Mana Academy (IC) (Open, Fantasy)

[Luminesa]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


If she had honestly cared about her duties, Liz should have felt aweful for neglecting them. She had been here, not leaving or even contacting anyone since she had sent her message to rise. No, in many many ways she was a poor option as a mother. Her view was to long to see that the needs of a child were important. Perhaps a good quality in an archmage, but not in a parent.
Her body had been reformed for some time now, but she had again found herself caught staring into Yata no Kagami. The mirror did not show a refection, but instead through her power showed the flow of mana over a great area. Combining it with other scrying techniques allowed Tsukuyomi to maintain a firm grasp on what was going on out side of the demi-plane she resided over. And the developments in the rest of the word had been quite interesting. Liz was tempted to hop to a plane with slower time, just so she could skip to the end, but then she would miss the middle. And perhaps, she did feel some pull from her duties here.

A Knock. She should have expected some one to come find her, but it had been much longer than she expected. The door to her office was more than just a door to another room in the school. She had managed to slip a hole into her demi-plane through the wards, and the door was a portal across existence into her little slice. Right now, the pale was arranged simply, with Yata no Kagami sitting in the center, looking like a large pool reflecting a starry night touch by ethereal streams of auras. There was a simple bench ringing it, and a walled japanese style garden composed the rest of the plane as it was.

Liz let the door swing open, but did nothing else. Pulling someone else into the reality control by her was... a wrong, she would not commit it.

Soleil watched as the door opened on its own, and he gasped softly as he saw what lie behind the door. A beautiful scene, something out of a scroll-painting, reflected back at him. A verdant, blooming garden surrounded him, full of cherry, plum, and apple blossom trees, various green bushes, and a rippling pond full of colorful koi fish. He entered with reverence, allowing the sweet, calming atmosphere to fill him, to subdue some of the questions in his mind. He felt relaxed and at home in this lovely place. He did not wish to disturb the beauty around him, and he remained quiet as he examined his surroundings. At the same time, however, he did question where Tsukiyomi might be in this elegant, flowery realm.

His eyes turned around the scene until he saw the mirror, and then he stared at it. Yata no Kagami, the legendary mirror of Shinto legend. He felt himself being drawn into its story, its mystique, and he approached it to watch the starry world glittering within. He did not dare touch it, in case doing so would offend Tsukiyomi, or some spirit wandering the garden. However, he did feel mesmerized by its presence, and he wondered why his teacher had allowed him to see such a relic, such a mysterious item which was hidden even from the people of its own nation.

He realized where she was when he turned and saw the bench again. Tsukiyomi was sitting there, staring at the mirror. He had not noticed her before, maybe because she had been so still, and he had been so mystified by his surroundings. He slowly walked toward her, and he then sat next to her on the bench, watching her as she stared into the mirror. She had regained her humanoid appearance, but one could still feel her bizarre Mana radiating from her as she sat and stared into the distance. “...Mother...I mean!...Professor...um...This place is very beautiful...but...are you okay?...Can I...talk to you about something? Or should I come back later?...” he whispered.

[Chrome Legion]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


"Hmm I suppose I have been here a while. This mirror can be quite transfixing. But no, I am fine. Just observing the way that things have been playing out. Looking to see what I can make of the future."

Perhaps not to admit to herself that she wasn't acting in the best way Soliel's health, she didn't mention or acknowledge when he called her mother.

"I have all the time in the world, and I certainly don't mind indulging you. You're not bothering me at all. Come, sit, ask what you will.

[Luminesa]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


"Hmm I suppose I have been here a while. This mirror can be quite transfixing. But no, I am fine. Just observing the way that things have been playing out. Looking to see what I can make of the future."

Perhaps not to admit to herself that she wasn't acting in the best way Soliel's health, she didn't mention or acknowledge when he called her mother.

"I have all the time in the world, and I certainly don't mind indulging you. You're not bothering me at all. Come, sit, ask what you will.

