Something was obviously on Stel's mind. I could tell by the way she was twirling her hair. It was just something I'd noticed about her since we met.

  "Okay, yeah. So I was gonna teach you how to do some mobility drills. But I kinda wao talk to you about something, too," she expined.

  "What's up?" I asked, curious.

  She grinned. "It's nothing bad. I just didn't wanna talk with the Power Fitness kids around."

  I raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

  Stel sighed. "Because I'm not good at being social with them, okay?"

  "Really? I think they're pretty nice. You get along with Suguru, right? I mean he's not a member but they're obviously gonna rope him in."

  "Yeah, he's alright. But those guys are so intense. And loud. And they have such high energy. It's exhausting."

  I shrugged. "They're alright. I met this guy named Kaz, and he's pretty nice. He was kind of awkward, but I thought it was endearing."

  "Kaz huh?" Stel asked, tilting her head.

  "Anyways," I said. "What's up? Why are we over here, and not over there?"

  She sighed. "After the whole mess with Sammy back there, I've been feeling... frustrated. Like, really, really frustrated.

  I hat made sense. She was a former tour champion in martial arts as a kid, after all.

  "I get that. You were challeo a fight, and then you lost it right before entering the gym. It must be a huge blow to your pride."

  She shrugged, looking a little embarrassed. "Yeah. It's not that I've ever been a sore loser or anything. I guess I just assumed after the training exercise that I had gotten my edge back after running through half the css. It's just... I've been sg. I've been goofing around as my alter ego and not really practig aier in general. And now I'm not sure where to go from here."

  "So... about secret a magic family kung fu?" I asked.

  She chuckled. "Yeah, that."

  I blinked, and she gave me a mischievous look before dropping her voice low.

  "Obviously, I was fostered by the head of the Matsudaira , and she's the one who taught me my family's style. She told me that I'm not allowed to teach it to anyone unless I marry them or they're a blood retive."

  I blinked again.

  "Oh."

  Blood retive?

  She was giving me a look like she was expeg me to realize something. I thought about it for a moment. We were half sisters, and that meant that...

  "Oh."

  She smiled. "Yep."

  "Oh! So you want to—"

  "Yes."

  "But—"

  "Yes."

  "But aren't Lady Matsudaira's teiques literally priceless secrets?"

  "Yep. And I want to show you how to do some of them. As long as you promise to keep it secret, too."

  I was floored. This was a huge deal.

  "But... why?"

  She shrugged, and looked a little embarrassed. "Well, for ohing, you o know how to defend yourself. I mean, I'm not saying you're helpless or anything, but it doesn't hurt to have an ace up your sleeve. And besides..."

  She trailed off. I waited, and she bit her lip. She looked a little unfortable.

  "Besides what?" I asked.

  "It's just... I know you have a lot of magical power, and I know that you don't know how to use it. And it's not like I help you with that all that much. But I help you learn some fuals to protect yourself up close, at least. And besides, you're my sister. I don't have a lot to give you, but I have this."

  "Stel, that's—"

  "Hey, don't mention it." She grinned. "Now e o's get to work. We're gonarted on some basients and breathing exercises. Okay?"

  I shook my head. "No, my problem is what you said about not having a lot to give me."

  She blinked, looking a little fused. "What do you mean?"

  "Stel, I know you. I've known you for almost two weeks, and we've spent a lot of time together. You've given me so much, and I haven't had a ce to give you anything iurn."

  She ughed, but it was a bitter sound. "I mean, Sienna, e on. We've hung out a lot, but that's not really giving. It's just friendship. It doesn't t the same way."

  "Of course it does," I argued. "Friendship is important, and you've givehat."

  "Sienna, I—"

  "Stel, you've been there for me. You've supported me, you've been my friend when I needed one. You've been there for me when I needed someoo talk to. You cried over me when you thought I was critically injured, even when you barely knew me. You've done more for me than all but a handful of people in my life in that time, and I'm not sure if I've done enough for you iurn. I don't think I have."

  "Sienna..."

  "And now you're to teach me your priceless, secret, family fighting style?"

  She shrugged. "Well, yeah. I mean, it's not like she's around to protest. And I'm not a stickler for the rules like she lus, no offense, but it's going to be a long time before you actually use it. Your physique is just awful."

  "Hey!" I pouted.

  She giggled. "Sorry, sorry. But seriously, it's gonna take you months to even be able to move beyond the absolute basics, because you're just not strong or fast or flexible enough yet. Hell, it's going to take a long time before you eveo the point where you start practig the actual moves. But, there's stuff we work on now that'll help you down the road, and it'll get you started oh to getting strong enough to practice the real stuff."

  I smiled. "Thank you, Stel."

