Magical Girl? I’m not sure about this.

The rest of the winter was spent trying to get things in order. They made some adjustments to the prototype mini-airship to make it a little safer. They did a couple more runs to the palladium ore deposit and added it to the pile of ore to send to the island for smelting. Also, some of the preserved food that Bob and Martha were not going to need was set to be exported.

Some of the test flights also showed that the airships had a big freezing problem. Alex could only blame herself for the design. If they flew in subzero temperature then the hot air would cause water to drip down below and some of it would freeze on the metal parts in the cabin below. The fact that there was a lot of metal would just make a secondary condensation problem inside that would only make things worse the longer it was in the cold.

“I’m not qualified to be designing airships.” Alex grumped. “Trying to use less wood just made another problem.”

“Can’t you just take the ships one by one through the portal pipe?” Cassius asked, apparently interested in the airship progress. “Then it can launch them from a warmer area.”

“I haven’t seen bugs use Merumeru’s portals.” The black-haired girl looked to the young noble. “Besides, there is only one portal that leads to and from the island. If we don’t have a way other than that it makes a big weakness that could isolate everyone here.”

“Endeed, this place is rather isolated.” The young noble commented. “It is a blessing and a curse at the same time. I dare say the winter has been dreadful.”

Alex eyed the handsome noble. “Also, Professor Copperpot hasn’t had any luck with demons here. So, if we want to get this virus spreading we’ll have to start the spread ourselves.”

“Let me know how I can help.” The dashing man bowed charmingly. “Staying here all these months I’ve learned quite a bit but I’d like to get back out there and help somehow.”

Alex thought this sounded reasonable.

But Fufi interrupted him. “I don’t think they need more nobles out there. Besides, Cosmos put you and your family here to keep you safe from the demons. Do you want to suffer a fate similar to your mother?”

“Of course not.” The noble’s mask cracked a bit. “But staying here for years feels like a waste of my talents.”

“I wouldn’t advise it,” Alex let slip. “But going to the temple of Catalina would be a possibility? Some of the former maids might not like seeing you there though considering they wanted to be away from your family enough to join those weird clergy.”

Cassius considered this for a bit but shook his head. “Perhaps new opportunities will arise at a later time.”

The young noble gracefully exited back into the castle.

Alex and Fufi gave each other a look.

Regardless of how odd the social dynamic was on this island, it looked like they were on track to have at least one of the Merumeru-sized mosquito ships set up to take the journey to the swamp and drop off the first payload of insects.

The days had been getting longer for some time and the snow was melting on the sky island. The magical girl and flamingo pair headed back inside to find a second flamingo waiting for them.

“Hello.” Fuzi greeted.

“Hello Fuzi.” Fufi preened in return. “How is Grace? She’s not with you today.”

“I was hoping you could help with that.” Fuzi sounded worried. “She puts up a cheerful front but I think all this time back as a human has given her to reflection. She’s been in her room and hasn’t gotten out of bed today.”

Two flamingos and a magical girl headed to the long-time demon, short-time human who was staying in a room.

“Grace?” Alex knocked on the door. “It’s Alex, can I come in?”

“Yes, come in,” a voice answered from behind the door. “Sorry I’m not my confident self lately. Also, doesn’t this castle belong to you anyway?”

Alex opened the door slowly and entered, followed by the two pink flamingos with gems on their foreheads.

“Fuzi says you’ve been struggling.” Alex walked over to the window and opened the curtains to let some light in. “Want to talk about it?”

The light streaming into the room showed tear streaks on Grace’s cheeks. “We can talk if you’d like. I’m not exactly presentable right now though.”

“I’m here for you.” Grace’s flamingo stated with conviction. “What’s wrong?”

“I haven’t seen you for decades Fuzi.” Grace averted her gaze. “It is just that the thing about being a demon. . . they don’t feel empathy. I always hated that my humanity was stolen from me and wanted to right that injustice. It made me angry. However how that I’m a human again I feel something I had forgotten.”

“What’s that?” Fuzi asked.

“Guilt, regret and other things.” Grace wiped her face. “I’ve done some terrible things to people. I feel like giving up on life. There is no way I can atone for all the bad things I’ve done.”

“Of course you can.” Fuzi pleaded. “Luna wouldn’t have let me come back to you if she didn’t think you couldn’t start up where you left off.”

“I wish I could just forget about all those decades as a succubus.” Grace lamented. “It would make it so much easier to move on.”

“You said it yourself.” Alex pushed the former-succubus’s own words. “That you had to obey your superiors so that the stronger demons wouldn’t tolerate anything else.”

