A source of Essence.
The thought of that almost kept Melisa up all night, making her eyes open randomly like she could feel a sleep paralysis demon nearby.
Over the course of the night, some questions kept bouncing off the walls of her mind. And so, as soon as she saw her mother the next day, she let them all flood over her.
"Mom," she said, her voice urgent. "Do you know if rune magic exists in this world? Like, can people use runes to cast spells? O-Or, use runes to 'contain' spells?"
Margaret, sitting on one of the couches, looked at her daughter, a bit surprised by the sudden barrage of questions.
"Runes? Well, I... I'm not entirely sure, dear. I know that enchanted items exist, but I don't know much about how they're made."
Melisa's eyes widened.
"Enchanted items? So, like, objects that have magic infused into them?"
Her mother nodded.
"Yes, I've heard of such things. Weapons that never dull, cloaks that render the wearer invisible, that sort of thing."
Melisa leaned forward, her heart pounding with excitement.
"Do we have any?"
"No," she almost sounded offended at the mere suggestion, "that stuff is extremely expensive and we have little use for them."
[Fair.]
"Do you know how they're made? The process?"
Margaret paused, giving her daughter a curious look.
"Melisa, dear, you're... you're incredibly well-spoken for someone who just woke up from a coma. Where is all this coming from?"
[Shit,] Melisa thought, realizing her mistake. [I'm supposed to be a 9-year-old. A 9-year-old who just had amnesia, no less.]
She forced a higher tone.
"I... I was just curious, Mommy," she immediately adjusted. "I had a dream about magic, and I wanted to know more."
Margaret's expression softened.
"I see. Well, I'm afraid I don't know much about how enchanted items are made. That's the sort of thing that mages concern themselves with, not us nim."
Melisa bit her lip, trying to hide her disappointment.
"But... but why not? Don't you want to know how magic works?"
Her mother chuckled, reaching out to ruffle Melisa's hair.
"Oh, my sweet girl." She shook her head. "Listen, dear. I know magic seems exciting and wonderful. But for us nim, it's just not something we need to worry about. And, that's good. Less things to trouble ourselves with, you know?"
Melisa wanted to argue, obviously. To insist that magic was important, that it could be the key to solving all their problems.
But, something in the way her mother was looking at her told Melisa it was pointless.
[... When it comes to magic, I'm on my own, I guess.]
She forced another smile, nodding her head.
"Okay, Mommy. I understand."
Margaret smiled, giving her a quick hug.
"That's my girl. Now, how about we go get some breakfast? I'm sure you must be starving after all that sleeping."
Melisa let her mother lead her out of the room, her mind still churning with questions and possibilities.
[Enchanted items,] she thought, a flicker of hope sparking in her chest. [If I can figure out how those are made, and extract the Essence from them... my plan might just work.]
It was a long shot, but it was all she had.
"Also," Margaret continued. "Put on one of your nice skirts."
"Why?"
"Family are visiting today."
Melisa stopped.
[Family?]
---
Later that day, while Melistair was still out working, Melisa and her mother stood at the front door of their home, waiting to greet their visitors.
[I wonder who it could be,] Melisa thought, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. [More nim? Humans, maybe?]
The door swung open, and Melisa's jaw nearly hit the floor.
Standing before them was a woman who looked almost human, but with a few striking differences. Atop her head sat a pair of fluffy, pointed ears, and behind her swished a long, bushy tail.
It was happening.
She was standing right before Melisa.
[A kitsune,] Melisa realized, her eyes wide with wonder. [A FOX GIRL!]
But it was the one standing next to the woman that really caught Melisa's attention.
She was small, probably around the same age as Melisa's current body. But where Melisa was plain, in pretty much every way aside from her purple skin, this girl was the very picture of adorable.
Her ears were perked up, twitching slightly as she took in her surroundings. Her pink tail, a miniature version of her mother's, swayed gently behind her. Her eyes were big and green.
[Oh fuck,] Melisa put a hand to her chest. [My heart. Must... resist... urge to hug,] Melisa thought, her fingers twitching at her sides. [She's just... so... CUTE!]
"Margaret!" the kitsune woman exclaimed, pulling Melisa's mother into a warm embrace. "It's been too long, sister."
[Sister?] Melisa looked back and forth between them. [What?]
Margaret laughed, returning the hug with equal enthusiasm.
"Indeed, indeed, Kimiko. But look at you! You haven't aged a day."
Kimiko grinned, flicking her tail in a playful manner.
"Ah, well, you know how my side of the family tree is. We age like fine wine." She turned her attention to Melisa, her eyes softening. "And you must be Melisa. I heard about what happened, dear. How are you feeling?"
Melisa blinked, momentarily thrown by the question.
"I... I'm okay," she said, trying to sound like a normal, not-reincarnated child. "Still getting used to things, I guess."