Soleil did not seem to be unsettled when she did not respond to his calling her ‘mother’. She had only recently made herself his mother, and she had not been a mother in a long time, though Soleil was not aware of all the details about her past. He was a little perturbed when she did not face him, however, and he tried to turn so that she would see the concern in his eyes. “...The future...and the past...That’s what I’m thinking about, I guess...” He did not turn back toward the mirror, as he wanted to focus his attention on her.

“...The past...I guess...I have questions about...who I am...I don’t know if you can answer them, but...when I saw my soul...when you found-out I was possessed...You saw the spirits...and...I’m sure you’ve seen my mind...my Mana even...did you...um...did you sense anything unusual?...I...I don’t know how to phrase this, but...because my brother...was an Angel...or something...he had Light Magic as a power. He’s gone...but I still have my Light Magic...Is there a reason for it? I...I guess I’ve begun to feel for the past few days...since...Gwynn and Lynn used their Magic on me...that something about my body is...off...Or something...about my Magic...” he explained.

He did not know how to phrase his question. He did not think he himself was a fairy, but if it was possible he had been affected by Fairy-Magic, then he wanted to know this first. ...Before I can ask about my future...I need to know...the parts of my past which are blank... he thought. Yet for some reason, thinking about his past made him feel jittery. Electrified. And fearful.

[Chrome Legion]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


"There are many ways this could happen. Every person, every being's mana and they way they utilize it is unique. They can mingle and intertwine to create something new."

Four more glowing eyes opened on Tsukuyomi's face, the same eyes from her mana body. The scenery around them changed and the events Tsukuyomi described played out around them. The garden was replaced with a fantastical landscape, a entirely separate plane of reality. Though this was just an illusion, the environment was alive with mana, infact that was all that there was. Matter as it existed on the prime was no where to be found. A slight japanese woman walked down a path, faintly alive compared to the surroundings. She was pale in the face, her ornate Kimono ripped in many places, and dried blood covered even more. Another being moved towards her on the trail. It appeared just as Tsukuyomi's alternate body. But this one was savaged just as much as the human woman staring it down. The scene froze while Elizabeth spoke.

"Some times the mana can fuse entirely. I am one such case. I exist as more than just a human woman. On my journey through the planes I encountered a dying being of mana, at a time I was also mortally injured. We could not live on separately, but together... Our forms and mana fused, so completely we became one entity. Are you sure that the spirits in you were expelled? Or were they subsumed?"

[Luminesa]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


"There are many ways this could happen. Every person, every being's mana and they way they utilize it is unique. They can mingle and intertwine to create something new."

Four more glowing eyes opened on Tsukuyomi's face, the same eyes from her mana body. The scenery around them changed and the events Tsukuyomi described played out around them. The garden was replaced with a fantastical landscape, a entirely separate plane of reality. Though this was just an illusion, the environment was alive with mana, infact that was all that there was. Matter as it existed on the prime was no where to be found. A slight japanese woman walked down a path, faintly alive compared to the surroundings. She was pale in the face, her ornate Kimono ripped in many places, and dried blood covered even more. Another being moved towards her on the trail. It appeared just as Tsukuyomi's alternate body. But this one was savaged just as much as the human woman staring it down. The scene froze while Elizabeth spoke.

"Some times the mana can fuse entirely. I am one such case. I exist as more than just a human woman. On my journey through the planes I encountered a dying being of mana, at a time I was also mortally injured. We could not live on separately, but together... Our forms and mana fused, so completely we became one entity. Are you sure that the spirits in you were expelled? Or were they subsumed?"

Soleil felt a shiver, when he saw the glowing eyes on Tsukiyomi's face. He felt his fingers clenching around the seat of the bench, as he felt she was staring directly into his soul once again. Yet his fear was replaced once again by wonder, as she revealed another beautiful realm, something completely different from any realm he had ever seen. He could feel the deep, intimate pulse of mana from other beings flowing around him, the life-force of his mentor...and of another being he did not recognize. He looked down toward the path, and as he saw the small Japanese woman, he felt a familiar warmth fill his heart. He stood, and stared toward her. Of course, she did not see him, but his heart beat quickly with recognition. She was bleeding badly, her small body beaten and her elegant clothes torn. For a moment, he wanted to rush toward her, but then he noticed the other woman.

