Mana Academy (IC) (Open, Fantasy)

[Luminesa]

The child turned and stared at the image of his older self in the hospital bed. He gasped softly, as though he had never seen this image before. He clasped his hands, shocked, and then he started as he felt the snake tighten around his neck. As Glacia finished wrapping herself around his neck, and warmed him, however, he let out a sad sigh. He then nodded solemnly.

...Yes...that's me...And yes...I am...his 'blood', the substance you call it...I...was afraid...I was dying...I was calling for help...You came and sniffed me, and I thought you were...one of them...one of those men...But you're...not even human...You're not even a...normal snake...Snakes do not usually speak...

Rabbit turned and stared at Glacia's face. Her fangs were barred and her eyes glowed. Once again, he whimpered. When she mentioned that he had hurt Artosh as well, he sniffled.

...I...never meant to hurt him...I...knew he was a close friend...He is...kind...and...compassionate...I wanted him to protect me...I did not want to hurt him...Please...let me speak to him...Let me tell him that I am sorry...I want to heal him...I want him to be better...

He looked over at Artosh, and reached his small arms out for him, as though doing so would cause for Artosh to awaken and listen to him. His quiet, remorseful voice sounded almost like one of someone far older, and in far more pain. He was far too controlled, far too eloquent to be a normal child.

When the younger Rabbit tried to reach for Artosh, the white haired mage muttered and shifted in his sleep. His grunts and facial expressions seem to denote discomfort and pain. Like as if he was having a terrible nightmare. "R-Rabbit... It's alright..." He said in his sleep as he gasped and grunted at the pain. The Arcane seems to lash out every now and then in defense. It knows that the mage is injured and is acting erratically to fend off any perceived danger.

"He will be alright little one. He was tired and weak. Don't bother him for now. He's too exhausted and if you tried to reach him even more, he'll just be plagued by vague nightmares." Glacia flicked her tongue again and rubbed her snout against the kid's mask. "Now... You too must go to rest. Your body is in great care. You'll only harm yourself and others." Glacia watched back into the material world to look at her master before going back to the vision. "There is no threat. Go and take a good night sleep."

'Because I cannot afford you to spread your madness any further.'

...Oh...so I have hurt him...I hurt him, when he was kind to me...When he cared enough to listen to me...and so...I am sorry...I...I will leave him alone, then...Please forgive me...

The child-Rabbit drew back, and held his small arms closer to his chest, as though he had just burned himself. He looked away from Artosh, as he noticed he was suffering in his sleep. His body was sparking Arcane Magic, as though he was malfunctioning because of his use of it. The younger Rabbit gasped shakily, and now seemed to understand just how hurt his friend was. He also seemed somewhat confused by Glacia, as she rubbed her snout against him. Yet when he heard her affectionate words, he nodded to her.

...Yes...I will sleep...I am...warmer now...I feel...loved. I...never thought I would survive...and yet my body is there, and...those around it...they love me...I am alive...because they love me...I want to be loved...that is all I want...I want to be loved...forever...

The vision ended with that soft, yearning whisper, and a single black tear seemed to fall down the corner of the grown Rabbit's eye. A slight smile returned to his rest face, as though he was aware of the vision and had spoken the words himself. Of course, there was no way to tell. Rabbit was fast asleep, and would not awaken until the morning.

John first walked over to Artosh, who was convulsing in pain, and used his Mana to regulate Artosh's heartbeat. This Magic would cause for him to calm down, and would help his body to rest more soundly. He then walked over to Rabbit's bedside and checked him. Seeing the tear, he took a rag and gently wiped his face. He then threw the rag in a hamper, and he turned to Allistor. "...Yes, many things could have happened. Which means, again, we'll have to investigate this further. And once Hestia returns from throwing away the laundry, she needs to head back to the battlefield and finish with the rest of the students," he answered.