Kimiko nodded, a look of sympathy crossing her face.
"I can only imagine. But you're a strong girl, Melisa. You'll get through this."
She gestured to the girl at her side, who was bouncing on the balls of her feet with barely contained energy.
"This is Isabella, my daughter. I thought it might be nice for you two to spend some time together."
Isabella grinned, her fluffy ears perking up even more.
"Hi, Melisa!" she chirped, her voice like a bell. "Wanna go play? I brought my dolls!"
[Dolls?] Melisa thought, a moment of confusion passing over her. [Oh, right. Right. 9-year-old. Play. Dolls. Got it.]
She forced a smile, nodding her head.
"Sure, that sounds... fun?"
Margaret and Kimiko exchanged a look, their eyes twinkling with amusement.
"Why don't you two run along, then?" Margaret suggested, giving Melisa a gentle nudge. "The adults need to talk for a bit."
Melisa hesitated, part of her wanting to stay and listen in on whatever conversation was about to happen.
But one look at Isabella's eager, expectant face, and she knew she was doomed.
[Resistance is futile,] she thought, resigned to her fate. [The cuteness... it's too powerful!]
"Okay, let's go," she said, taking Isabella's hand and trying not to squeal at how soft and fluffy it was.
As the two girls scampered off, Margaret and Kimiko watched them go, a couple of smiles on their faces.
---
As Melisa and Isabella settled into the garden, surrounded by an array of dolls and toys, Melisa found herself struggling to maintain her enthusiasm.
[This is... not exactly how I imagined spending my time in a fantasy world,] she thought, halfheartedly making her doll walk across the grass. [I mean... It's kinda fun, I guess.]
Still, as the playtime continued, Isabella's unbridled cuteness helped to keep Melisa from passing out form sheer boredom.
[Eh, she's not half-bad,] she mused, a genuine smile tugging at her lips. [I mean, who couldn't have fun with a literal ball of fluff like her?]
Suddenly, a thought struck Melisa, and she turned to Isabella with a curious expression.
"Hey, Isabella," she said, trying to sound casual. "Can you use magic?"
Isabella's green eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously, her fluffy ears bouncing with the motion.
"Yeah! I'm gonna be the most powerful sorceress in the whole wide world someday!" she declared, puffing out her small chest with pride.
Melisa's heart skipped a beat, a flicker of hope igniting in her chest.
[A sorceress, huh? Maybe... maybe she can help me with my plan.]
An idea forming in her mind, Melisa grinned at Isabella, a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Hey, wanna play a different game?" she asked, scooping up a random rock from the garden. "I bet you can't put your magic in this rock!"
Isabella's tail swished with excitement, and she snatched the rock from Melisa's hand.
"Oh yeah? Watch me!" she exclaimed, scrunching up her face in concentration.
For a moment, nothing happened. But then, just as Melisa was about to give up hope, she saw it.
A faint, shimmering glow, emanated from the rock in Isabella's tiny hands.
[Holy shit, it's working!] Melisa thought, her eyes widening in amazement. [She's actually doing it!]
But as quickly as it had appeared, the glow faded, leaving the rock as plain and ordinary as before.
Isabella's shoulders slumped, and she pouted, her lower lip quivering.
"Aww, I thought I had it," she whined, her ears drooping in disappointment.
Melisa, however, was barely containing her excitement.
[She did it! Even if it was just for a second, she actually infused that rock with magic! If I can get her to do that again, but with a more complex spell... maybe I can figure out how to extract the Essence and use it for my runes!]
Outwardly, though, she just patted Isabella on the head, giving her a reassuring smile.
"Hey, don't worry about it," she said, trying to sound like a wise, older cousin. "I bet you'll get it next time. You're gonna be the best sorceress ever, remember?"
Isabella's face brightened and her ears lifted.
Melisa was just about dying from the sweetness.
Melisa chuckled, a genuine warmth spreading through her chest.
What mattered though was that for a bit of time, it happened.
[The rock lit up,] Melisa thought. [So, you can pass your Essence into an object. Now, how do I make it stick?]
---
They kept going after that.
Melisa chuckled, a genuine warmth spreading through her chest as she watched Isabella attempt to infuse the rock with magic again and again.
[This kid is going to be the death of me,] she thought, her heart melting a little more with each adorable pout and determined furrow of Isabella's brow. [Death by cuteness overload. What a way to go... Better than being run over by a truck, at least.]
They tried again and again, Isabella scrunching up her face and channeling her magic with all the might her tiny body could muster. But no matter how many times they repeated the process, the result was always the same: a brief flicker of light, followed by a whole lot of nothing.
Just as Melisa was about to suggest they take a break and regroup, Isabella let out a dramatic sigh.