He had both seen her and had never seen her before. She looked the way Tsukiyomi did now...but something about her was unfamiliar. She was also badly-beaten, and Soleil found himself disturbed by how the two women suddenly stopped and stared at each other. They did not even notice him, or Tsukiyomi, as they stood in this plane. Finally, as he looked at his teacher, the realization hit him. "They...They're both you..." he muttered, shocked. He recalled how Gwyn and Lynn had used similar Magic to fuse, but they did not remain fused forever. No, Tsukiyomi was two separate people, two separate lives, living as one.

As Tsukiyomi explained how her condition came to be, he thought about how his own body had been controlled by spirits for so long. He had never remembered the instances when it had happened, only the sensation afterward of awakening from a dreamless sleep and being met with faces full of grim satisfaction, in the case of his mother, or full of gentle concern, in the case of his friends and professors, while in the bar in Paris. When she mentioned that his soul could have subsumed the spirits, however, he felt even colder. But...I haven't had any blackouts since then...and...my thoughts are mine...I...is that...why I could be changing?...Is that...why I've always been afraid of my body?! He also wanted to feel some resentment toward Tsukiyomi for asking him if the spirits she had removed were truly gone, yet he was too consumed by a fear that his own current existence as Soleil was only a fragile dream, a reality that could be torn from him at any given moment by powers beyond his control or understanding. The only answer he could give was, "...I...I don't know...I don't know..."

[Chrome Legion]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


"Don't mistake me, when I talk about this kind of subsumption, I do no mean to say that any of the will of the spirits remains. There is only one will inside my body. We could not be separated any more than you could divide back into their originals two glasses of water that had been poured together."

Liz thought for a moment, studying Soleil's fear. Perhaps she could try to get to the bottom of what he was worried about, there would be risks though, he would need to be a calm state of mind for it to go well. This time, the fact that Tsukuyomi hadn't trained Soliel much on the nature of the planes would be a help. Soleil's naivete would serve them both well. Liz turned to kneel in front of where Soleil was sitting, and held her hand out in front her to him.

"Hold my hands. Now, are you afraid of the dark? Even a little bit? It's important."

[Luminesa]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


"Don't mistake me, when I talk about this kind of subsumption, I do no mean to say that any of the will of the spirits remains. There is only one will inside my body. We could not be separated any more than you could divide back into their originals two glasses of water that had been poured together."

Liz thought for a moment, studying Soleil's fear. Perhaps she could try to get to the bottom of what he was worried about, there would be risks though, he would need to be a calm state of mind for it to go well. This time, the fact that Tsukuyomi hadn't trained Soliel much on the nature of the planes would be a help. Soleil's naivete would serve them both well. Liz turned to kneel in front of where Soleil was sitting, and held her hand out in front her to him.

"Hold my hands. Now, are you afraid of the dark? Even a little bit? It's important."

Her response about the wills of the spirits only comforted him a little. Even if he had subsumed them, he was still himself. Yet the idea that his soul was made of various other souls frightened him. Even if a quilt was still more than the sum of its parts, one could still see those parts and could feel those parts if they looked deeply enough. And Soleil knew all too well how easily he could look into that abyss and find nothing but terror. Yet he stopped himself, taking a deep breath, trying to be brave. Allistor was home, and had wanted him to be brave when he got home. Others wanted him to be brave. He forced himself, pushing those horrid thoughts deep down, and he looked his teacher and adoptive mother in the eye.

He stared at her hands for a moment, and he understood that she planned to indeed look deeper into his soul, somehow. Or perhaps they would look deeper into hers first. He did not know how far the rabbit-hole dropped, but he wished to follow her, to understand, even if he had to face his fears. His cold hands clasped hers, betraying the fear that he held in his heart, but he continued to gaze at her as he answered. "...I am a little...but...it's okay. This is something I have to do..." His heart pounded, and he closed his eyes. If the spirits really were subsumed...then is...is Lumiere still somehow here too?...Maybe...if he is still here, then...it won't be so bad...but...if I am many spirits in one body...will I still really be Soleil?