[Finsternia]

When the younger Rabbit tried to reach for Artosh, the white haired mage muttered and shifted in his sleep. His grunts and facial expressions seem to denote discomfort and pain. Like as if he was having a terrible nightmare. "R-Rabbit... It's alright..." He said in his sleep as he gasped and grunted at the pain. The Arcane seems to lash out every now and then in defense. It knows that the mage is injured and is acting erratically to fend off any perceived danger.

"He will be alright little one. He was tired and weak. Don't bother him for now. He's too exhausted and if you tried to reach him even more, he'll just be plagued by vague nightmares." Glacia flicked her tongue again and rubbed her snout against the kid's mask. "Now... You too must go to rest. Your body is in great care. You'll only harm yourself and others." Glacia watched back into the material world to look at her master before going back to the vision. "There is no threat. Go and take a good night sleep."

'Because I cannot afford you to spread your madness any further.'

...Oh...so I have hurt him...I hurt him, when he was kind to me...When he cared enough to listen to me...and so...I am sorry...I...I will leave him alone, then...Please forgive me...

The child-Rabbit drew back, and held his small arms closer to his chest, as though he had just burned himself. He looked away from Artosh, as he noticed he was suffering in his sleep. His body was sparking Arcane Magic, as though he was malfunctioning because of his use of it. The younger Rabbit gasped shakily, and now seemed to understand just how hurt his friend was. He also seemed somewhat confused by Glacia, as she rubbed her snout against him. Yet when he heard her affectionate words, he nodded to her.

...Yes...I will sleep...I am...warmer now...I feel...loved. I...never thought I would survive...and yet my body is there, and...those around it...they love me...I am alive...because they love me...I want to be loved...that is all I want...I want to be loved...forever...

The vision ended with that soft, yearning whisper, and a single black tear seemed to fall down the corner of the grown Rabbit's eye. A slight smile returned to his rest face, as though he was aware of the vision and had spoken the words himself. Of course, there was no way to tell. Rabbit was fast asleep, and would not awaken until the morning.

John first walked over to Artosh, who was convulsing in pain, and used his Mana to regulate Artosh's heartbeat. This Magic would cause for him to calm down, and would help his body to rest more soundly. He then walked over to Rabbit's bedside and checked him. Seeing the tear, he took a rag and gently wiped his face. He then threw the rag in a hamper, and he turned to Allistor. "...Yes, many things could have happened. Which means, again, we'll have to investigate this further. And once Hestia returns from throwing away the laundry, she needs to head back to the battlefield and finish with the rest of the students," he answered.

"Sleep well, little one..."

Glacia watched Artosh calm down as John's healing magic poured forth over his convulsing body. Her tongue flicked out for a moment before she went back to her sleep, dreaming serpentine dreams. Artosh's breathing and heartbeat went back to stable levels and his face was washed by calm. His mana was still unstable though and he needs a whole night of sleep for him to atleast be normal again.

Allistor nodded quietly. Rabbit was a kind and nice person. Whatever contamination has happened, it must be accidental. Just like what John said with Katelyn. "Sir. I have a question." He slightly rubbed his neck which still aches from the sword strike. "Does Mana even screen our students and teachers properly? Look at Katelyn, at Faelbrook, at Lynefleur. We could have easily prevented this."

[Charlia]

The attacks were coordinated well, and although Eve could have dodged Catherine's or Henry's alone, when they were together she could only choose which attack she was going to take. Catherine's looked much more ominous, so she avoided it, and allowed one of Henry's 'pillars' to strike her. Fortunately for her, however, she was able to keep it from hitting her straight-on, although when it was finished, her left arm--Katelyn's left arm--was left hanging limply, the sharp edge of the pillar having torn a deep gash into it. She started the restorative process, but it was slower than usual--she was having enough trouble focusing on her opponents and trying to gauge what their responses would be.

For the first time, she was beginning to think that perhaps she had made a mistake.

