…??
"My wonderful child. You dance like no other I've ever met."
In a large park, with trees, flowers, and ponds all around, Shizuka Nakamura held her daughter's hand, walking side by side.
"Isn't it beautiful out here?" Shizuka remarked.
"Yeah!" Saori replied. "The flowers are so pretty, and the weather's nice!"
They stopped, taking in the weather. Shizuka handed her daughter a lollipop, stroking her cheek. "It's been a wild year. Both for the Military and for us nobles. Do you miss your father?"
Saori nodded. "I do!"
Shizuka led Saori to a bench, inviting her to sit down. "I want to tell you a story, Saori. Care to listen?"
Saori eagerly jumped onto the bench next to her mother. "Mhm!"
Her mother began to narrate, as the world around the real Saori and Melodar shifted.
Eight years ago, at the Asuka Festival…
"All hail the great Shizuka Nakamura! Legendary Dancer, and first lady of the Nakamura household! We welcome her to the finals of our Dance Competition!"
A younger Shizuka took the stage, bowing to the crowd as she waved. "Hello, hello! It's so wonderful to see you all!"
She got a massive round of applause as the announcer pulled back the curtain, revealing a beautiful young woman with long green hair and eyes, who was dressed in royal attire.
"We now present her competition: Princess Azusa Asato!"
Azusa gave the crowd a wave before turning to Shizuka, who formally bowed to the Princess. "It's a pleasure, Your Highness."
"The pleasure is all mine," Azusa stated. "Such an honor to compete against such a celebrity."
In the crowd sat Queen Ayame and King Ayrad, with Prince Atomu holding a little Akari in his lap, to his annoyance.
"I'm ready when you are," Azusa assured.
"Always," Shizuka smirked.
The announcer held his hand up. "Three…two…one…dance!"
Princess Azusa began first, her movements flexible and free-flowing. Her family watched as she moved with elegance and grace, and once her time was up, her father clapped.
"That's it, Azusa!"
Shizuka responded with an intricate dance of her own, which caught Azusa off guard, a dance so perfect it was like she blended with the music.
As the two went back and forth, Azusa underwent her final turn, attempting to outdo Shizuka. As her movements grew faster and more intense, she suddenly began to stumble over her heels. In the next moment, she tripped, and Shizuka caught her before she could fall off the stage.
"Your Highness!" she exclaimed. "Are you all right?"
Azusa sat on the ground, holding her head. "I…thank you…"
But the crowd immediately started laughing, and Queen Ayame and her husband shook their heads. The announcer interrupted the laughter.
"Unfortunately, it seems Princess Azusa Asato has been disqualified for failing her routine. Once again, Lady Shizuka Nakamura wins our annual Dance Competition!"
As the announcer held up her arm, the crowd erupted in applause, and Shizuka basked in it. Azusa stood up, watching for a moment before leaving in silence.
"Thank you, thank you!"
"Incredible," King Ayrad commented. "She's an amazing dancer!"
"You better not be getting any ideas," Queen Ayame warned. "Now let me find my failure of a daughter."
She stood up and left, but not before turning to Shizuka. "A wonderful display of talent, Lady Shizuka. You are a truly great dancer. You should come and visit the capital sometime."
"I will!" Shizuka agreed. "Thank you, Queen Ayame!"
The Queen and her family left, leaving Shizuka to wave to fans and sign autographs before stopping at a food vendor.
"May I have some ramen, please?"
"Of course. Do you have your payment ready?"
Before she could pull out her wallet, a well-dressed man placed a stack of coins on the counter, leaning beside it. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?"
Shizuka and the shopkeeper balked at the amount of coins on the table. She immediately whirled to face the man. "My goodness, thank you—!"
She suddenly froze when she saw who was standing behind her. "Prince Asahi! It's an honor, Your Highness!"
"No need to be so formal," he assured. "You did just embarrass my niece on stage, after all."
Her face turned red. "I didn't mean to…"
As the shopkeeper went to cook her ramen, the prince laughed. "No need to apologize to me. Your movements were amazing."
She blushed. "Thank you, you are too kind, Your Highness."
As her ramen came back, Asahi gestured to a nearby table. "If you wouldn't mind, I'd be happy to sit with you."
She immediately nodded. "Of course!"
They sat down at the table while she ate her food. Shizuka wolfed down her ramen quickly.
"Why are you out here by yourself, Prince?" she questioned. "Your family is nearby!"
"Please, call me Asahi," he stated. "And I was just taking a light stroll. I don't know if it's reached you, but like my sister Astari, I've distanced myself from the royal family."
"Why?"
He looked at the castle in the distance. "It's become extremely corrupt. The youngest daughter has awoken an Elemental Power, and all the focus and praise have shifted to her. Her brother still receives some attention, while her sister receives little to none. They claim to be fair, but they seek power above all else, and those who have it."
"That must be horrible!" Shizuka gasped.
"Yes, but alas, I've decided to downgrade to a more humble way of living, even if my sister disapproves," he proclaimed. "I think I would like to start a family and settle down in a nice part of Asuka."
"That sounds like a great idea!" Shizuka agreed. "Do you have any women in mind?"
He lifted his head. "Just one. A dancer who's unrivaled in all of the land, one who can move with the grace of flowing water."
Shizuka covered her mouth. "You don't mean…"
He winked. "Just a thought."
Three years later…
Shizuka was busy mopping the floors in her house when she heard a knock on the door. She opened it, finding Asahi standing there with a bouquet. The moment she saw him, she threw her arms around him. "Asahi! You've returned!"
He returned the hug. "Of course, honey. How's little Saori doing?"
"She's a bundle of joy! She's very hyperactive, and she's already learning fast at her young age!"
He smiled. "May I see her?"
