"MOM!" Yurika shouted, her back went straight; up like a bolt in pitch darkness. Her heart beat fast and there was a buzzing in her brain. A cold sweat washed over her face and chest, her dream ended abruptly, as she was shaken back to reality. Her muscles felt weak, just like she actually ran down the hills in her dream. She let out an exasperated sigh, groaning as she put her head on her hands.

"I will never get used to the way she shows me her past," she mumbled to herself.

A stir on the bed made her remember that she wasn't alone. She glanced toward the girl next to her. Wen rubbed her sleepy eyes as she drowsily rose up from the bed.

"Are you okay, Yuu?" She asked between her yawned, "nightmares?"

"Don't worry about it, Wen. You should go back to sleep."

Wen didn't say anything back to her and Yurika could feel the glare she gave even in the dark. Wen then whispered a light magic chant and in mere seconds, the room was bright with a soft warm glow of firefly-like glitter. They sliced through the dark atmosphere with sugary light, softly buzzed through the blackened air, illuminating the room.

Yurika could feel the anxiety that was in her chest because of the dream slowly dissipated as her eyes were mesmerized by the calming light show.

"How did you do that?" she asked as she tried to touch one of the tiny glow orbs that floated near her. It exploded into fragments of light the moment her finger touched it, like a soap bubble.

"It's so beautiful, Wen. I don't know that there's light magic like this."

"Because there isn't any," Wen answered proudly.

"Oh, so this is one of your Pononga skill?"

"A yes and a no," she started to explain, "it's a combination of my conjuring skill and the light magic. It is actually the first skill that I created. My first time on infusing magic into my Pononga skill."

A wide grin grew on Yurika's face while her eyes glowing with admiration at her best friend.

"I think you are a genius, Wen!" Yurika said excitedly, "seriously, based on Lucia story no one in your tribe had ever thought on doing what u did. You amazed me!"

Wen coughed hard at her friend exclamation, "I am not that amazing. This skill isn't very useful, especially not for quests or defending yourself. I accidentally created it, because... I just need something to coop up with my grief."

Yurika quickly pulled her friend into her embrace, "I am sorry about your parents."

"It's okay. It has been more than five years," Wen patted her friend back, but then she pushed Yurika away a bit, "hey, I was the one who supposed to comfort you not the other way around."

Yurika chuckled at her complain, "well, you already did with this beautiful light show."

Wen's blue eyes gazed upon Yurika, scrutinizing her, "you know, I heard you."

"Heard me?"

"Yeah, you were screaming 'Mom' before. Does your memory start to come back?"

Yurika gulped hard at the question. In one way it was a memory indeed, but it wasn't really hers. It was Eireen's. Her own memory as Yurika hasn't really come back to her. She had wondered why her own memories haven't returned to her. Was it because Eireen's memory was flowing in her brain like an unstoppable broken dam?

Her fuschia eyes dropped to her pocket, where the gem rested.

"Sometimes I can't help it to think that you are too mysterious, Yuu," Wen exhaled a long sigh, "Do you not trust me?"

"No, is not like that Wen," Yurika quickly shook her head, "I trust you. You are my best friend."

"I don't feel like you do. Especially after Z appeared," Wen looked annoyed, "all of the sudden your world evolved around him. He was also the first one who knew that you are the chosen one, wasn't he?"

Yurika went silent. She didn't know how to explain to Wen that for her with Eireen's memory, Zeke felt like her anchor. Someone that she trusted fully without a question needed. Even though lately she started to wonder if she could really trust him or not. Some of his actions made her questions herself if she really knew him. It has been more than a decade since Eireen's dead. People changed and Zeke might have changed too.

"See, you can't answer that," Wen sighed hard once more then she put her hands on Yurika's shoulders and gazed deeply into her eyes, "anyway, is not like I am saying this because I am jealous or anything. But Yuu, I have been living my whole life learning that people's aether can define a personality and intention. I tend to guess correctly if someone is up to no good, that's how I and Riddele survived all alone all this time. I learned that in a hard way."

Wen paused and exhaled long once more as she tried to put away the same grief that seemed would haunt her for the rest of her life.

"Also, when I said I don't trust Z, I didn't say it just because I am angry because he has stolen my best friend. There is something about him that I feel very uncomfortable with. I can't really say what it was, the only thing I am sure of was that he is not what he appears to be," she continued.

