Kajai took his place behind Himiko on Petalbroom, reluctantly putting his hands around her waist. The close contact make him nervous, but she appeared to be fine. Petalbroom lowered slightly and Himiko kicked away from the ground hard with her boots. Pink petals were spread across the sky as they quickly ascended. Kajai had been right, the air was slightly cooler as they rose. Soon Yumekoji was a green blob below. 

Travel to Himiko’s world was best at sunset she had explained, when the ‘barrier’ was at its thinnest. Kajai’s heart thudded in his chest as he tried not to squeeze Himiko to death. Griselda flew close to their left, her long hair lifted by the breeze.

They flew directly towards the setting sun, faster and faster until they disappeared.

The next thing Kajai knew, he was surrounded by darkness. There was nothing, no sound, no light. He couldn’t feel anything.

“KAJAI! FOCUS!”

At the sound of Himiko’s voice the world exploded into a kaleidoscope of colors. There was a dazzling light, and suddenly there were blue skies and clouds all around him.

“We’re back.” Himiko smiled at her sister, who hovered several feet away. They floated hundreds of feet above a lush green forest that went on and on towards the horizon, as wide as the sea.

Concern marred Griselda’s features. “Himiko darling, you’re forgetting something.”

“Hm?”

“Your fiancée is falling to his death, dear.”

“HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

Forgotten, Kajai continued to plummet towards the trees. His vision blurred, as he flailed his arms in vain.

“WHYYYYYYYYYYYYY!?”

“Hwa…” Himiko dove quickly and caught him by his hood. As he scrambled back onto the broom, he gave her a look of distrust.

Part of Himiko wanted to chide Kajai for not focusing on a location when he crossed realms, but the look of terror on his face kept her from doing so.

She headed back up, patting his trembling hands. “There, there…”

She adjusted her hat and ascended again, back to where Griselda and Nekobroom hovered.

“Be more careful, Himiko. Your betrothed is mortal.”

“He’s not…” Himiko sighed. “Fine. Look. Kajai, there’s Pershana--the pendulum town. ” 

Kajai looked to the east. In a clearing stood a small town, like something out light novel or a game. Pendulum town was a slightly unstable area sometimes plagued by ‘Swings’--shifts in time that occasionally brought a traveler back or forward in time before returning them to their original moment. It was something he had figured out from reading the Grimoire, but made little sense to him on paper. Now see how parts of the town seemed to wrinkle and blur from a distance, it began to make more sense.

On the edge of town was something out of the ordinary, a large figure made of rocks, boulders, and earth. On closer inspection, the figure had a humanoid structure, with arms, legs, and eyes. It was massive in size, towering over the buildings.

“What’s with that large thing!? Is it a monster? A golem!?” Himiko’s eyes glittered with excitement.

Griselda held out her hand and a spyglass appeared. She looked through it. “It looks like it’s trying to break through a barrier. They’re trying to hold it back.”

The golem swung its arms at an invisible barrier enforced by a small group of children, chanting in unison.

“Looks exciting!” Himiko grinned. She swerved upright, and Kajai was knocked from the broom again. This time Griselda caught him by creating a large heavy cloud.

Himiko tipped her hat. “I'm going to check it out! Watch Kajai for me!”

Kajai sat on the fluffy mass, feeling like a lost puppy.

Griselda called to her sister. “Hey now! I’m supposed to be the irresponsible one!” 

Himiko continued to float away. After that humiliating incident with Kazuto, she was ready to blow off some steam. She assessed the situation from the air. Judging by the panicked young boy flipping through his grimoire and the choir of young casters frantically chanting, the golem was most likely a summoning gone awry.

Himiko soared closer, standing on her familiar. “Cannon formation, Petalbroom!”

“Yes, Milady!”

 Himiko continued to stand on Petalbroom as it made a loop de loop in the air. She hopped off and grabbed the prayer beads hanging from the broom with one hand, while holding the familiar steady with the other. She aimed the familiar’s flowering rear at the rocky giant. “Fire!”

