Natsuki slowly walks towards us three, joining us in the small circle we have in the forest, the wind still blowing past us.
I can't keep my eyes from landing on Yuri; was she the one who controlled the wind to make Ace stumble?
I laugh and shake my head. Of course not. Yuri's a sweet girl, she wouldn't punch a new friend, even if they were calling Natsuki cute nicknames. Or would she?
"What do you think that was about?" Sayori asked, brushing a strand of her curly hair behind her ears. "You know, with Ace calling Natsuki," She began to grin slyly as she nudged the pinkette. "Cupcake~?"
Natsuki shoved Sayori away, her ears and face dusting a light pink. "Oh, shut up Sayori!"
I glance at Yuri again, who is shuffling on her feet uncomfortably, her ears and tail both bent. Curiously, I turn back to face Natsuki and smirk, keeping Yuri in my side view.
"Do you think Ace likes you?" I ask. "Like, like like you? As in a crush?"
Natsuki begins to blush more as she glared wide eyed at me, as Sayori cooed excitedly.
I sneak a glance at Yuri fidgeting, the wind becoming slightly stronger before falling to its normal pace again.
"Monika, don't even start this!" Natsuki hissed.
"Ooh~" I gasp dramatically. "Calling you cupcake is cute after all. Maybe he was flirting with you~"
Natsuki grits her teeth angrily as she was about to retort back something, but surprisingly, Yuri beats her.
"Could we go back inside please?" She asks loudly and quickly, earning a nod and grunt of agreement from Natsuki.
Why is Yuri acting like this? I curve my eye brows in confusion, only to hear Sayori giggle.
"Sure, but how are we gonna get you inside looking like that?" She asks.
Yuri shyly smiles and ducks her head down. "O-oh, right.."
Like on cue, the wind began to speed up slightly, forcing Yuri to raise her head again and look around, like her name had been called. The purple hue of the bright light came back, blinding us all for a brief moment.
Until when we reopened them, Yuri was fine, back in her normal form.
Natsuki laughs, letting her arms fall to her sides. "Well. That solves that."
The four of us walked to back the dorms, and decided to talk in the middle of the room in Sayori's and my dorm. (Again.)
"So," Natsuki starts, standing against the door. "Sayori turns into a mermaid, I turn into a half cat half fire bird, Yuri turns into a half wolf half bird, and that only leaves Monika."
Three set of eyes land on me, and I smile in amusement. "What do you think I'll be?" I ask playfully.
"It's not fair!" Sayori whined. "You two get to have super cool wings and ears, while I get a fish tail!"
"Oh, come on Sayori. Don't say that." I say, leaning closer to her instinctively. "You're the only one who can really go in water properly, you know?"
Sayori gasps, her eyes wide in realization. "Oh yeah! That is cool!"
Natsuki crossed her arms. "Don't get cocky. I'm sure I could do that if I tried."
Yuri raised an brow playfully. "Natsuki, your element is fire, and you're half cat. You're the least one out of all of us to be suited for water."
Natsuki paused before blinking furiously and grunting. "W-well, whatever!"
"I wonder what Monika could be though!" Sayori exclaimed, glancing at me. "Like, what animal? Something to do with the woods, right?"
"Like a.." Natsuki trailed off, thinking if the animals she knew. "I don't know. There's too many animals that live in forests."
"I'm really curious though!" Sayori chirped, smiling widely.
"Then we'll just get her to transform!" Natsuki decided.
I smirk. "Clever, and how do you expect me to do that?"
"Well, we all transformed when in our element." The pinkette reasoned. "Like Mrs. Smith said, our body has to adapt or whatever."
"But Monika would've adapted along time ago! She's always in the forest! She even slept in there!" Sayori whined.
I flinch, as I didn't want to bring up my night sleeping on a tree with the other two. The two other girls give me confused and cold looks, and I smile awkwardly.
"I went out on a run and fell asleep in a tree.." I explain, but I doubt it made my case any better.
"Ooh! There was even that bird that shows me where you were!" Sayori adds, making the looks from the two others go deeper.
"What?" Yuri asked quietly.
"Okay, you know what?" Natsuki said, waving her hands. "Whenever something magical happens, form a meeting with all of us, ASAP. Deal?"
I laugh. "Deal."
"But back on the note of Monika transforming," Yuri says, "She would probably transform in the forest."
"Then let's go back there and try and make you into some strange alien animal!" Natsuki jokingly yells, raising both her hands in the air.
"But what if I'm not ready?" I ask, earning a confused glance from Natsuki. "I mean, you all transformed at different times and if I haven't yet then.."
"But the times weren't that important." Sayori says, glancing at me with wide and rounded blue eyes. "It was the day before we started training when I touched water and became a mermaid, Natsuki when she was mad at Sasha, and then fully after the strange dream, and Yuri just now."
"Yeah, she's got a point, Monika." Natsuki says, opening the door. "Now, come on!"