  She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling, too. "Don't mention it."

  Then, she extended her back, arg it to the sky, and then she bent her legs, putting her hands on her knees. She leaned her lower body to the left, stretg her muscles out.

  "Follow my lead, okay? I saw you squatting with Ichigo and Albert there. It's important to keep your spihy and flexible, especially as you get stronger."

  I nodded. She took a breath and exhaled, and then she moved her body to the other side. Then she bent back, and stretched her arms out.

  "This is a good stretch for your back. Feel it in your lower back?"

  "Y-Yes," I said, following her lead. It was a good stretch. It felt like I ening up my chest and shoulders. It was also hard, though, and I was feeling a little winded.

  We ran through a number of stretches and mobility exercises for the en minutes, and by the end, I was a little tired. But it felt good.

  "Okay," she said as we finished up. "Now, this part is a breathing exercise. Sit with ys crossed, and pce your hands in your p. Close your eyes. Take deep, slow breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Focus on your breath, and clear your mind."

  I did as she asked. It eaceful.

  I felt a little silly, sitting here in the middle of a huge gym with my eyes closed and my legs crossed, but it was o foy breathing, and not have to think about anything else.

  I didn't know if I was doing it right, but I was trying my best.

  "Now, think about your body. Feel the energy inside you. Let it flow through you, and out of your palms. Imagine a warm, bright light ing from your hands, a fill your body. Let it fill the room. Let it fill everything. Feel it in your hands, your arms, your chest, ys. Let it fill every part of you. Let it flow through you. Let it fill your lungs, a flow back out of you."

  "Erm. Like my mana?" I asked.

  "Sort of. This is simir, but not quite the same. It's a deeper part of you. You'll feel it when you find it. Just try to rex. You'll know when it's right. Just er, don't actally fire off a Luminary Bolt in our er here, please."

  I giggled. "I'll try my best. Twilight Aster gave me a simir exercise to do to help me with trolling my mana a bit easier. Maybe it's reted."

  "Maybe," she replied. "This is simir, but different. The goal is to feel it through your body instead of externalizing it. It's a lot more difficult to master than just eling mana."

  I shrugged. "Well, here goes... er, nothing?"

  I closed my eyes again, and focused on my breathing.

  I felt the warmth of the light in my hands. Instead of letting it spark through into the familiar golden orb, however, I rexed, and imagihat it was flowing through my body. It was a slow, steady flow of energy. I imagihat it reading from my hands and through my arms, into my torso, and then into my legs. It was a gentle, soothiion.

  "I... I think I feel it," I whispered.

  "Seriously?! Sheesh! I feel it rolling off you."

  Stel sounded perplexed and a little jealous, but she was still encing.

  "Wow. Uh. I guess you're a natural. I mean, it's a bit choppy and not perfect, but it's amazing that you're able to pick it up this quickly. I mean, it's a lot harder than the basia eling exercise. But I guess those help. It took me months before I really felt it. I was expeg you to take a few weeks at least."

  "I don't know what to say. I just did what you said."

  She snickered. "Well, whatever you're doing, it's w. Keep going. Try to ba so that it coats your body evenly. You're still externalizing a lot of it, and you have to keep it inside."

  "Okay..."

  I took another deep breath. I felt the energy flowing through me. It was a warm, f sensation. I focused on my breathing, trying to keep the flow of energy steady.

  ...

  My mind wandered, as I meditated on the energy inside me.

  I felt the energy flow through me, and I felt... safe. Warm. Protected.

  It was a strange sensation. I'd never felt like this before.

  I was alone, but not. I was surrounded by this warm, f energy. But I couldn't help but feel that it was inplete. It was a nice feeling, but it wasn't the same as having someone hug me.

  I felt myself fading into the sensation. I felt my body being enveloped by it. I felt my mind drifting away.

  Then, I heard a voice.

  It was a familiar, friendly one. Ohat I'd missed without even knowing it.

  "Hey there, Sienna! Been a while, hasn't it?"

  My eyes snapped open and I nearly fell backwards.

  Sitting across from me o was a familiar, but very ued face.

  She was a cute, fair-skinned girl with short bck hair and big, dark eyes. She wore a long, pink hoodie with white ats and an inner shirt with a stylized heart and the word 'LOVE' printed on it. She wore a short bck skirt and stogs and had her legs tucked underh her. She was sitting cross-legged and leaning forward, resting her in her hands and elbows on her knees, staring at me ily.

  She looked almost exactly like Stel, except that she was dressed pletely different, and her hair was shorter, darker and she had dark brown eyes instead of hazel.

