THE AZURE SKY ABOVE, and emerald fields below. A little farm on top of a hill, overlooking a village in the distance. It's certainly a picturesque scenery; a cozy cottage with russet brick walls and sheep grazing upon the endless blades of grass guarded by a picket white fence.

A young girl was laying down on the ground, staring up as she watched various shaped clouds pass by. Her arms and legs were all sprawled out, not a single care in the world as she listened to the faint jingle of the door chime with a dazed expression on her face.

"Sumire!" A masculine voice suddenly exclaimed, followed by heavy footsteps running out. The snow white haired thirty-four year old sighed upon seeing his daughter, crossing his arms. "Lazing around again? Shouldn't you at least be helping your dad in the barn?"

Sumire slowly got up, the slight breeze blowing through her short fiery red hair. "Oh, c'mon, Papa! It's my birthday tomorrow, isn't it? Can't I even have a bit of special treatment?" She pouted, giving him her best puppy dog eyes.

Her father, Noel, rolled his cold blue eyes. But he couldn't help it as he soon smiled, making his way over to her and gently tapping the ladle he was holding on her head. "This kid... You really are such a hassle, y'know?" He chuckled. "But fine, fine. You have a point. I suppose I can give you a break every once in a while." He ruffled her hair. "Can you please go check on Raguna, though? Tell him that lunch is nearly ready. Oh, and buy some spices! We're almost out. He'll just give you the money."

Sumire nodded, giving him a thumbs up. "Ya got it, old man!"

"I'm not THAT old!" Noel huffed irritably, to which she just laughed and ran off towards the barn before he can rant some more.

Noel wasn't her actual father. In fact, he was her uncle. His twin sister was Sumire's mother, but she's never met her and it doesn't seem like she ever will. Sumire had always been a very curious person, but growing up she just stopped asking questions about her real parents since Noel would avoid it at all costs. All Sumire knew was that Noel and Raguna had been madly in love with each other for a long time before they adopted Sumire and moved far away to start anew; getting married in the process and taking up Raguna's surname, Darien.

Sumire had to admit--she really wanted to know who exactly her mother and father were. She always felt annoyed and even upset whenever Noel would quickly change the subject or just blatantly refuse to share. He was obviously hiding something, but Sumire just got used to it. Besides, she already had a loving family. So, there was no need to know...right?

Sumire stepped into the barn, scrunching up her nose as the strong smell of horse and other animals' dung cruelly filled her senses. She instantly saw Raguna, placing fresh fodder in one of the bins.

"Dad!" She called out, grinning as she dashed towards the dark skinned man. He perked up, giving a small smile in return.

"Sumire." He nodded curtly, putting the fodder down for the meantime. "Is lunch ready?"

"Almost!" She replied. Raguna was a man of little words. The complete opposite of Noel who was often pretty loud, naggy, and sometimes overbearing; but Sumire adored Raguna nonetheless. He was quite wise, and he mostly showed his thoughts and emotions through his actions.

"By the way, I need some money." Sumire informed. "Papa said for me to buy spices. Do you also need me to get anything else?"

Raguna shook his head before reaching into his loose trousers' back pocket, offering her a handful of gold. "No. Just be back as soon as possible, okay?" She agreed, and he ruffled her hair much like in the same manner Noel did before she left.

•--- {☆} ---•

The marketplace was booming with the usual hustle and bustle, Sumire clutching a basket as she searched for the spices Noel requested. It was a recluse elf town and aside from the constant wave of travelling merchants going to and fro, the Dariens were the only humans who lived close by. It was good doing business with the elves, though. They would pay up a reasonable fortune for the Dariens' animal produce, and they have also formed a rather amicable relationship through the years.

"SUMIREEE!" A familiar chipper voice sang, and Sumire didn't have time to look when a shorter girl pounced on her. Sumire laughed, turning around to regard her bestfriend.

"Aelene!" Sumire beamed, giving the cheerful teenager a hug. "Great to see ya! Are you buying groceries, too?"

"Nah, I'm just on a little walk." Aelene grinned before frowning. "I'm telling you, Su, I can't handle it! Auntie's gone crazy again! She's even creeping out some potential customers!"

Aelene Fairwood was Sumire's childhood friend. The redhead's family being the only human beings around, at first it really wasn't easy fitting in. Sumire was never bullied or made fun of, but the other elven children didn't know how to get along with someone different from them thus Sumire was often left out. That is, until, she met Aelene. She was about a year younger than Sumire and was extremely outgoing. Not many kids were able to handle Aelene's bursting energy and capricious tendencies until she found her match in Sumire. Ever since then, they have practically been inseparable and grew up together.

Aelene's mother died in childbirth, and her father loved her far too much to let go. And while he cared about his daughter, he simply couldn't cope with the absence of his dear wife. And so, he dropped Aelene off to his sister. Then sadly after that, he took his own life.