Why did the little brat have to come to this school at all? I could have done whatever I wanted somewhere else... Why here, why the one place where there are people... who might actually be able to beat me?

A look of what almost seemed to be fear crossed her face, but it settled quickly as she remembered. "That's right," she said quietly. "You're all so kind and caring, aren't you? Even after all poor, dear Katelyn did--now, that was entertaining--you still wanted to save her. So you can't kill her, can you? You can't kill me. Because if you do, she dies with me. You might beat me, but I'll still have won in the end, won't I? Ah--"

She tilted her head for a moment, and then her form glowed black. "There's one life lost. I guess dear, sweet Himiko-chan couldn't take what she did. And it's two, if you count poor Hikari-chan... but no one's going to count her, are they? No one seems to care... Well, she was just a whore anyway, who's going to cry for her? And then there's all the people I burned at that other school, I can't even recall its name anymore... I've still racked up quite the kill count with Katelyn here, haven't I?!" she crowed. "Good enough! I've ruined lives, taken them, and just had fun in general, so even if you manage to defeat me, I don't think I've really lost at all!"

She really was more like a child than anything else. Trying to have her own twisted version of fun, and not caring about anyone but herself.

"But now that I've got a little more of myself back," she continued, "I can show you something else."

She lowered herself to the ground, and lifted her right hand, wrapping it around something as red light began to curl and twist into what appeared to be some sort of weapon.

It almost looked like the hand of a clock, really. A bizarre thing to have as a weapon, but it was razor-sharp and looked like it could do some damage. She took a fighting stance, and declared, "I think it's time I let you have a real fight. Anyone want to try?"

What's that weapon even? I can't see anything less practical than that. Why so many spikes? He thought, expecting to fall right then and there, however something he didn't expect happened out of nowhere.

Seemingly, the Armads had been cancelled, and instead returned to his hand.
It wasn't a bad thing, the mana used was also returned to his body, he didn't know why. It was a reasonable portion, it'd keep him alive for a bit, maybe three, four minutes at most, assuming he didn't use it the same way he did once again. He made the chain disappear, to spare as much as he could.
Although this form was tiring him, slightly wheezing, he shouted again.

"What the fuck do you mean, nice and caring?! I can't give less of a damn about your shitty drama and attempts at keeping us from attacking your weak ass! You speak of whores and friends and people I've never even heard about! What I know is that at the end of the day, everyone one will stand proud that they killed you! As I've said before..." He seemed to stumble a bit, but kept himself up, he had to. If he fell right now, he wouldn't have achieved anything.

"I won't save you. I'LL END YOUR MISERABLE LIFE HERE, AND NOW!" With that, he lunged forward, using what little energy remained to keep himself up and running to an acceptable degree.

He swung the axe single handedly with little to no effort, as if it weighed nothing. That feeling wouldn't last long.
It first blow came from above, the second seemed to be more of a defensive feint, bracing for a potential impact with the sheer size of the axe.

Eve blinked.

And then blinked again.

And then lifted her hand, a solid black shield appearing in front of her to block the axe's blow. Really?

"I don't know what you think I am," Eve said flatly, "but I don't think I like it."

Catherine de Sanguine Vivere


Catherine used the time that the idiot demon was monologuing to consider her plans. She had to remain conservative in her use of magic. Her twin's attack might not have put her out of commission for good, but now she needed to maintain a level of mana to keep her blood actually flowing through her body. If she exhausted herself she would end up bleeding out before the others could help, if her heart was even in any condition to keep her alive before that happened. So no flashy displays of power, though those weren't exactly Catherine's forte any way. Catherine smiled slightly as she watched the way the demon chose to avoid her attack and take Henry's. Blackfire was something the demon wanted to avoid at all costs. Catherine calmed the flames as she recalled the tendrils of blood. As she did, Oliver launched into his own attack, this time it was Catherine's play back up. Her whips changed, a string of small beads connected by an invisibly small thread. As Oliver came up from below, Catherine hurtled the the beads down from above, only once they started their decent rekindling the silently raging Blackfire.