[Chrome Legion]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


"Calm yourself, let everything leave your mind. Focus only on you power. Let your mana, all of it that you can flow through you. Follow it's path, let it bathe over you. Let your will, your being flow with it."

Liz let let their surroundings fall away, leaving only the two of them and the bench Soleil. She maintained a dim omnipresent glow, it would have been easier to let everything return to nothing, but she needed Soli to be as stable as possible. Now, she slowly let Soli flow into her, before redirecting and channeling that into the very nature of existence around them. Tsukuyomi let his power and will shape what existence was around them. His being would infuse and paint the plane around them, letting them exist in the core of his own being.

[Luminesa]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


"Calm yourself, let everything leave your mind. Focus only on you power. Let your mana, all of it that you can flow through you. Follow it's path, let it bathe over you. Let your will, your being flow with it."

Liz let let their surroundings fall away, leaving only the two of them and the bench Soleil. She maintained a dim omnipresent glow, it would have been easier to let everything return to nothing, but she needed Soli to be as stable as possible. Now, she slowly let Soli flow into her, before redirecting and channeling that into the very nature of existence around them. Tsukuyomi let his power and will shape what existence was around them. His being would infuse and paint the plane around them, letting them exist in the core of his own being.

Soleil took several deep breaths. He clenched his hands around Tsukiyomi’s, and then he relaxed. His body became loose, his eyes drooped until they closed, and he bowed his head. Darkness overcame the two Mages, and he began to feel strange. He was...inside-out. Within himself. He could feel he was standing within his own soul, a bizarre sensation that made him feel both completely terrified and utterly calm. He opened his eyes, and they rippled like water, reflecting many colors one might see in a clear pond. Pink, orange, turquoise, yellow, and blue, appearing and disappearing as they revealed themselves. He did not speak a word as he allowed his Mana to flow around him, to reveal his innermost world.

As the world revealed itself, he became crystalline-clear, glittering and translucent as the world filled with color around him. Beautiful fields of tall, springy grass, endless and cool, with a breeze flowing through the greenery, revealed themselves first. Then lean, elegant sprigs of lavender. The light-purple blooms swayed with the breeze, as though all was right in this serene little world. The sky was yellow, orange, and pink, a painted sunset which seemed to be still in its majesty. Fireflies flew through the fields, and as Tsukiyomi looked around, she would see the fireflies coming toward the two Mages as a group and dancing around them. Soleil’s world seemed to be elegant, soft, and imperturbable.

As a few moments passed, more visions revealed themselves. Butterflies filled the air, moving toward something specific in the middle of the fields. Something shifted through the grass, making only slow, subtle motions as it crept toward Sol and Tsukiyomi. And far in the distance, mysterious and majestic, was a white-walled castle covered in verdant, blooming vines.

[Chrome Legion]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


Tsukuyomi observed the area with bored eyes. Though, it was a good thing that Soliel had produced something so... conventional. Even if a more warped reality would be more interesting, it wouldn't help them examine his being.


"This is your path, you must walk it as you need to. Don't try to force anything to happen, go where you need to. I will be here, nothing can harm you."

[Luminesa]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


Tsukuyomi observed the area with bored eyes. Though, it was a good thing that Soliel had produced something so... conventional. Even if a more warped reality would be more interesting, it wouldn't help them examine his being.


"This is your path, you must walk it as you need to. Don't try to force anything to happen, go where you need to. I will be here, nothing can harm you."

Soleil stared toward the beautiful fields of lavender before him, and he felt something familiar. He took a step forward. Then another. He was truly walking through his mind, a rather bizarre experience, but one that was surprisingly calming. His steps made no sound, neither did the wind. Nothing distracted him from being fully in the moment, within himself. He looked back toward his teacher once, and then began to step through the tall grass. The butterflies fluttered around, as though they were greeting him, and the blooming fields made him almost feel sleepy. Yet he kept walking. He needed to be sure that all of this was his own.