  She was also, somehow, even cuter and mirly looking than Stel. Her hoodie had a pair of white and pink bunny ears attached to the hood, and there air of fuzzy pink and white bunny slippers on her feet.

  She smiled warmly at me, and her eyes twinkled as she pulled her hood back. The girl didn't look that much older than me, maybe in her early to mid twe most. But she had a short haircut I associated with suburban moms and not college students, and a very youthful, friendly face brimming with energy.

  "W-who are you?!" I stammered. "Where's Stel?"

  The girl in front of me giggled and winked. "Don't worry about it. We're in a safe pce, and no time is passing where you were. Think of it like an iween dimension. I 't stay long, but I really wao introduce myself and say hi."

  She stood up and stretched, popping her bad neck. "Man, I've been waiting for you to figure that trick out for forever."

  "What's going on?!" I said, standing up. "How did you get here?"

  She snickered and winked. "Oh, it's a secret. But I wao introduce myself."

  I narrowed my eyes, and she grinned and stuck her to at me.

  "We got to talk when you were fighting that silly billy little emo kid whey's walls thinned, remember?" she chirped. "I was the one who saved your cute little booty from your mana going all splody-woldy. Seriously, that mother of yours alreteo be the logical, rational o she's totally the type to just recklessly throw everything she has at the wall to see what sticks. She's so extra sometimes."

  I blinked, stunned. "Wait, you're... huh?!"

  She pouted and crossed her arms. "You totally fot me, didn't you? I saved you from total annihition and you don't even remember me. Well, aren't we ungrateful, missy! You're just like your mother, you know? Always doing crazy, reckless things and just hoping it works out. She was always trying to do things the hard way, and it was such a pain to keep her from getting herself killed. But she was always too stubborn to listen. God I love her, but sometimes she's just such a bonehead. You're lucky you take after your daddy, at least when it es to smarts. And you're both cuties, too."

  I blinked again. "No. I. Uh. Just surprised. But that... That would make you..."

  "Yep! That's right." She grinned and struck a pose, her hands on her hips and her chest stig out. "The one and only, in the flesh! Or, well, ghostly energy. I'm not really in the flesh anymore, since I'm dead. But that's fine, because I'm still here. Kinda. Ish. It's plicated."

  My mouth was hanging open. I closed it and ope again to speak, but nothing came out. I shut it again. I was still stunned by her sudden appearance, atitude. She was a lot more bubbly and cheerful than I'd expected, given who she was. And she looked a lot like Stel, too.

  "Cat got your tongue, huh?"

  "No. I... I'm..." I said.

  She winked and put a hand on my shoulder.

  "Hey, I get it. I know, I was surprised too. I thought it'd be the end, going out the way I thought I would. But, hey. Stuff happens. No use g over spilled milk, right? And at least you're still alive. That's all I could have hoped for, and then some. I'm just gd I was able to save you."

  I shook my head. "But... I thought you were..."

  "Dead?" she asked. "Well, yeah. I mean, I'm a ghost. Ish. Sorta. It's a little hard to expin. I was gonna try to appear earlier, but you were still getting used to your powers, and your mom's are kinda crazy, you know? Like, I tried to talk to you through the mirror, and that didn't work. I tried a lot of stuff that didn't work, and I'd just fade in and out of awareness. Then I got the idea that I could use your little meditation practice as a way to tact you. Pieced together a theory on how I'm still here through that and everything. And my own experiences with this iween pce. And whaddya know? Here I am. It worked. But I'm only here for a bit. I'm not sure if I help much, since I don't have all my memories and sense of self and stuff intact. So, I 't just pop in and give you advice whenever you , but I try."

  "You're really her," I breathed.

  "In a sense." She winked and giggled. "But you just call me mom. Or Aunt Jinny, this is a weird enough situation as is."

  I shook my head. "But I..."

  "Yeah, I know. You're fused. But don't worry about it. I'm here to help you however I , and that's what matters. And, hey. I'm proud of you, kiddo. I saw what you did back there, against that stupid little emo brat."

  She grinned and winked again, fshing me her iic sideeace sign.

  "You did great, sweetie. I know it was hard, and you did the best you could, and found your sister and saved your friends. Again and again. I'm proud of you. You've grown up to be an amazing woman."

  I couldn't help it.

  I hugged her.

  She was warm and solid, and smelled like flowers and ile. I buried my fa her chest and sobbed. She ed her arms around me and stroked my back. I cried for a while, just letting it all out.

  I'd been through a lot i few weeks.

  And now here I was, hugging a ghost. It was all so much.

  "I missed you," I mumbled, my words muffled by her clothes. "I never eve you but I missed you."

  "It's okay," she whispered. "Let it all out. I'm here. I'm here, Sienna. Let it all out..."