Yet another attack from Catherine, but this time not so easy to avoid, especially since she was also focusing on Oliver's attack. Eve cursed under her breath as the fire struck her, and could already feel it draining her energy. No, no, no! She summoned her own flames to try and smother the fire, but even that made her feel so tired.

Why did she feel so tired?

[Kingdom of Irhk]

What's that weapon even? I can't see anything less practical than that. Why so many spikes? He thought, expecting to fall right then and there, however something he didn't expect happened out of nowhere.

Seemingly, the Armads had been cancelled, and instead returned to his hand.
It wasn't a bad thing, the mana used was also returned to his body, he didn't know why. It was a reasonable portion, it'd keep him alive for a bit, maybe three, four minutes at most, assuming he didn't use it the same way he did once again. He made the chain disappear, to spare as much as he could.
Although this form was tiring him, slightly wheezing, he shouted again.

"What the fuck do you mean, nice and caring?! I can't give less of a damn about your shitty drama and attempts at keeping us from attacking your weak ass! You speak of whores and friends and people I've never even heard about! What I know is that at the end of the day, everyone one will stand proud that they killed you! As I've said before..." He seemed to stumble a bit, but kept himself up, he had to. If he fell right now, he wouldn't have achieved anything.

"I won't save you. I'LL END YOUR MISERABLE LIFE HERE, AND NOW!" With that, he lunged forward, using what little energy remained to keep himself up and running to an acceptable degree.

He swung the axe single handedly with little to no effort, as if it weighed nothing. That feeling wouldn't last long.
It first blow came from above, the second seemed to be more of a defensive feint, bracing for a potential impact with the sheer size of the axe.

Eve blinked.

And then blinked again.

And then lifted her own weapon, one of the sharp edges facing up, to block the axe--not the blade, but the haft. The effect was rather like what would happen if one person held a sharp knife and another one shoved a marshmallow onto it.

By which, of course, I mean that the axe haft really didn't stand a chance, and perhaps it would be best if Oliver spent less time snarking at his opponent and more time thinking about what he was doing.

Also, marshmallows are delicious.

"I don't know what you think I am," Eve said flatly, "but I don't think I like it."

Catherine de Sanguine Vivere


Catherine used the time that the idiot demon was monologuing to consider her plans. She had to remain conservative in her use of magic. Her twin's attack might not have put her out of commission for good, but now she needed to maintain a level of mana to keep her blood actually flowing through her body. If she exhausted herself she would end up bleeding out before the others could help, if her heart was even in any condition to keep her alive before that happened. So no flashy displays of power, though those weren't exactly Catherine's forte any way. Catherine smiled slightly as she watched the way the demon chose to avoid her attack and take Henry's. Blackfire was something the demon wanted to avoid at all costs. Catherine calmed the flames as she recalled the tendrils of blood. As she did, Oliver launched into his own attack, this time it was Catherine's play back up. Her whips changed, a string of small beads connected by an invisibly small thread. As Oliver came up from below, Catherine hurtled the the beads down from above, only once they started their decent rekindling the silently raging Blackfire.

Yet another attack from Catherine, but this time not so easy to avoid. Eve cursed under her breath as the fire struck her, and could already feel it draining her energy. No, no, no! She summoned her own flames to try and smother the fire, but even that made her feel so tired.

Why did she feel so tired?

Basil Smith

The desperation in the eyes of his possessed student was clear to a Basil who observed the fight, hidden in the air. Catherine's blackfire apparently caused her a certain worry, and if he didn't act quick enough they would kill her. The violence could be seen in every small detail of the battlefield that Eve created: The weapons each one used, the lack of hesitation towards the possibility of her death, everything showed Basil a different display of the Academy he recently knew.

He couldn't see any students battling her. He saw future warriors, with an uncertain future towards them, that learned too quickly the ways of violence as the solution of such problems. He couldn't let another death happen in the Academy grounds, originally meant for study and peace.