Yet Tsukiyomi would feel something approaching her from behind. The soft rustling of the grasses around her grew louder, and the wind picked-up from behind her. She even began to hear a quiet growl, and if she turned around, she would see the source: a seven-foot long dire wolf, made entirely of condensed wind. It was long, lean, and rather old-looking, with a crooked snarl and dark-gold eyes. Given it did not recognize her, it moved closer toward her, warning her to get away. Even worse, more wolves began to appear, circling through the grass before they emerged from every side, wary of the newcomer.

As Soleil wandered further, he followed the fluttering butterflies, and he found them floating in an opening far from his starting point. When he walked toward them, he noticed three people lying asleep in a field, each a few feet apart. He stepped forward, and took a breath of surprise. “...Me?...” he mumbled. The first person he saw was a mirror image of himself, though dressed in his cat hoodie, a t-shirt, and shorts, and not in his green Venta robes. He looked about four feet away and noticed Shaun, asleep on his side, his arm out-stretched, his palm open and holding a butterfly. “...Shaun?...” He crouched down and put a hand on his arm. It was warm, and his breathing was even and peaceful. “...I guess I do think of you a lot...I’m glad you’re at least peaceful...” He also noticed Allistor, several feet away from Shaun, lying on his back. He was dressed in all-black, not an unusual sight but one that did not fit with the soft colors of Soleil’s soul’s atmosphere. He walked toward him, and crouched next to him. He felt his wrist.

He was freezing cold.

Soleil jumped back and gasped, frightened. He could hear Allistor breathing...but his body was like ice. He felt his cheek, his throat, and his collarbone. All of it was cold to the touch. In fact, the little Venta felt his teeth clattering, and he knelt next to his friend, confused. “...But you’re wearing so many layers...and it’s not cold here...Why are you so freezing?...” He decided to take off his robes, and he slipped the green jacket over Allistor to keep him warm. “...Does this mean something?...Why is he cold...but neither Shaun nor I are cold?...Is something going to happen to him?...” He stood and stepped back, now dressed only in his undershirt and slacks, and he began to hear a rumbling noise beneath his feet. “Huh?!...” The rumbling got louder, and cracks began to form...

[Chrome Legion]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


Liz didn't really expect Soleil's mind to produce any hostile figments. The wisest course of action would be to cancel the connection, to stop allowing Soleil to shape the world. But it seemed he was finding something important here, so she needed to hold out a little longer. Fighting the figments would be pointless, they were written into the structure of the plane through Soli. Liz closed her eyes, turning all of her attention to the power flowing from Soleil through her. She needed to find the strands giving these figments form and cut them off. It was delicate work, Liz needed to change as little as possible, make sure this world was still pure expression of his mind. However, Tsukuyomi had decades of practice at shaping her world. The work did not take long.

[Luminesa]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


Liz didn't really expect Soleil's mind to produce any hostile figments. The wisest course of action would be to cancel the connection, to stop allowing Soleil to shape the world. But it seemed he was finding something important here, so she needed to hold out a little longer. Fighting the figments would be pointless, they were written into the structure of the plane through Soli. Liz closed her eyes, turning all of her attention to the power flowing from Soleil through her. She needed to find the strands giving these figments form and cut them off. It was delicate work, Liz needed to change as little as possible, make sure this world was still pure expression of his mind. However, Tsukuyomi had decades of practice at shaping her world. The work did not take long.

Tsukiyomi’s work did not usually take long, anyway. However, the visions of the wolves moved closer to the teacher every second she stood still. Even as she used her powers, even as she dug through his soul to try and cut through the source, they moved closer. Her power moved through his soul gently, carefully, slowly. It cut under the tall grass, down through the ‘soil’, into the darkness deep below, in which she had found the spirits Solaine had sealed in his body. What she found was the same still darkness, but in the place of the wicked spirits was a strange mass of shadows. They tossed and turned, without form, squirming and retreating from any contact. Tsukiyomi’s magic attempted to cut into this source...

A mistake.

The wolves grew ever more fierce. They sensed the depth of Tsukiyomi’s work, and they sped toward her, charging, jumping, and pulling her toward the ground. The world of Soleil’s mind immediately around her seemed to warp, to lose its color. At least in her direct vision, everything became various shades of black, white, and red. As teeth dug into her arms and legs, red blood spurted onto a white ground. The sky above her was black, and sound seemed to be gone. Any screams she made were useless, as even the wolves which dug into her made no sound as they gripped and tore into her.