"I'm thirsty," she declared, tossing the rock aside with a huff. "Let's go get some water."
Melisa shrugged, figuring a little hydration break couldn't hurt.
But as they approached the house, Melisa suddenly froze, her eyes widening in shock.
What she saw didn't make sense. It was like someone had ripped her previous life's late night fantasies and manifested them in reality.
There, standing in the hall, were Melisa and Isabella's moms.
Sisters, mind you.
Kissing.
And... Well...
That alone was shocking enough. But it was how passionately they were sucking each other's faces that made Melisa turn to stone.
[WHAT.] Melisa's brain short-circuited, trying to process the scene before her. [WHAT. WHAT. WHAT.]
Acting on pure instinct, Melisa slapped a hand over Isabella's eyes.
Except, unfortunately, she failed to cover Isabella's mouth.
"Hey, w-"
She only managed to get that out before Melisa's hand went from Isabella's eyes down to her mouth. Again, instinctively. The lip-locking ladies didn't notice, probably a bit distracted by all the lip biting and tongue sucking.
And so, they both ended up standing there for a few seconds, wide-eyed, watching something they were very likely not meant to see.
Ba-dump... Ba-dump... Ba-dump...
As Melisa's heart pounded in her ears, she finally managed to will her legs to move, pulling Isabella away with her.
As they retreated to a safe distance, Melisa's mind was reeling.
[I... That... Do sisters just make out in this world? Hehe, does... Does that happen to be a common thing here???]
She shook her head.
[So, I don't get magic, but I get a big dose of lesbian incest. Great.] Still, she felt she couldn't be too angry. [You know what? I'm not even mad. This is the most exciting thing that's happened to me in... well, ever.]
Sure, it was unexpected. Sure, it raised a whole host of new questions.
But hey, at least it wasn't boring.
She glanced down at Isabella.
"W-What was that!?" Isabella asked but Melisa shushed her. "Sorry. What was that?" She asked, a lot quieter.
"I... Don't know."
That was what Melisa went with.
[Yep, I am not your mom. This is not my conversation to have. Sorry.]
---
A few hours later (which made Melisa wonder just how much time her and Isabella's moms spent making out), Isabella and her mom went to leave.
"Thank you for having us," Isabella's mom said, hugging Margaret. "It was great to see you again."
[Oh, I bet it was.]
"Don't forget what I showed you," Melisa told Isabella with a wink. "Okay?"
She was, of course, referring to the rock and Essence. Maybe next time, Isabella herself might just find a way to make the magic stick.
Isabella nodded.
"I won't!" She said, determined.
With that out of the way, Isabella and her mom left.
And then...
Well, Melisa couldn't resist.
Shaking her head, Melisa turned to Margaret, an innocent smile plastered across her face.
"Mommy?" she said, laying on the sweetness like syrup on a stack of pancakes. "What were you and Auntie Kimiko doing earlier?"
Margaret's face turned a shade of red that could rival a fire truck.
"OH! Oh, gods, you saw that?" she groaned, burying her face in her hands.
[Oh, you bet I did.]
"I'm so sorry, honey. Mommy and Auntie Kimiko were just... uh... showing each other how much we missed each other?"
[Smooth, Mom. Real smooth,] Melisa thought, biting back a laugh.
But outwardly, she just nodded, her eyes wide with feigned innocence.
"Okay, Mommy," she said, patting Margaret's arm reassuringly. "I understand. Grown-up stuff, right?"
Margaret sagged with relief, a grateful smile spreading across her face.
"Right. Grown-up stuff," she agreed, ruffling Melisa's hair. "I promise, I'll explain it all to you when you're a bit older, okay?"
[Yep, I'll hold you to that,] Melisa thought, struggling to keep a straight face. [That's going to be HILARIOUS.]
Just then, the front door swung open, and in walked Melistair, looking like he'd just come back from a mud wrestling match with a pack of wild hogs.
He was covered in dirt from head to toe, his clothes torn and stained with all manner of mysterious substances.
[What the heck?] she thought, her brow furrowing. [What kind of job does this guy have?]
But before she could voice any of these questions (or offer to hose him down with a garden sprinkler), Melistair caught sight of her and Margaret, a weary smile spreading across his face.
"My girls," he said, opening his arms wide for a hug. "I'm home."
Margaret rushed forward, embracing him despite the layer of filth that coated his skin.
Melisa was not so eager.
"Welcome back, dear," Margaret said, kissing his cheek. "Rough day at work?"
Melistair chuckled. He sounded equal parts exhausted and amused.
"You could say that," he said, his eyes twinkling with a secret sort of mirth. "But I'll tell you all about it later. For now, I think I need a bath. And maybe a stiff drink."
[You and me both, buddy,] Melisa thought, shaking her head. [You and me both.]