With an impressive speed, he flew towards the demon, himself becoming his element, as he circled around her viciously, enhancing the pressure around her body to a point where she couldn't move against the winds that struck her... But that definitely wasn't enough to hold her. Altering the structure of the air around her head, he slowly drained the oxygen, as he hoped to make her faint out due to asphyxia.

[Charlia]

Eve blinked.

And then blinked again.

And then lifted her own weapon, one of the sharp edges facing up, to block the axe--not the blade, but the haft. The effect was rather like what would happen if one person held a sharp knife and another one shoved a marshmallow onto it.

By which, of course, I mean that the axe haft really didn't stand a chance, and perhaps it would be best if Oliver spent less time snarking at his opponent and more time thinking about what he was doing.

Also, marshmallows are delicious.

"I don't know what you think I am," Eve said flatly, "but I don't think I like it."Yet another attack from Catherine, but this time not so easy to avoid. Eve cursed under her breath as the fire struck her, and could already feel it draining her energy. No, no, no! She summoned her own flames to try and smother the fire, but even that made her feel so tired.

Why did she feel so tired?

Basil Smith

The desperation in the eyes of his possessed student was clear to a Basil who observed the fight, hidden in the air. Catherine's blackfire apparently caused her a certain worry, and if he didn't act quick enough they would kill her. The violence could be seen in every small detail of the battlefield that Eve created: The weapons each one used, the lack of hesitation towards the possibility of her death, everything showed Basil a different display of the Academy he recently knew.

He couldn't see any students battling her. He saw future warriors, with an uncertain future towards them, that learned too quickly the ways of violence as the solution of such problems. He couldn't let another death happen in the Academy grounds, originally meant for study and peace.

With an impressive speed, he flew towards the demon, himself becoming his element, as he circled around her viciously, enhancing the pressure around her body to a point where she couldn't move against the winds that struck her... But that definitely wasn't enough to hold her. Altering the structure of the air around her head, he slowly drained the oxygen, as he hoped to make her faint out due to asphyxia.

Even though it was inhabited by something else, Katelyn's body was still that of a human being, and it couldn't function without air. Eve knew this, and she started frantically trying to move, though Basil's attack held her firmly in place. No, no no no no no stupid human body I can't lose--

Her eyes rolled back in her head, and everything went black.

[Luminesa]

...Oh...so I have hurt him...I hurt him, when he was kind to me...When he cared enough to listen to me...and so...I am sorry...I...I will leave him alone, then...Please forgive me...

The child-Rabbit drew back, and held his small arms closer to his chest, as though he had just burned himself. He looked away from Artosh, as he noticed he was suffering in his sleep. His body was sparking Arcane Magic, as though he was malfunctioning because of his use of it. The younger Rabbit gasped shakily, and now seemed to understand just how hurt his friend was. He also seemed somewhat confused by Glacia, as she rubbed her snout against him. Yet when he heard her affectionate words, he nodded to her.

...Yes...I will sleep...I am...warmer now...I feel...loved. I...never thought I would survive...and yet my body is there, and...those around it...they love me...I am alive...because they love me...I want to be loved...that is all I want...I want to be loved...forever...

The vision ended with that soft, yearning whisper, and a single black tear seemed to fall down the corner of the grown Rabbit's eye. A slight smile returned to his rest face, as though he was aware of the vision and had spoken the words himself. Of course, there was no way to tell. Rabbit was fast asleep, and would not awaken until the morning.

John first walked over to Artosh, who was convulsing in pain, and used his Mana to regulate Artosh's heartbeat. This Magic would cause for him to calm down, and would help his body to rest more soundly. He then walked over to Rabbit's bedside and checked him. Seeing the tear, he took a rag and gently wiped his face. He then threw the rag in a hamper, and he turned to Allistor. "...Yes, many things could have happened. Which means, again, we'll have to investigate this further. And once Hestia returns from throwing away the laundry, she needs to head back to the battlefield and finish with the rest of the students," he answered.