In Soleil’s own location, he watched as a copy of himself rose from his spot next to Shaun. Shaun and Allistor also seemed to awaken, with the suddenly-frightened Shaun rushing and hugging Allistor. Both of them seemed to notice something was wrong, and Soleil observed them along with his soul’s image. Shaun seemed to almost become feminine, at least to Soleil, clinging to Allistor and burying his face in his shoulder, blushing and crying. The latter Mage wrapped an arm around his shoulders, while staring out toward...nothing? As Soleil stood still, he and his mind’s image noticed something else about him. “...Allistor! You’re bleeding!” he shouted.

Allistor’s eyes flickered to his own neck, which was indeed bleeding. His neck and his chest as well. He then glanced back toward Soleil, and gave him...a leer. A subtle, dark, alluring leer that caused for both Soleil’s to back away. The real Soleil gave the slightest blush, a feeling he immediately shook away when he realized with horror that Allistor has turned the same gaze toward Shaun. In a snap of movement and sharp teeth, the older Mage had sunk his teeth into Shaun’s throat.

If Tsukiyomi could have heard the scream, she would have rushed to the area immediately, but sound seemed to be gone from her location as the wolves continued their assault. Both Soleil’s reacted with terror as Shaun’s body seemed to grow stiff from shock. One or the other wanted to react another way, but both were uncertain, and especially so after Allistor turned his gaze toward them-while he was still latched to Shaun. Even more eerie was the gaze Shaun gave toward both Soleil’s when he turned. An unfocused, cloudy, cold look, his face blank as blood dripped down his neck and the color drained from his face. He turned back to Allistor, and then he flopped to the ground, seemingly dead.

“SHAUN!!!” The mind’s image ran to Shaun’s side, but the true Soleil could only watch his utter horror and confusion. Allistor did not even face him this time, but moved toward the soul’s image, and gently took his arm. “...Don’t worry about him now...” he heard the familiar voice whisper. Rinse and repeat. Soleil barely saw the Ice Mage sink his teeth into his own vision’s neck before he whirled and ran in the other direction.

An eternity seemed to fly between the time Soleil started to run and between the time he made his way to the far end of the fields. In front of him, as he leaned over to pant and to catch his breath, was the magnificent stone castle. Covered in vines and lavender, it looked as though it had been abandoned and left to the elements...though this hardly seemed to be the case. One could feel extraordinary Magic floating through the air, along with the soothing scent of flowers. A rush of wind wafted the scent and the aura toward him...but also the scent of blood. Behind him. Directly behind him.

“...Isn’t that sweet?...” Allistor wrapped his arms around Soleil’s shoulders. The smaller boy only stood at about his chest, and he heard no heartbeat. His own heart seemed ready to burst in his chest. “...You’re caught in-between. You like being chased...you like being wanted...you miss it...That’s what you feel...and you can’t escape it...I’m what you want, aren’t I?”

Soleil continued to struggle, and then finally whirled to face his opponent, tears streaming from his own eyes. This is wrong...this is wrong...Allistor wouldn’t do this...Allistor wouldn’t do this! I know him! Why is this happening? “No! No it isn’t! Let me go! Let me go! LET ME GO!” He screamed, trying to blast Allistor back with his Wind Magic. Wildly, without true aim. He wanted to close his eyes and to awaken from this horrid nightmare.

Somehow, he did. In Tsukiyomi’s room, he awakened on the floor, in a drenched sweat. He felt like he was choking, and coughed mightily as he struggled to sit upright. He was dizzy. He needed to crawl back into bed. A bed. Any bed. He needed to peel-off his clothes, and then his skin. Nothing seemed right, and he needed to sleep it away. At the same time, he was afraid of closing his eyes again, knowing he could see the same images if he went to sleep for real. He squeezed his eyes shut, and tears dripped down his cheeks.