Despite her unfortunate beginnings, Aelene always graced the world with a smile. She was like an open book, and what one sees is really what they get from her. She never looked back, and she was happy with the life she had been blessed with. That's what she'd say to Sumire back then, and also adding that the Dariens had been like her second family.

At Aelene's words, Sumire chuckled. "Well, at least there isn't a dull moment with Ms. Elyra!" She grinned back. Elyra was Aelene's aunt--or, more commonly known as, the local 'Mistress of the Dark Arts' in the town. She never got involved in romance or any of the sort, choosing instead to focus on her career and dabble in black magic. After her brother's death, she did her best raising Aelene as her own while still making a living as a sorceress. And while she has had many successes, she was rather eccentric and would often intimidate new customers.

"I guess you're right, but it gets so tiring having to continuously apologize and calm down the customers whenever they get scared!" Aelene huffed. "Enough 'bout me, though! Have you already told your dads about your birthday wish?"

At that, Sumire grimaced. "Not yet..." She sighed. "I'm nervous about their reactions. Especially Papa since I'll for sure get an earful from him!"

"No doubt about it." Aelene muttered before perking up once more. "But you're turning eighteen, Su! You're officially a woman then, and you can claim your independence!"

"I know, I know! And as much as I love this place, I don't just wanna stay here forever. I wanna travel, see the entirety of Trystle!" Sumire gushed. "Speaking of which, what did Ms. Elyra say? Is she gonna let you come with me?"

"When I first brought it up, she was silent for a looong time. Really, it was unnerving! Then we...talked for a bit." Aelene trailed off.

Sumire's brows furrowed worriedly. "Um, Len? Are you okay?"

Aelene snapped back to reality, nodding vigorously which caused her high platinum blonde pigtails to sway in time with her. "Y-Yeah, of course! So anyways, after that, she finally agreed. I said that I REALLY wanted to go, and I wasn't changing my mind!"

"If you ask me, it seems like you're much more troubling to her than she is to you." Sumire joked, earning her a light smack on the shoulder from Aelene before they both erupted into laughter.

"Oh, shut up! You're one to talk!" Aelene giggled, playfully rolling her forest green eyes. "But anyways, I best get goin'! I actually snuck out, and if I don't get back soon then who knows how many customers have fainted from terror!"

They bid their goodbyes, Sumire completely forgetting about her chore as she made her merry way back up the hill.

•--- {☆} ---•

"Su. Mi. REEE!" Noel shouted, his eyes gleaming with pure wrath. "I sent you to the marketplace to go buy spices! And when you returned, guess what? NO SPICES!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Sumire grinned sheepishly, clapping her hands in front of her face. "I bumped into Aelene and got caught up!" Then slowly, a mischievous smirk curled up her lips. "But hey, you also owe me an apology! I return, and guess what? I see you and Dad doing the frickle frackle!"

Noel's pale face turned a bright crimson. As him and Raguna were waiting for Sumire to come back, things just got a little heated between them. It's been a while since they've last been alone together like that, so he supposed that they just got carried away with the moment. So when Sumire banged the door open so carelessly, Noel was sat atop the kitchen counter with his legs wrapped around Raguna's waist and fingers tangled in his cropped black hair in the middle of a passionate liplock.

Before a flustered Noel could go off again, Raguna's sonorous voice cut through. "Enough. It's okay, Sumire, so just sit down. Don't let the food get any colder."

Sumire's stomach gave a low growl in response, and she more than happily took a seat next to Raguna and quickly began filling up her plate. Noel sighed and also took a seat on his husband's other side.

A few minutes ticked by and no one spoke a word. But the silence was comfortable, all of them just enjoying each other's company and the delicious food. Sumire was greedily devouring some meat before Noel broke the ice.

"So, love, what do you wanna do for your birthday tomorrow?" He asked, smiling. "I'll be baking a cake, but the rest of the day is up to you. Maybe we can eat out somewhere in the town? Or perhaps a picnic? You can even invite Aelene and Ms. Elyra."

Sumire paused, putting down her knife and fork. 'Well... It's now or never!' She thought to herself, taking a deep breath before facing him.

"Actually, there's...there's something I really want. A birthday gift, as they say."

Noel raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Okay, then, what is it?"

Sumire bit her lip, debating with herself. Her heart seemed like it could jump right out of her chest, but there's no turning back now. So, she steeled herself.

"I...I want to leave. A-At least only for a while! I wanna travel, Papa. I wanna see the whole of Trystle--explore the four kingdoms surrounding it!"

Noel's eyes widened, and even Raguna stopped eating as his utensils clattered when they dropped. Sumire's heartbeat was so loud that she could swear they can hear it. It was back to silence, but this time it was tense. Uncomfortable. Finally, Noel found his voice.