"Sleep well, little one..."

Glacia watched Artosh calm down as John's healing magic poured forth over his convulsing body. Her tongue flicked out for a moment before she went back to her sleep, dreaming serpentine dreams. Artosh's breathing and heartbeat went back to stable levels and his face was washed by calm. His mana was still unstable though and he needs a whole night of sleep for him to atleast be normal again.

Allistor nodded quietly. Rabbit was a kind and nice person. Whatever contamination has happened, it must be accidental. Just like what John said with Katelyn. "Sir. I have a question." He slightly rubbed his neck which still aches from the sword strike. "Does Mana even screen our students and teachers properly? Look at Katelyn, at Faelbrook, at Lynefleur. We could have easily prevented this."

"...Katelyn was not this much of a problem, two months ago," John answered, as he turned from Artosh and looked over at his student. Indeed, when she had just arrived at Mana, she was ill-adjusted toward school. After all, her last school had burned down because of her. Katelyn had been sent here as a last resort, to learn self-control regarding her powers, but then the demon arrived and erased whatever progress had been made. Now at least one teacher was unconscious, because of her, and the rest of the students had to deal with her as she attempted to try and burn this school down. He wondered if she would ever truly be able to work in a school-environment ever again, after this.

Then, of course, there was Faelbrook and Lynefleur. While Faelbrook had been an issue before he had arrived on campus, he had heard the stories. Faelbrook had not been a bad teacher, but he had been possessed by a demon, and a similar fight to this one had broken-out on campus during the previous semester. When that had ended, he had seemingly resigned from the school, which John thought was practical enough. Lynefleur, however, was an entirely different story. She had been evil from the start, and had been planning an attack on the school for who knew how much time. Of course, she had only lasted about a day, thanks to the work of the teachers in discovering her plans, but what if they had not done so? What else could have happened, in those days that followed?

His mind even went to Rabbit, now. A Dark Mana Being had gotten into the school essentially under everyone's noses, had hidden his identity well enough that few asked out-loud what he was, and now at least one teacher-and potentially more students-had his blood in their veins. He wondered now for Henry, for Shaun, for the rest of the students. Even if Rabbit had not intended to hurt anyone, his blood inside of human veins could cause significant detrimental effects. He shook his head. "...I suppose we thought they were good enough that we wouldn't have to worry about it...we'll certainly have to reconsider those rules soon enough," he suggested.

[Serah]

With Katelyn down, Oliver then landed back on the ground.

"Well... I guess that's over now." As soon as he landed, the Armads dispelled in a spray of light particles that jumped to and fro around him.
His armor was now off, his clothes were back to normal.
His overdrive had run its course, and it was fine to him.

After all, he knew what it entailed. He knew what would happen.
So he limped himself off to a tree calmly, holding his arm, for reasons he didn't yet understand, it felt painful. The pain itself was indescribable, but with the remnants of his overdrive, he barely even felt his body at all.
It was a miracle that he managed to get to that tree.
With the last remnants of his mana, he called the remains of his spear back, only to put it back inside the cube that was first pierced with whatever light had come from the heavens to allow such a powerful arm in his possession. It wasn't like it was the real deal either, but should he train again...
Well, there's no rule about whether the original is always better, right?

Slipping down against the wood, his hands touched some grass that had somehow regenerated around him.
He looked up for a few moments.

"The sky sure is better from here... Hah... Shame that I probably won't see it again." He chuckled painfully through tired eyes.

I can't imagine anyone that'd care enough to actually get me to the infirmary.

A smile drew itself on his face as he drifted off.

I guess this isn't too bad... He thought before any thoughts abruptly stopped. His mind hadn't stopped functioning, but it was pretty close to that.

