Aura realized her red tuner was missing. She was about to knock when she remembered that she had a shiny new tuner registered to her that also functioned for opening the door. With a wave of the white-bodied device, it beeped and disengaged the lock. “I hope he’s here and not out looking for me,” Aura commented as she pushed open the door.

“WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU?!” The two immediately took their verbal lashing by the fire-hound upon entering the room. “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW- Wait, who is this?” Damian cut himself off, finally noticing the presence of the solar dragon by his Maestro’s side.

“Surprise! She’s your new baby sister!” Aura declared, flashing the shiny new white tuner to the dog-man.

“What. The. FUCK AURA?!”

“Hold on, before we continue-” Chiara stepped forward. Damian raised a brow. The dragon-girl closed her eyes, focusing. “Aha.” She made her way over to the television and turned it around. “Hmmm…” She studied the back of the device for a moment before locating a plastic cover that she could pop off. A small electronic device fell out as soon as she did so. It was thin, fragile, and most importantly easy to snap.

“There we go. We can speak freely now.” The dragon smirked, further crushing the remains of the device.

“What the fuck is happening here?” Damian asked.

“Sit down first.” Aura eased her first Resonator down to the couch. “I was kidnapped this morning.”

Instantly the dog was back on his feet. “WHAT THE FUCK?!”

“Sit down!” Aura shoved him back down. “A couple of guys got the better of me – they took me up to the mountain to look for her.” She motioned to Chiara, who waved with a smile. “Luckily I found her first and she drove them off and flew me back down here.”

“Wait wait wait. That little girl not only beat whoever the fuck kidnapped you, but she was able to carry you down the mountain?” The dog-man raised a brow.

“Well, of course - she IS the Shine Flute after all.” Aura shrugged.

Blink blink

Damian looked between his Maestro and new teammate. “Excuse me?” he uttered.

“Oh right. I never introduced you two – Chiara, this is Damian; Damian, this is Miss Chiara Shine Flute.” Aura motioned between the two Resonators.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Damian.” The dragon girl curtsied for him.

“No no no, you don’t just get to gloss over that.” Damian rose to his feet once more. “That girl is THE Shine Flute, as in the Ethereal, the solar dragon, the Orchestra of Heaven Shine Flute?”

“The very same.” Aura maintained a big smile.

Damian reached into his pocket, pulling out his pack of cigarettes. “What the fuck are they putting in these things?” he asked himself.

“It’s no hallucination, dear Damian.” Chiara chuckled. “I am the genuine article, the original dragon made by Lord Cievo fourteen billion years ago,” the dragon rhapsodized. “Until the day she dies, I am Aura’s guardian, a station I take very seriously.”

Damian eyed his Maestro suspiciously. “So out with it, when are you abandoning me?” he asked.

“Wha-?” Aura whipped her head back around. “What are YOU talking about?” she almost shrieked at him.

“You come waltzing back here with a fucking ETHEREAL of all things, why would I not be concerned about her being my replacement?” he hissed.

“Do you really think that I’m-?!” Aura was cut off by Chiara jumping between the two. She floated in the air, white sparkles descending from her wings as she held herself at eye level with the dog-man.

The dragon’s smirk was wry, wrought with ill intent. “Don’t think you’re escaping that easily,” she spoke with a titter. “My power is so extraordinary it would be an active danger for me to be her primary Resonator.”

“How so?” Damian questioned suspiciously.

“Use your brain for thirty seconds, dog breath.” She poked his head, pushing him back ever so slightly. “A Maestro coming in possession of an unusually powerful Resonator matching the element and species of a legendary Ethereal – it’s bound to attract attention.” The girl let herself float back to the ground. “I’m only one girl. I may be a timeless immortal but I’m not omnipotent,” she admitted, the millennia of experience dripping from her voice.

“Hrmph.” Damian still wasn’t convinced.

“It only takes one fatal wound to sever our contract. I become a flute should her life force be snuffed,” Chiara told him. “That’s why she, no that’s why I need you to remain her Resonator. Someone I can trust to help protect her discretely. Do you understand?”

Fiery red eyes studied the legendary dragon, slowly drifting to their shared Maestro. “Yeah, I guess my quality of life will take a hit if she bites it,” he acquiesced.

Aura smiled. “Good, now that we have that settled…” She slumped over. “I need a bath and a nap,” she sighed wearily.

“Uhg also need to do some laundry.” The woman glanced at her pile of discarded clothes in the corner of the room.

“One of us can take care of the laundry while you rest,” Chiara offered.

“I’ll do it,” Damian grunted.

“Oh?” The dragon raised a brow.

“If you’re an Ethereal like you claim to be, protecting coma victim one there should be a piece of cake for you.” He motioned to Aura.

“You do raise a valid point…” Chiara conceded. However, what she wouldn’t admit was she had no idea how to use the “washing machine”. She knew such machines existed in this era, though that was as far as her knowledge went.

Aura took to the bathroom, leaving Chiara to hand off the dirty laundry to Damian who departed on his own to take care of the laundry.

This left Chiara alone in the room. The immortal girl let out a tired breath. “Finally,” she whispered. “I might never age, but I can still get overwhelmed,” the solar Resonator mumbled to herself. “At least I awoke in another era of prosperity.” Looking around the room told her that plain and simple. Everything from the bed to the dressers and even the tiny kitchen reeked of wealth – but such lodgings were provided to Maestros and their Resonators for free.

“Much different from back then…” The pain in her voice was thick as tears escaped the dragon’s eyes. “Damn it Shine, you’ve had two hundred years to get over it. Damn it all…”

Aura exited her bath, only covered by a couple of towels.

