[TWWM] Those Connected by Fate

Morning broke against the evergreen trees that surrounded their little area. The spring gurgled faithfully, a constant calming murmur that must have lulled them to sleep last night. Kaito lifted his head and stretched, turning to look at Sauvi. She was curled up next to him, grapes piled high behind her, wrapped snugly by multiple tails. He hadn't noticed those last night.
"Last night..." he whispered. It seemed like a dream...
Beside him, Sauvi shifted and stretched as well. "Oh! We fell asleep!"
"Morning sleepy-head!" Kaito crooned, nuzzling her with his snout.
"Morning!" she stretched, flexing her...wings? Vines? She glanced backwards, testing her new form. "I...guess I didn't really see everything that changed last night..." she flexed again, watching in amazement as the vines twisted and arched at her will, fanning upwards, the large leaves catching the air. "They're like...wings!"
"They're amazing! Did you see your tails?"
"Tail...s? I have...multiple?" feeling out her spirit, she flexed those two, watching as four wine-colored tails unwrapped from around her grapes. "Oh my!"
"I know right? Haha" Kaito's eyes squinted upwards in a smile. 

Climbing to her feet, she swished her tails back around the grapes. "This feels right." Energy seemed to ripple through her. She bristled with excitement. "What do you want to do?"

"Well, what do YOU want to do? I'll follow you anywhere!"
Sauvi laughed. "What do YOU want to do? I want to follow you!"

They laughed. "Well, whatever we do, at least we'll be together." 

Sauvi paused for a moment, a thought entering her mind. "Oh, there is one thing I'd like to do..."

"Oh?"
"Yes. You know how you told me that when you became an esk, the one who changed you stayed and explained things?"
"Oh, yes. I know what you want to do."
"Yes...I told you about her...She..."
"Its okay, you don't have to bring up those sad thoughts."
"I do though..." she sighed, sitting in the sand by the water. "I was so cruel to her. She was obviously just as confused and distraught as I'd been until last night...and I drove her away." she hung her head, looking at her new reflection in the water. "I just feel like..."
"You want to find her."
She looked up, meeting his gaze. "Yes... I need to apologize..."
"I understand completely. This is a good purpose. To mend all that was broken. Now that you are whole again, lets find them and help them to be whole as well."
"You understand? So you'll go with me?"
"Of course! I told you that I'd go anywhere for you! Where, though?"
"Hmm" she thought, rubbing her cheeks with her paws. "Well...she said she was the mask...that I left in the ballroom in France. Remember, I told you that father had gotten sick while I was at a party there?"
"I remember."
"So, she probably is near there. Somewhere in France most likely."
"Hmm... I wonder if she too will be exploring though."
"I'm not sure. I think France would be a good place to start though. Now that we are free of our boundaries and weakened, we can travel far. It might be fun to venture into the human areas again." she chuckled to herself. "It feels strange to refer to them that way...them." haha.
She realized she hadn't really thought about everything that way, about the humans left behind. "I've been so selfish. I've only been thinking about everything that happened to me. I wasn't thinking about the other students... or ...Oh! Your father!" Tears welled up in her eyes. "Oh Kaito, my father had died, but you had family still! They must be heartbroken...I..." she felt so guilty, she had been so wrapped up in her own pain, she'd ignored everyone else.
"Its alright," Kaito said, "Don't worry. We'll visit them too. I still want time to process this... I'm nervous about visiting Japan. We can go to France first and find your transformer first."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes." He looked up at the sun as it slipped behind a puffy cloud. A tiny cluster of songbirds danced across the sky, their music tinkling joyfully through the air. "We can go now, if you'd like."
Determination filled Sauvi's face, and she nodded sternly. 

Together, they set off towards town once more, across the forested hills they had explored as smaller spirits, towering over the vineyards. They passed Sauvi's original boundary, she stood tall, her long legs reaching through the tangles with ease, and she placed a clawed paw on the dry dirt, hidden by the vines. She felt only peace and contentment now, and she walked onward. Through the rows of dead vines and into the living ones. Passing by Kaito's old summer home, he looked to it, grateful that the garden's peace had stayed with him all this time. 

With an air of regality and calm, they walked into town. Kaito pulled on his elemental, controlling its flow and containing it to his fountain. Sauvi glanced over, watching flecks of moss spinning gently within the basin. She looked at him, questioningly. "The water seems to leave a real presence for a while."
Glancing back, she tilted her head to the side. "It does?" Behind them, she saw a trail of droplets left on the road. "Oh! you're right!" She glanced down at the wine pooling below her tail. Focusing her energy a bit, she pulled it upwards, leaving it to rest along the grapes as sweet dew. "I don't want to frighten anyone."
"Me either, haha! Phantom liquid spilling through town might be a bit strange!" They continued onwards, into the town thrumming with energy. Sounds and smells rippled through the air, and people scampered everywhere. Sauvi remembered having felt so abandoned and small last time, no one could even see her...acknowledge her presence... 

This time it felt completely different to her. She was grateful for being hidden, it felt peaceful. She felt honored to be able to observe the human's actions, listing through the town like a ghost, a peaceful presence. She looked to Kaito, who seemed to be appreciating it as well. 

"No one can see us."
"I know, it feels surreal!"

They continued through the town and to the port. "You know we could just float across, right?"
Sauvi looked out across the water, a smile flashing in her eyes. "Oh I know, this feels right though." They sat together on the pier, waiting for word of a ship to France.
"You're right." he said, leaning his chin on top of her head. "I'm so happy."
"Me too..." she said, staring at the water, rippling away from them gently. Everything felt right now, she'd found herself once more, and she'd finally found a purpose. She would find that tiny esk and make amends. And maybe... a small pang of pain echoed through her. Maybe she could go home... find her father's grave perhaps...and say goodbye.