However, for the ones that did look at him, they could see his right arm shine brightly for a moment, then disappear.
Oddly enough, no blood actually spilled down.
Now, all that he could do was wait.

[Saldinado]

Dominique Corleone

And just like that it was over. Basil helped induce an artificial suffocation on "Eve" and made her unconscious just enough to allow him to grab her and keep her from hurting herself; he growled at that fact. The majority of them had injuries ranging from simple cuts and bruises to burns and even having one of them have their bodies ripped opened. And here she is getting off with little to nothing. But he did know that there better be sever consequences to all this mess that just happened to them.

Panting softly from exhaustion, Dominique wiped the sweat from his brow and forehead with the back of his hand and touched his cheek before wincing at it due to what appeared to be a second degree burn on him from the kiss that his shadow lover gave him. His arms were still covered with cuts and bruises even to the best of Rabbit's healing abilities. Even his shirt was ripped revealing some of his abdomen and chest which had a cut on it as well. Sighing softly to himself Dominique turned to see that there was someone who was worst than him.

Seeing his arm glow dimly for a moment before it disappeared, Dominique sighed and walked over to where Oliver was and knelt down in front of him observing his injuries for himself. Not a lot of them so it was probably internal damage. And with the amount of mana that he used that might have been the case. Looking at the smile on his face, Dom sighed and smirked and shook his head as he carefully placed his right arm under Oliver's legs near the bottom upper part of his thighs and made the weaker one to wrap his arms around his neck and shoulder. His other arm wrapping around his waist. "Okay dude. On the count of three I'm going to lift you up and carry you to the infirmary. We'll get you some help there and such. So prepare for a little pain if its coming. One. Two. Three." And with a small grunt and heave Dominique lifted up Oliver with a small amount of ease and held the teen in a bridal style position before making sure that both of them had a tight grip on each other. Looking at him, he allowed Oliver to rest his head on his chest as he could hear his heart beating greatly from the adrenaline rush that was wearing off and turned towards where the school was. "Okay. Sorry if I grab anything that might be a little too personal to you. Just trying to get a comfortable and tight grip on you mate." He weakly chuckled in his normal deep and suave way as he didn't have the energy to even speak as much. He was too emotionally, mentally, and physically drained. But right now he had to worry about this dude.

And with a small grunt, Dominique began his make his way towards the infirmary with Oliver in his arms. "I really need a nap after this." He whispered to himself and laughed quietly careful not to do anything that might disturb Oliver.

[Charlia]

Outside of the school, a girl lay sprawled on the ground, wrapped in shackles forged from her own blood. She was unconscious, and in her mind there was not even a single dream.

She lay there, completely still, as battles raged on and came to their conclusions, as a fragment of an entity swirled inside her, leeching away at her soul.

And when the fragment vanished, leaving only the smallest traces to prove that it had ever been there in the first place, she was finally allowed to awaken.

Her eyes blinked open, red looking up at the sky, and she tried to sit up--but the chains held her in place, and she could do no more than struggle in a futile attempt to escape them.

Why was she there? Where was 'there' anyway? Why couldn't she remember anything? And, most importantly...

Who was she?

[Finsternia]

"Sleep well, little one..."

Glacia watched Artosh calm down as John's healing magic poured forth over his convulsing body. Her tongue flicked out for a moment before she went back to her sleep, dreaming serpentine dreams. Artosh's breathing and heartbeat went back to stable levels and his face was washed by calm. His mana was still unstable though and he needs a whole night of sleep for him to atleast be normal again.

Allistor nodded quietly. Rabbit was a kind and nice person. Whatever contamination has happened, it must be accidental. Just like what John said with Katelyn. "Sir. I have a question." He slightly rubbed his neck which still aches from the sword strike. "Does Mana even screen our students and teachers properly? Look at Katelyn, at Faelbrook, at Lynefleur. We could have easily prevented this."