A blast of petals hit the monster in its eyes, and it stumbled. Himiko swung her body back over her familiar and rode it down to the ground landing in the yellow brick courtyard. She snatched the grimoire from the boy. “Borrowing this…” She held a page with her thumb. “This should work. Spell jewels, please.”

The boy offered a small velvet pouch to her and Himiko stared at his dark robes--the practice uniform of Pershana Academy. “Are you going to calm it down?”

Himiko laughed. “Goddess, no. I’m going to break it.”

“B-But my homework!” The boy cried.

“Your homework is about to destroy the town. And where is your professor?”

A red faced woman ran out of the schoolhouse, clutching her oversized pointed hat. “What is happening!?”

Griselda and Kajai landed on the ground.

“Do you want help, sister?” Griselda asked.

Himiko nodded and Griselda peered in the book. “We’ll go with this one.”

Griselda nodded, and the two began chanting. “Spirits of earth, spirits, of sky, spirits of water…”

Kajai was left to look on with the students of what he suddenly recognized as Pershana academy--the school Griselda and Himiko had attended as children. It was somehow just as he had imagined it, a yellow brick courtyard, a greenhouse where potion ingredients were grown, a small school house fit for a class of forty children. The students all wore dark purple velvet robes, the sign of a caster in training.

Dirt rose from the ground, and vapor turned to water, joining into several large whips. They sliced at the golem repeatedly until it was reduced to rubble, dirt and rocks falling everywhere. One lone crystal remained floating in mid air.

“There’s the catalyst!” Himiko pushed the grimoire back into the boy’s hands. “You summoned it. Deactivate it.”

The boy reluctantly complied. Raising two fingers, he pointed at the crystal. “Unbind."

The crystal liquefied into a silver matter and fell on the bricks with a loud splat.

“Trouble brews and you appear.” The red-faced woman crossed her arms. “If it isn’t the Tsukihime sisters.”

Himiko tipped her hat. “Hello, Mrs.Tumble! I see your students are as ambitious as ever.”

“Quite.” Mrs. Tumble looked around the courtyard. “Look at this mess. I asked you all to hold your summoning until I returned!”

Smoke poured from the woman’s ears.

“Don’t be too hard on them.” Himiko laughed nervously. “After all, they’re still learning.”

The woman narrowed her eyes at Himiko. “I seem to recall a similar incident happening with you, your sister, and a Gnome.”

Kajai bit his lip to keep from laughing and looked away. He could remember that as well.

Himiko’s cheeks flushed pink. “I….That wasn’t my fault you know! Grizzy is the one who...who…”

“Don’t point fingers, sister.” Griselda crossed her arms. “The past has passed.”

Mrs. Tumble cleared her throat. “Yes, well I thank you for your assistance. Class, gather around.”

 As the children stepped forward, their robes billowing, Kajai stayed put.

“I’m sure you’ve heard of the Tsukihime sisters, Griselda and Himiko.”

The girls tipped their hats as Mrs.Tumble continued. “Both first class witches who attended this school as casters before taking their exams.”

Those who used magic were generally referred to as Casters, until classified by exams, self-classification, or assigned a class from birth. As their family was teeming with witches, both Himiko and Griselda were not surprised to classify as such.

“Well as Alumni of this school, do you have any advice for our current class?”

“Eh?” Himiko blinked.

Griselda studied her face in a small compact mirror, as if she hadn't heard the question.

“Grizzy?” Himiko looked to her sister for guidance.

“Study, study, study.” Griselda said, looking at her eye shadow in the mirror. “Oh, and don’t let your stalker steal your spell jewel supply.”

Himiko shot her sister a nasty look, then shook her head. “Try new things.” She instructed. “And don’t be afraid to fail. Or do something different than your peers.” She held onto Petalbroom. “Well, we better get going…”