"S...Sumire, don't joke like that!" He forced out a chuckle. "You scared me there for a moment! I thought you were serio--"

"I AM serious." She stated firmly, this time having more courage. She straightened up, looking him dead in the eye. "I know this is very sudden, Papa, but I have actually been dreaming about this my whole life! I can't be trapped here forever. Even just once, I wish to go around the realm! I want to experience different things and events, not just hear the same old stories from the merchants in the marketplace!"

Shock was etched all across Noel's features, utterly taken aback before he grit his teeth. "Sumire, perish that thought! You will never EVER leave home! After all that we've done for you, I can't believe you would just so easily throw us away like that!"

"But I'm not throwing you guys away!" Sumire protested. "I'm coming back after I'm done! Besides, Aelene is accompanying me!"

Smoke was practically seething out of Noel's ears now, and he looked just about ready to rip his hair out. "DON'T YOU DARE TAKE THAT ATTITUDE WITH ME! And I don't care if Aelene's coming with you or not, you don't even have ANY idea what the outside world is like! You could get hurt or...or worse--" He couldn't finish as he got choked up, fighting back from crying.

Sumire felt a twinge of guilt, but she couldn't help her impulsiveness. She was just as stubborn as he was--possibly even more so. "God, why can't you just TRUST me?! All my life you've done nothing but nag and baby me, and you won't even tell me the truth about my parents! But you know what?! I'm DONE with that crap! I'm a woman now, and I'm claiming my independence!"

"Sumire." Raguna hissed, his onyx eyes glaring sharply at her. His tone was even, yet it held a warning edge to it that immediately quieted her down. "Noel and I will be discussing this. For the meantime, do not bring it up anymore."

Sumire clicked her tongue before standing up angrily, the chair falling behind her. But she didn't care, not sparing another glance at them as she rushed upstairs to her bedroom and slammed the door shut.

•--- {☆} ---•

Awkward couldn't even begin to describe the Dariens' household after Sumire's outburst. Both her and Noel have eventually calmed down, but neither have dared to break the wall between them. Sumire stayed in her room the entire time even when night fell. There were still some leftovers from lunch since no one had any appetite anymore afterwards, so Noel didn't bother to prepare dinner. It seemed no one wanted to eat, though, anyways.

With all the animals safely tucked back in the barn, it was only Noel and Raguna in the fireplace lit living room. Raguna was sitting on the flower embroidered couch, casually sipping tea as a clearly distressed Noel paced in front of him.

"I know Sumire had always been a headstrong young girl, but I never knew that she would rebel against us THIS much!" Noel grumbled, restlessly running his hands through his hair. "I mean... What did we do wrong, Raguna? We've always put her first, and we've showered her with all our affections. Why is she becoming like this now?!"

Raguna opened his mouth to speak, but Noel beat him to it. "Wait... Maybe that's the reason she's acting up? Have we spoiled her TOO much?!" Noel gasped comically, halting in his tracks as a hand covered his gaping mouth.

Raguna attempted to have a turn in the conversation again but failed when Noel let out an exasperated groan. "No, that can't be right! There may have been times when we spoiled her, but I still always made sure to scold or limit her." His eyes dramatically went as big as saucers. "Or maybe it's--"

"Noel!" He flinched slightly when Raguna raised his voice, which he almost never did. Raguna sighed, carefully placing the fragile teacup down on the aged wooden table in front of him and patting the spot next to him. "Why don't you have a seat, hm? Let's talk. Properly."

Noel's expression softened and he sighed as well, obeying. He then leaned back, rubbing his face wearily. "Oh, Raguna... I'm sorry, I'm just freaking out right now."

"It's alright. I am, too." Raguna admitted, finally letting his concern show. "However, I really do think we should discuss this."

Noel frowned, looking over at him. "What's there to discuss about, Raguna? Sumire's not going anywhere, and that's final."

"Even if you say that, you know Sumire. She's still gonna try to find a way out no matter what. So, at the very least, we should consider it."

"She's our baby, Raguna! Besides, you were a merchant before. You've seen the world. No amount of compelling adventure tales can hide the fact that it's still an ugly place out there!"

"That may be so. But she's growing, Noel. It's as she says; she really can't be trapped here forever. Sooner or later, we're going to have to let her go and make her own decisions."

"But I...I'm not ready." Noel couldn't take it anymore, letting out a sob. "I know I can't protect her forever, but she's my daughter. I can't ever bear the thought of something happening to her!"

Raguna pulled the smaller man in for a hug, embracing him tightly. "I'm not ready either, Noel." He murmured, a pained expression on his usually blank face. "But it's just a part of life, isn't it? Time stops for no one, and the time has come for Sumire to escape her nest. Trust me when I say that I really don't want her to leave, but now she needs to experience and learn things for herself... But at the end of the day, we'll still be there for her."

Noel sniffled, burying his face into his lover's broad chest. "Always, ALWAYS there for her..." He whispered shakily.

And neither were aware of Sumire, sitting at the top of the staircase listening with tears streaming down her face.