Yurika took a deep breathe in. Despite her own doubt over Zeke, she still valued Zeke as someone important in Eireen's life. That alone was more than enough for her to give him the benefit of her trust. But she couldn't ignore Wen's warning either. Eireen might be a major part of her life now, but Wen was there even before she knew Eireen ever existed. Wenona was one of her first friends when she opened her eyes and have zero understanding of who she was beside her own name.

"I understand your worry, Wen--"

"I don't think you do," Wen cut Yurika's sentence, her blue eyes pierced through Yurika's, "I can't blame you. He did save you back then in Azurlite."

"No, that's not the reason I trust him," Yurika protested, but then she went quiet. To explain why she trusted Zeke means she got to tell Wen everything. Yurika wasn't sure if Wen would be ready to hear about it. Yurika bit her inner cheeks, confused on what to say next.

"Then what?" Wen asked impatiently.

Yurika shook her head, sadness pouring out from her eyes as she couldn't explain herself.

"I am sorry, I can't explain it. I--"

"You know what, I don't want to know," Wen raised her hands; feeling upset, "We should sleep now. We need to focus on our journey tomorrow."

Wen then slammed her body down to the bed and turned her back on Yurika.

"Wen..."

"Don't Wen me, you are the one who didn't trust me enough."

"Is not true, I trust you," begged Yurika as she tried to touch Wen's arm. Wen slapped Yurika's hand away.

Yurika stared at her best friend's back. Her eyes became glazed with a glassy layer of tears. As she blinked, they dripped from her eyelids and slid down her cheeks.

"I am sorry, I can't tell you just yet. I am holding a secret that I am not sure I am ready to share with you. It is not because I don't trust you, Wen. It just that... I need time. I will tell you when I am ready." Yurika whispered her thought to Wen's mind. The purple-haired girl stirred and turned her body toward Yurika.

"Fine, I will wait until you are ready," she sighed; defeated, "but promise me, that you will explain it to me someday."

"Thank you and I will."

"Anyway, can I borrow your legendary gem?" Wen asked suddenly, as she sat back, "don't worry I just need it for a few minutes."

Yurika took out Fetuu La Rossa from her pocket and gave it to Wenona. Wen stared at it for a couple of seconds before closing both her hands on it. She then muttered a chant that Yurika failed to understand. A soft glow of blue and red light spill through Wen's clasped hand. The moment she opened her clutch the light disappeared and Yurika saw a necklace with Fettuu La Rossa as the pendant.

Wenona then softly put on the necklace around Yurika's neck, "I don't really feel comfortable seeing you keeping a Legendary stone in a waist pocket. You can be super clumsy at times, what happened if we need your power and you dropped it by accident?"

"I am not that clumsy!" Yurika retorted, but then she smiled as she admiring the necklace, "thank you Wen."

With her fingers, Wen traced the necklace chain while muttered a strange language once more, "There with that enchantment no one could steal the necklace from you, unless... they kill you. Which I hope that never happened."

"Enchantment?" Yurika gasped, "I don't know that you could enchant too? I thought your Pononga skill was all about conjuring and your mage subclass is all about elemental magic? Do you have another subclass that you haven't told me?"

Wenona giggled at her questions, "No, I only practicing elemental magic and Pononga's. It isn't really an enchantment, Yuu."

"Then, what is it?"

"I can't tell you now. I will tell you when you told me your deepest secret," Wenona's winked and stuck out her tongue, "just to be fair."

"Ahh... aw okay," Yurika ceased as her head slumped in disappointment. She couldn't argue. If Wen willing to wait for her, she should be able to do the same thing for her.

"Anyway, it's late. We really should rest. The trip to Marama would take us around four days and three night. I am worried about everyone," Wen said as she put down her head on the pillow and pulling up the blanket close toward her face."

"Have you sent some message to Riddele? You have her True Name right?" Asked Yurika as she lay down on the bed.

"I did, she said nothing strange so far. Maybe because our place is up at north? But I told her to keep an eye and ears, just in case something turns up."

"Yeah, I hope we make it in time," mumbled Yurika as her eyes slowly closed and her breathing became soft and steady. The sleep pooled on their eyelids and the wind outside swooped up, over the heights, rushed and rustled through the tough Snow mountain grasses, and gradually ebbed away through the crags of silence.