[Chrome Legion]

Elizabeth Tsukyomi


Just as the wolves were figments of power, so was Tsukuyomi's body. As the wolves attacked she simply let go of the figment. Just as one can not harm God in his heaven, nothing from Soli's mind could hurt her. She was the lens that these figments were being projected through, they only existed as she allowed. Just as she began to surge down into the darkness, to bring her light to burn it away. to shape soli's bared soul from the inside, she felt him scream. The figments disappeared the the darkness vanished. Soli's power stopped flowing through her, he had retreated from the bond. Tsukuyomi found her self sitting in her office, or at least a facsimile of it. His last though had been to leave, escape the realm of his mind, so he saw himself back in the real world. Tsukuyomi collected her form, drawing up another figment for Soli to interact, with seated at her desk.


"Did you learn anything?"

[Luminesa]

Elizabeth Tsukyomi


Just as the wolves were figments of power, so was Tsukuyomi's body. As the wolves attacked she simply let go of the figment. Just as one can not harm God in his heaven, nothing from Soli's mind could hurt her. She was the lens that these figments were being projected through, they only existed as she allowed. Just as she began to surge down into the darkness, to bring her light to burn it away. to shape soli's bared soul from the inside, she felt him scream. The figments disappeared the the darkness vanished. Soli's power stopped flowing through her, he had retreated from the bond. Tsukuyomi found her self sitting in her office, or at least a facsimile of it. His last though had been to leave, escape the realm of his mind, so he saw himself back in the real world. Tsukuyomi collected her form, drawing up another figment for Soli to interact, with seated at her desk.


"Did you learn anything?"

"Make it stop, make it stop please, I can't do this! I can't!...I can't..." Soleil's pained screams turned quickly to soft weeping, as he shouted toward his adoptive mother and then curled inward in pain. Something she had done, something she had seen, had activated a visceral response in the boy's mind. Even if the dream was finished, the wolves were still awake in his soul, howling at the trigger of their pain. He did not understand why he saw some of the visions he had seen, why the idyllic dream had become a night-terror that had twisted his love for his two friends. Even if he was now awake, he could still feel two dead-cold arms around him, and the chilling mist of breath Allistor had breathed seconds before he would have clamped into his throat.

The clock in the office ticked, and Soleil took a few moments to try and breathe. He could not understand why Tsukiyomi was so calm. Did anything she saw alarm her at all? Was she concerned at all with his pain? He could not tell. As he tried to stand straight, he watched her impassive appearance. Even worse, he seemed to understand that she had only made a construct. ...It's not even actually her...Where...where is she?!...Is she still in my mind?! He clutched his head, fighting a walloping headache that had developed. When he closed his eyes again, he tried to focus on the better part of his vision. The beautiful lavender fields, the giant castle in the distance, the butterflies, the three friends asleep in paradise...

A pair of startling violet eyes.

They were not Allistor's or Shaun's eyes, and they were not Tsukiyomi's eyes. He did not recognize them. He blinked, and felt the power of an unknown force looking back at him. A remnant of the dream, but one he could not decipher. "...I just have more questions...I don't understand...I don't know...what I just saw...I don't know..." He shook his head several times, running his hands through his hair. He wiped his eyes and wanted to curse himself. He was more complicated than he thought. "...That world...the place I saw...I feel I've been there before, but...I don't know. I can't tell. But Shaun...Allistor...that's...that's never happened before...What do you think?"

As he spoke, somewhere deep in the forests of Mana, the Magical creatures of the island began to stir. A deer in the shadows walked through the thick growth of the woods, sniffing the air for something peculiar. Upon moving toward a certain point in the forest, it stopped upon a single spot, and looked down. In the spot it faced was a faintly-sparkling sprig of lavender.

[Wiland Noria]

Cleo looked up at the school, slightly nervous. Oh come on, it'll be FINE! Why am I so nervous? It's not as though I'm risking my life by doing this or something! She took a deep breath, put on a confident smile, and walked in. Okay, that wasn't so hard! Now, all I need to do is get to class. She looked up and down the hallway. She choose a direction, and started walking down the hall. She might not know where she was going, exactly, but hey! She needed to get to know the school at some point, right? "I can do this," Cleo said to herself.