She stepped aside, allowing Asahi to come in and see his daughter. Saori was on the couch, playing with a doll. She looked up when Asahi knelt before her.
"Saori! How's my little girl doing?"
Saori dropped her doll. "Dada?"
He nodded. "Sorry, I haven't been here in a while. My occupations take up a lot of my time."
Saori reached out to touch his face. "Dada!"
"Yes, yes," he laughed. "You're looking well."
Shizuka stood next to him, a conflicted look on her face. "Her royal blood is beginning to activate. I beg you, please stay and be a part of our family! We both love you very deeply, and it doesn't feel the same without you here!"
He ruffled Saori's hair before taking Shizuka's hands. "What did I say when I married you?"
"You said that the kingdom doesn't take kindly to illegitimate marriages…"
"Precisely. My sister and Morino are proof of that. Their daughter is discriminated against wherever she goes."
"But Saori isn't a hybrid! She's got royal and noble blood, YOUR blood! Her powers are coming into form!"
Almost as if on cue, Saori's hands began to glow with rainbow energy. Asahi sighed.
"I'm the most powerful member of the royal family. My blood will attract unwanted attention, and enemies may target her. I've made many enemies myself, one whom I am doomed to face soon."
"Who?" Shizuka asked.
"A wielder of Earth. I met him on my travels one day. He claimed that if I didn't come to face him, he would crush my family and my home."
Shizuka covered her mouth. "Dear…"
"If I do not come back, use your magic to wipe all traces of me from her mind."
"Asahi! I cannot! I can't hide the truth from our daughter!"
"She can never know that she has two magical abilities," Asahi declared. "It's too dangerous."
Before Shizuka could protest, Asahi kissed her and left the house, leaving her and Saori alone.
The last time she ever heard from him again was a letter a year later, sending Saori a rainbow necklace.
Melodar and Saori watched as the scene finally shifted into one where Saori was getting picked on by a trio of bullies while she played with flowers.
"Hey, this is our park! Scram!"
"Beat it, brat!"
When Saori didn't move, the biggest one kicked her. "Didn't you hear him? He said beat it!"
Saori hit the ground, and her mother quickly appeared, making the bullies stop.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Shizuka exclaimed. "Touch my daughter again, and we will have issues!"
The bullies backed away. "Lady Shizuka! Sorry, we didn't know!"
"Bullying is never right! You three need to be taught a lesson!"
Saori, tears in her eyes, got up, her body turning into a deep violet color, surprising her mom.
"Don't ever hit me!"
Saori's body glowed once, and a ripple could be seen through the air. Shizuka heard the crack of bones as the bullies dropped to the ground, rolling around in pain. She quickly grabbed her daughter before others around noticed them.
Shizuka quickly took her daughter behind a public restroom. "Saori, honey, how do you feel?"
Saori looked at her hands. "I feel fine, Mommy! Those bullies got what they deserved! I wonder what happened to them!"
"You happened, dear," Shizuka explained. "That magic you just used, it's dangerous."
"Why?" Saori asked.
"Voltians innately do not possess two magical abilities. You are a rare exception. Your father and I had an illegitimate marriage. He wasn't assigned a compatible partner, so his powerful blood accidentally bestowed two abilities into your body."
Saori stared at her, confused.
"You must not tell anyone," she pleaded. "That magic is known as Resonance Magic. It's among the strongest in the nation."
She gave her daughter a sympathetic look. "I'll erase your memories for now, but I will explain everything once you are ready. I promise."
"Mommy?"
She kissed Saori's forehead, and Saori's body suddenly shifted. "Mommy? What are we doing at the park?"
Shizuka stood up. "That's a good question, sweetheart. I think we should head home."
The scene shifted back to the Shadow Realm, where Melodar and Saori were left standing. Saori was unnaturally quiet.
"The hell did I just watch?" Melodar blurted out. "An illegitimate child? Two Magic abilities? Saori, what are you?"
Saori's body began to glow green, and a bright flash of light erupted from her, shocking Melodar. "The Armor…it's affecting you!"
"I…I…this…my body…!"
She looked at her hands, and the chestplate appeared before them, causing a massive explosion of green energy. When Melodar got up, he found someone new standing where Saori once was.
"No way…"
There was a teenage girl with rainbow hair and eyes floating in the air, looking at her newfound body and outfit to match.
"Saori…?"
The girl lifted her head. "I'm older…like Miss Akari…like Mister Dachii…"
The armor lay between them. Melodar immediately recognized what was going on. "The Time Element! Of course, it IS the Master's armor! There must have been a trace of it left inside! It aged you into your teen years!"
Saori stared at Melodar, acknowledging the situation. "Only one of us can leave here."
Melodar summoned his guitar. "You're right. You're an interesting girl, Saori. You're okay in my book. But unfortunately, that armor has to go to someone."
They both got into a fighting stance, and as Melodar moved to play a tune on his guitar, Saori appeared in front of him, swiping out her hand.
"Resonance."
BOOM.
A large vibration shook the entire area, and Melodar immediately felt his heart explode. Hehe dropped his guitar, falling to his knees. "What…did you do…?"
Saori turned back to look at him. "You use sound. That makes Resonance much stronger on you, allowing me to sever the frequency of your heart."
"Awesome…" Melodar laughed.
Saori walked over to him as his body shook. "Hey, Uta."
"Hmm?"
"You're actually not evil, I was wrong! If anything, I do like your music! If you ever come back, after I beat you again for attacking my friends, you should play more music for me!"
Melodar coughed, laughing. "Ha. That's a big if. Damn. Runea's gonna kill me. But you win, Saori Nakamura…nice job…"
He patted her on the shoulder right before he exploded to dust, and the entire Shadow Realm around Saori crumbled into pieces.
—-