"Cherry Blossom Blizzard!" Ophelia's fans danced in the wind as she practiced her spells.
She was training, trying to master the power of the Vassal Fan which she knew she was struggling to use. With her fan raised, she practiced her attacks again but she knew she was weaker when compared to the other Vassal Braves.
"What are you up to, Lia?" Adele asked her as she came in with Rachel and Angelica.
"Oh, Ray, Ange, I'm training. What about you two?" She asked.
"Resting for a bit. Why don't you take a break too." The two offered her but she shook her head.
"I need to get stronger. Among us Vassal Braves, the weakest is me after all." She said.
Though it doesn't show on the battlefield, Ophelia has yet to master Vassal Weapon she was given. As such, her power was greatly lacking compared to the others.
The fact that she had also recieved her Vassal Weapon much earlier than the others only makes her feel even more weak and powerless. As such, she has been training hard and trying to master her Vassal Weapon to the best of her ability but... so far she can only do so much when compared to her other comrades.
"What should I do to get stronger..." She muttered as she gazed at the flowers in her garden.
"Why don't you try to awaken?" Rum said as he hazed at the blooms.
"Rum." She looked up as he leaned in to pick the flowers.
"Lovely, did you grow them?" He asked.
"Arata did." She answered as she gazed at the hydrangeas that bloomed beautifully.
"They look wonderful." He answered.
"What did you mean by Awakening?" Ophelia asked.
"Besides the power a Brave has, certain Braves have the ability to Awaken a Stratum." He stated. "By Awakening a Stratum, they gain a boost in power and an ability that doesn't require them to master their weapons to fight."
Ophelia took a minute to think about it when Arata told her to give it a try as he appeared behind them. He was listening to their conversation and smiled as Rum tried to help Ophelia.
"I don't see why not. If it helps Ophelia, she can try." Arata smiled. "Stratums are rare powers and are hard to come by. Having someone awaken a Stratum would be very useful to us."
"I'll give it my best!" Ophelia exclaimed. "But how do I awaken?"
"First, let's see what kind of Stratum you cam awaken. Le Fleur, can you do it?" Rum asked and he nodded.
Arata cuts a small wound on his finger and srip his blood on Ophelia's hand. A golden light shines and words written in an ancient language, neither Rum nor Ophelia could read emerge.
"What does it say?" Rum asked.
"Hmm... the Stratum she's closest to seems to be Songstress." He stated. "I think with some training she could awaken easily."
"Then I'll give it a try!" Ophelia exclaimed.
Rum trains Ophelia to awaken as the Songstress and as the days pass, Ophelia slowly seems to grow as a Brave. The Songstress specializes in Song Magic which can be extremely useful in battle. To be Spngstress the Brave must have a wonderful voice which she already has but even after a week she shows no sign of Awakening.
"What could be wrong I wonder?" Ophelia asked herself as she was walking down the halls of the school before bumping into Leon. "Oh, Leon, sorry."
"Don't worry about it." He said. "You okay? Your complexion doesn't look good. You aren't pushing yourself right?"
"I'm fine." She answered as she fixed her hair.
"Becoming stronger is good but not at the expense of your own health. Arata would be pained." He said and she nodded as she continued down the halls.
As she walked down the halls in seaech of an answer as to why she hasn't awakened, her feet eventually reached the room where Dino and Ryl were staying. She was about to turn back when Mani calls her.
"Do you need something, Ophelia?" Mani asked.
"It's nothing." She answered.
"Fate is at work. Come on in." He said as he opened the door.
She hesitated before deciding to sit down and Mani served her tea. She sipped it as she fiddled with her hair.
"I heard from Rum you were trying to awaken a Stratum. Are you here to ask him something?" He asked and she shook her head. "Then, are you trying to figure out why you haven't awakened a Stratum yet?"
She nodded slightly and Mani smiled as he handed her a ppatter of cookies which she takes one and nibbles bit by bit.
"As far as I know, it's never good to rush things. Good things take time. I have a good friend back in the Crest that always seem to be rushing about." He stated. "Because he is always in a rush, he often forgets certain things. Such as why he decided to do certain things. What about you? In your haste to awaken as a Stratum, you haven't forgotten why your doing are you?"
His words cause her to stop and finally take a breather. She calms herslef, lets her body and realize that she has forgotten the first thing their Village Chief ever taught them. Patience is key because it doesn't matter how slow you go, you'll surely get there. As long as you don't forget why you started, you'll surely reach the finish.
"Do you remember why you started?" He asked with a smile.
"What other reason can there be? Of course it's to help Arata!" She exclaimed and her bodywas engulfed by a golden light. "This is?"
"Well done on Awakening to the Sratum of Songstress." Mani smiled.
Ophelia smiled as she realized why she was unable to awaken before, it was because she had forgotten her first resolve. As the light died out, she noticed that there was something else.
"Special Skill; Diva?" She asked.
"Oh, that must be from the Gift that was distributed to all the Braves in Arata's genealogy." Mani said. "It seems it didn't manifest itself as it was waiting for this moment. Well? What does it do?"
"It seems to boost all the abiloties I use when I'm using my powers as a Songstress." She stated and smiled.
With her resolve to protect Arata even stronger than before, Ophelia smiled as a she accepted Arata's gift whoelheartedly.