Transparent Telepathy Troubles

 Minoru let out a loud sigh as he strolled down the white cobblestone street. After narrowly escaping the wrath of Saki’s father, he had found himself underneath the blue skies with fluffy cotton clouds floating gently.

Above him, a graceful school of black-and-white-striped butterfly fish glided through the air as if they were swimming through water. However, the peaceful scene quickly turned into a thrilling spectacle as a red blur streaked through the water, snatching one of the fish in its beak and swallowing it whole.

A red bird with dragon-like wings soared overhead, its shadow looming over Minoru while its red fathers shone as if it was on fire. As he raised his head to stare at the magnificent creature, the bird folded its wings into itself as it began to spin furiously. Its speed increased as it shot across the sky before quickly disappearing from view with a gust of wind following it.

The outside breeze felt a bit chilly but luckily, Minoru had a short black cloak draped over his blue tunic. Each step landed in an inch of water on the ground with his brown boots preventing his feet from becoming wet. And while his gray jeans occasionally were fit by splashes of water, they remained surprisingly dry as if water couldn’t dampen them.

While last night’s storm was huge, Minoru hadn’t expected such a wondrous result once he had stepped outside. Besides the inch of pure water that coated the cobblestone path, the grassy fields around seemed to have transformed into lakes with seagrass and colorful fishes swimming within.

Minoru wasn’t sure if the flooded paddy fields shone so elegantly from the rain or if the newfound daylight brought out the nature around him. With water so pristine that it appeared almost like polished glass he could walk on, the water itself seemed more valuable than diamonds.

“Be careful, otherwise you’re going to fall into the lake,” a voice warned, startling Minoru as he was knocked out of his daze. He swiveled his head around trying to spot who had called out to him but there didn’t seem to be anyone around.

“Why are you so shocked? It’s just me, Master,” the feminine voice called out again. A sudden realization struck Minoru as he realized the voice hadn’t come from around him but rather had been echoing in his head.

Upon realizing this, the young boy glanced down at his waist where the blue dragon fish was.

Azurillia was situated in a different plastic bag laced with gold that was adhered to his beige belt. Stuck in her dragon fish form, she remained quiet as she delicately swam in circles in her bag that seemed more similar to a transparent round potion vial, keeping its shape but also malleable like a balloon.

“Can you speak to me telepathically?” Minoru asked as he lifted up the glass-like ornament.

“It’s a benefit of the contract between us,” Azurillia explained, facing her master. “Not only can I speak to you through your mind but you can also do the same back as well.”

“How do I do that?”

“By doing what you’re doing right now,” Azurillia stated calmly. “As long as you mean to say something to me, your thought will automatically be sent to me.”

“I feel like that’s breaching my privacy,” Minoru sheepishly replied, feeling uneasy about having his mind read.

“Fear not, as long as you don't deliberately intend to share something with me, I won’t be able to access your thoughts,” Azurillia reassured before gracefully swimming in a small circle.

The blue dragon fish admirably stared at their surroundings, seemingly excited to see other sea life around occupying the once completely-dry land. Besides the assortment of small minnows covering the color spectrum, large brown-scaled reptilian creatures slithered through the water with a sharp snout and fins that glistened a holographic pattern.

“Minoru!” Saki ran up to him, her white boots creating small splashes with each step. She tapped his shoulder twice before giving him a smile as he turned around.

She had changed from her white nightgown into a shoulderless red blouse that displayed her slender frame, paired with a pair of brown shorts. A black leather belt was around her waist with two brown bags strapped on each side. And similar to Minoru, she had donned a black cape that cascaded down to her hips, providing coverage against the wind.

“Here, breakfast,” Saki held out a small stuffed pancake half wrapped in a white napkin. Minoru gratefully accepted it before the energetic girl pulled out another from her bag and took a large bite. A trace of strawberry jam lingered on her lips, which she promptly licked off before taking another bite.

Minoru soon followed suit, taking a hefty bite out of his pancake. His mouth puckered up upon tasting the filling. It was an extremely sour lemon paste with absolutely no hint of sweetness.

“Do you like it?” Saki asked as she strolled alongside him. “Dad made it specifically for you!”

“I-Is that so…?” Minoru smiled sheepishly. While it wasn’t pleasant, he would have preferred the sour taste to the possibility of being cleaved to shreds by her father.

“Would you like some too, Ms. Dragon Fish?” Saki offered as she broke off a small piece. She leaned forward and dropped it into the small opening of Azurillia’s container, giving the dragon fish a smile as she went.

Delighted, Azurillia eagerly nibbled at the pancake until it was all gone, thoroughly enjoying the delicious treat.

“I love you!” The dragon fish’s thoughts echoed in Minoru’s mind loudly almost as if she had screamed into his ear. Minoru winced before shooting a disapproving look at Azurillia. However, the energetic dragon fish seemed oblivious to his reaction as she continued swimming in circles inside her container.

Saki let out a playful giggle upon noticing Azurillia’s excitement. She broke off another piece with the dragon fish eager for another bite. But before Saki's hand could drop it into the container, Minoru grasped her wrist and pulled Azurillia’s glass away.

“One piece is enough,” he said with an exasperated breath. “Any more and I’ll go deaf.”

“Deaf?” Saki tilted her head in confusion as Minoru securely strapped Azurillia’s container back to the side of his belt.

“Give me more! Give me more!” Azurillia began to scream in his mind like a child throwing a tantrum.

“Quiet, you!” Minoru turned away from Saki and struck a finger directly at the dragon fish. “I can hear your every thought! If you’re not going to be considerate of me, I won’t allow you to have any more!”

Azurillia turned her head away with what seemed like a pouting sigh, seemingly licking her tongue in frustration. “You don’t match with her at all,” she grunted.

“You—” Minoru took a deep breath as he tried his best to ignore the dragon fish’s comment. He turned back around to face Saki with a half-forced smile on his face. The young girl smiled back innocently, unaware of the telepathic interactions between Minoru and Azurillia.

“Shall we get going?” He asked.

“Where are we going?” Saki inquired as the two of them reached an intersection.

“Your mom told me where her home’s at,” Minoru replied as he confidently turned right, taking wide strides as he walked. “So I’m going to see my grandma!”

“Your grandmother’s place is that way,” Saki pointed down the completely opposite path. Minoru froze up in the middle of a step upon hearing his face flushed red from embarrassment. He let out a sheepish chuckle before stumbling back to where Saki stood.

“L-Let’s go…” He said again but this time with a defeated spirit voice.

Saki giggled, amused by Minoru’s sudden change in demeanor. She abruptly clasped his hand and raised it high in the air along with hers.

“Off to see Minoru’s grandmother!” She confidently declared.