It seems like this forest always draws us back. Not like it's a bad thing of course. Once we reached the forest, I decided to lead the girls to where the large tree that I had slept on was.
After standing in front of it, Natsuki rubbed her chin. "Alright, so your element is Earth.. Hmm.."
"Maybe try talking to the tree!" Sayori suggested.
"But trees can't talk..?" I question.
"Dude, before this even happened, I thought witches never existed." Natsuki responds, and I sigh.
"Fine." I walk over to the large tree and place a hand on its bark. "Tree, can you hear me?" I ask, not hiding the deadpanned tone in my voice.
"Come on Moni!" Sayori encourages. "Say it like you mean it!"
"Please speak to me tree!" I say louder. Maybe I have to do in my head? Hello? Tree that I slept on? I hope you didn't mind. Is something supposed to be happening?
I turn back to face the three others. "It's not working."
"Maybe.. Try hugging the tree!" Sayori giggled. "I always like hugs!"
I smile and awkwardly turn back to the tree, wrapping my arms as far as they could go and planting them in the wood. This feels awkward..
I wait, feeling a light breeze brush past my back. I let go and turn around, noticing Yuri looking around.
"Did you guys hear that?" She asked quietly.
"Hear what?" I ask, looking around.
"Laughing.." She mumbled, soon shaking her head. "Never mind. Sorry."
"What if," Natsuki speaks this time. "You run into the tree?"
"What?" I scoff. "You want me to run into the tree?"
"Look, what if you have to prove you are worthy by holding the Earths element power for it to be revealed to you? Showing that you dive confidently into things can prove that!"
This is ridiculous. I don't know why I agreed to run head on into a tree, but I did. And I am. With my arms crossed in front of my face, I run towards the tree, feeling myself slightly hesitate before crashing into it.
"Nothing's happening." I respond, feeling the slight burn from the wood.
"That's because you hesitated!" Natsuki called. "And get your hands away from you head, you need to show that you trust the Earth!"
The next try was still a fail as I hesitated, and on instinct, pulled my hands over my face to protect myself.
"Monika!" Natsuki groaned. "Okay, you know what?" I glance at Natsuki. "This is a competition to transform!"
Yuri glanced at Natsuki worriedly. "Are you sure that's a good idea to be telling her this?"
"Trust me. We can use her competitive side for a good thing." She muttered back before turning back to me. "Your goal is to transform by running into the tree, all trust in it. Got it?"
Competition, huh?
"Who am I running against?" I ask, looking around.
"Uhhh.." Natsuki looks around before her magenta eyes land on Sayori. "Sayori!"
"What?!" Sayori yelps, her eyes wide with fear.
Alright. This'll be easy. She's already scared.
"Natsuki, do I really have to run into a really hard tree?" Sayori asks nervously as Natsuki puts Sayori in front of a nearby tree.
"Yes, now go!" She yelled.
And thus the race began.
Thud.
I turn back around and run off, then turn around and charge at the tree bark, body slamming it.
Thud.
I do it again.
Thud.
And again.
Thud.
And again, hoping this will be the last step to win. It isn't.
Thud.
"Natsuki, she's hurting herself." Yuri said, watching painfully as Monika rammed herself into tree.
"She'll be fine. She told us before that the forest heals her, right?"
"Well, yeah, but-"
Thud.
"Holy crap Monika!" Natsuki yelled, and I fall backwards, clutching my head.
Running into the tree any harder didn't help me transform any better.
"Are you okay Monika?" Sayori exclaims, running over to me and sitting down next to me.
Natsuki and Yuri quickly make their way over. "I swear I saw the tree shake!" Natsuki gasps, starring wide eyed at me.
"I feel fine." I respond, slowly getting up. "Have I won yet?"
Sayori looked at me worriedly, "I'm surprised you aren't bleeding yet."
"You know what, never mind. This was a bad idea." Natsuki says, chuckling to herself slightly.
"What did I say?" Yuri asked sternly, and Natsuki rolled her eyes.
"You didn't have any better ideas at the time!"
"Well what are we gonna do?" Sayori asked. "We tried everything we could think of!"
Natsuki sighed. "Yeah, I guess Mother Nature likes to take her time, huh?"
"Oh!" Sayori gasps, her eyes wide. "You know that saying; you are what you eat? Maybe if Monika eats wood, she can become one with the forest and transform!"
Natsuki scoffed. "Sayori, That is a horrible idea! That's disgusting!"
To win we transform, right?
I walk over to the wood and tear off a piece of bark, raising it to my mouth.
"Monika? What are you doing?" Sayori called from behind me.
I turn around and hold out the bark. "Eating this to transform?"
Natsuki stands up quickly and rips the wood out from my hands. "No! Stop! Ew! Bad! You already won, don't eat wood!" Natsuki sighed, groaning heavily. "Geez.."