Damian had yet to return – pretty normal for him doing their laundry; he felt leaving a woman’s clothing unattended invited trouble and played the role of guard dog. Speaking of guard Resonators, Aura’s new addition was curled up on the bed; tail and wings wrapped around her form. Sleeping like that, she looked so small and vulnerable, but within that tiny body of hers laid a world-altering power. It defied logic that the demure dragon could quite easily take on even the mightiest of Resonators with ease.

Even so, Aura found herself slowly and silently approaching the golden dragon. She sat on the bed at a glacial pace, to not disturb the sleeping dragon. Finally, the Maestro reached out and stroked the Resonator’s hair. It was unnaturally soft, staying perfectly tangle-free despite how much Aura ran her fingers through Chiara’s hair. The tips of Aura’s fingers found their way to Chiara’s ears, soft fluffy things not unlike a canine’s ears, though the backs had a small patch of golden scales on them, which were a different kind of soft.

Chiara had long since awoken but kept still, enjoying the gesture. She only stirred upon sensing Damian’s return.

“Laundry’s here.” The sole male in the room set the clothes on the bed, keeping his gaze respectfully away from his Maestro. “Gonna go grab a smoke.” And he quickly departed the room.

Aura slipped her pajamas back on, pleased with how warm they were. Her gaze fell back onto the sleeping Shine Flute. The Maestro considered whether what she was about to do was appropriate or not – they had only known each other for what a few hours? Then again, it was Chiara speaking into her mind, she was the one who drew Aura to Drahgo.

They were destined to be together as Maestro and Resonator! Clearly!

With that in mind, Aura slid into bed and pulled the small dragon close to her. It was as if Chiara was waiting for that gesture, as she draped a wing over her Maestro and snaked her long tail around one of her Maestro’s legs. A serene smile graced the dragon’s lips, telling Aura that this was the correct choice.

The possessive posturing of the Ethereal quelled any unrest in the young woman’s heart, allowing Aura to quickly fall asleep.

Day passed to night, and finally, Aura arose from her well-earned rest.

“Good evening my Maestro,” Chiara tittered as the Maestro woke up.

“Chiara? How long have you been awake?” Aura questioned.

“A couple of hours. I couldn’t leave you alone.” The dragon tightened her wing’s grasp over the Maestro.

“A couple? I’m sorry, you didn’t have to stay here.”

“Fret not Aura, I’ve lived billions of years. A couple of hours is a grain of sand in the vast universe,” the solar Ethereal whispered.

“Ah…”

They lay there for some time, enjoying the moment.

“Ahem.” A gruff throat clear startled the pair. “This is sweet and all, but maybe you should eat something,” Damian spoke in the darkness.

Chiara held out a hand and a tiny ball of light appeared, completely illuminating the room.

“You can use spells without me?” Aura raised a brow.

“No, this is one of the Solar ad-Libs, I demonstrated it to you before,” Chiara stated.

“Oh, when they used that arrow spell.” The Maestro nodded.

“I’ve had plenty of time practicing my control of this one, I can change night to day, or be a flashlight, whatever you need,” the Shine Flute said with a boast.

Damian failed to be impressed. “Lovely, food now?”

The newly formed trio made their way down to the cafeteria, the previous glares and general negative attention Aura and Damian received were now completely gone – all because Chiara was now with them. Aura’s mind briefly wandered to her brother and his Lunar Resonator, Taika. Was this how he felt having those other two of his by his side instead of Taika?

The change in public perception just from the element (or in this case species) of Resonator by one’s side was enough to tickle a thread of annoyance in the young woman.

At any rate, it was dinner time, and once again Chiara remained quiet, staring in wonder at the modern amenities on display even in a small, out-of-the-way town like Drahgo. As with any MA Office the cafeteria stocked local specialties, but there were also food options from far reaches of the world, just as fresh as if they were picked from the plant or vine in their homelands. So much abundant food was a far cry from the struggles of eras long past. Even employment seemed to be readily available, noting the Resonators behind the counter who were maintaining this literal buffet of food.

It was impressive to the ageless dragon.

Grabbing trays, the trio picked out their food. Aura glanced over and noted Chiara didn’t have any particular preference. In fact, she was grabbing a little bit of everything.

“Hungry?” Aura chuckled.

“For knowledge. Enriching experiences recover your rhythm faster. What is more enriching than a diverse palate of food?” the dragon questioned back.

“I see I see,” Aura noted yellow sparkles of rhythm drifting down from the dragon’s wings – the poor thing was so short she couldn’t reach the food without flying to do so. Though Aura counted her blessings that Chiara was so conscious of her status as an Ethereal, somehow making her rhythm burn yellow as if she had strong knowledge – the Maestro had noted white sparkles of rhythm descending from the dragon’s wings before.

The Shine Flute truly was the master of “looking normal”.

Sitting down, Aura and Damian watched the little dragon-girl quickly, but elegantly sample her buffet of food. She even utilized different forks and spoons depending on what she was eating. Aura immediately recognized what this meant.

“One of your former Maestros was a rich fellow huh?” Aura commented.

Chiara paused her eating, slowly setting her fork down and wiping her lips clean before speaking. “Yes. My-” The girl paused, a flash of pain crossing her face for a brief moment. “-last Maestro,” she spoke quietly. “He was a nobleman. I learned proper table manners while I lived with him.”

Aura didn’t have another comment to add. Even Ethereals could feel pain such as loss? It seemed hellish in Aura’s eyes. How many times had this poor girl watched everyone she knew fade away around her?

What a curse.