“That is true, but it doesn’t make what I did any better.” She took a breath and looked at Alex. “A succubus can enthral people. And I did that to many of the nobles that were getting out of line. And it made me feel powerful. I remember enjoying it.”

“So what?” Alex proclaimed. “Can’t change the past. Throwing your past away is like killing a part of yourself.”

“It is like what Sakura tried to do to Alex.” Fufi whispered to the other flamingo.

“Oh dear.” Fuzi said.

“Magical girl Sakura?” Grace blinked in disbelief. “I thought she was defeated decades ago when they razed the forest.”

Fuzi explained. “That is not the case. Her grove regrew, aspins are resilient to forest fires. No one really noticed but she was quietly holding the line against the demons to the southwest and it let the tribal people on the other side have a barrier that put some distance between them and the kingdom of Jass.”

“I don’t think it was intentional.” Fufi pointed a wing at the other flamingo. “She just wanted to protect the forest when we met her, other than a few exceptions she didn’t tolerate humans on her land.”

Alex agreed but shook her head. “You two, let's not get sidetracked. Luna turned Sakura into a baby trying to wipe my memory. At the very least, I don’t think the goddess of cuteness wants people who she gives classes to throw away their past. Please don’t make that conversation with that Yuki-ona prove her right.”

“You met a noble of the winter court?” Fuzi gasped. “I heard they are tricky and dangerous.”

“We met her at Luna’s grotto.” The other flamingo tilted her beak. “I don’t think we were in any real danger. She came to apologize…. Sorta.”

Grace sighed wistfully. “Do you mind if I stay here longer? This island seems really safe. The demons don’t go far into the sky, too many stories about how a certain magical girl took offense to that.”

“Don’t give up on the quest to defeat the demon queen so easily.” Fuzi sounded cheerful. “I think taking a break is okay. You can practice your powers.”

“I didn’t bring any instruments with me.” Grace looked down. “I need one to use my powers.”

Alex considered this. “What did you play?”

“Stringed instruments.” Grace answered. “Though this far away from civilization it might be difficult to acquire any.”

Alex hummed. “I’ll be right back.”

The black-haired magical girl headed back to the cabin and opened the cellar door to the crawl space. A friend had an old cello that likely was too beat up to be used, but because it was a family heirloom they didn’t want to get rid of it. Alex took it in and it had been in a case for years, stored away in the dark.

Alex emerged after having to crawl around to find the large case.

“What’s that?” Fufi eyed the grimey cello case.

“Someone’s garbage.” Alex pulled out her feather duster. “But perhaps it can get a second life.”

She dusted off the hard case and the faded, soiled black turned back to new.

“Oooo.” Fuzi eyed the instrument case. “That is a big one.”

“What’s inside?” Fufi pecked the latch.

Alex opened the case, displaying a neglected cello and bow. “It is a cello. Have you seen one before?”

“Is it like a lyre?” Fuzi eyed the thing. “It looks really big for one. Grace can play a lyre.”

“I’m not sure what that is.” Alex didn’t think she’d seen one of those before. “But this is played by running the bow across the strings.”

“Really?” Fuzi gave the strange contraption a look of surprise. “I’ve never seen an instrument that works like that.”

Alex dusted off the worn cello and the bow. Like the case, the two things became clean and new again. The grime whisked off and vanished like mist.

“Can Grace use it?” Alex looked to Fuzi. “I’m not sure I’m qualified to teach someone music. There might be some other stuff in here.”

Alex placed the cello against the cabin and thumbed through the case. There was some sheet music and a couple books about learning to play cello. They were old but with a good feather dusting they became new once more. She put them back in the case and hefted the large package behind her, holding it to her shoulder.

Alex awkwardly trundled through the melting snow, dragging the burden very slowly.

A villager came up to her. “Do you need some help?”

“Yes please.” Alex handed the cello to the large man. “I’m not as strong as I apparently think I am.”

This was good, because getting the cello up the stairs would have been very difficult with a low-strength magical girl and a pair of flamingos.

The flamingos pecked at the door to Grace’s room. “You still in there grace? We have a gift for you.”

They presented the cello to Grace when the door was opened.

“Is this what you meant when you said you’d be right back?” Grace asked, this time she looked a bit more put together.

“It’s a cello.” Fufi cheered. “You run that bow along the strings and it makes music.”

“Maybe take a few days to practice.” Alex opened the case and showed her what was inside.

“I’ll give it a try.” Grace put on a slightly-fake-loooking smile.

“I’ve got some insects to deliver to a swamp.” Alex and Fufi left the other pair alone.