"...Katelyn was not this much of a problem, two months ago," John answered, as he turned from Artosh and looked over at his student. Indeed, when she had just arrived at Mana, she was ill-adjusted toward school. After all, her last school had burned down because of her. Katelyn had been sent here as a last resort, to learn self-control regarding her powers, but then the demon arrived and erased whatever progress had been made. Now at least one teacher was unconscious, because of her, and the rest of the students had to deal with her as she attempted to try and burn this school down. He wondered if she would ever truly be able to work in a school-environment ever again, after this.

Then, of course, there was Faelbrook and Lynefleur. While Faelbrook had been an issue before he had arrived on campus, he had heard the stories. Faelbrook had not been a bad teacher, but he had been possessed by a demon, and a similar fight to this one had broken-out on campus during the previous semester. When that had ended, he had seemingly resigned from the school, which John thought was practical enough. Lynefleur, however, was an entirely different story. She had been evil from the start, and had been planning an attack on the school for who knew how much time. Of course, she had only lasted about a day, thanks to the work of the teachers in discovering her plans, but what if they had not done so? What else could have happened, in those days that followed?

His mind even went to Rabbit, now. A Dark Mana Being had gotten into the school essentially under everyone's noses, had hidden his identity well enough that few asked out-loud what he was, and now at least one teacher-and potentially more students-had his blood in their veins. He wondered now for Henry, for Shaun, for the rest of the students. Even if Rabbit had not intended to hurt anyone, his blood inside of human veins could cause significant detrimental effects. He shook his head. "...I suppose we thought they were good enough that we wouldn't have to worry about it...we'll certainly have to reconsider those rules soon enough," he suggested.

Allistor Abendroth

"Appearances can deceive the eyes... Like how a wonderful cover could hide hideous writing. But that doesn't mean that those people are all at fault. It's just that we must not judge by face value and we must offer help to those who needed it. It isn't even a month away from the Tournament when we are plagued by this demonic attack. Wounds aren't only physical after all." Allistor produced a chunk of ice in his hand and placed it on his neck.

"I'm not saying that we should discriminate and throw away people who are in dubious position. Even dark magic could be used for betterment if given some creativity and the will to help. Plus, I think we should atleast give Mana some rest. The students aren't the only one scarred on body and mind but also the teachers as well." He said as he drifted off, watching Rabbit and Artosh peacefully sleep on the hospital beds.

[Luminesa]

"...Katelyn was not this much of a problem, two months ago," John answered, as he turned from Artosh and looked over at his student. Indeed, when she had just arrived at Mana, she was ill-adjusted toward school. After all, her last school had burned down because of her. Katelyn had been sent here as a last resort, to learn self-control regarding her powers, but then the demon arrived and erased whatever progress had been made. Now at least one teacher was unconscious, because of her, and the rest of the students had to deal with her as she attempted to try and burn this school down. He wondered if she would ever truly be able to work in a school-environment ever again, after this.

Then, of course, there was Faelbrook and Lynefleur. While Faelbrook had been an issue before he had arrived on campus, he had heard the stories. Faelbrook had not been a bad teacher, but he had been possessed by a demon, and a similar fight to this one had broken-out on campus during the previous semester. When that had ended, he had seemingly resigned from the school, which John thought was practical enough. Lynefleur, however, was an entirely different story. She had been evil from the start, and had been planning an attack on the school for who knew how much time. Of course, she had only lasted about a day, thanks to the work of the teachers in discovering her plans, but what if they had not done so? What else could have happened, in those days that followed?

His mind even went to Rabbit, now. A Dark Mana Being had gotten into the school essentially under everyone's noses, had hidden his identity well enough that few asked out-loud what he was, and now at least one teacher-and potentially more students-had his blood in their veins. He wondered now for Henry, for Shaun, for the rest of the students. Even if Rabbit had not intended to hurt anyone, his blood inside of human veins could cause significant detrimental effects. He shook his head. "...I suppose we thought they were good enough that we wouldn't have to worry about it...we'll certainly have to reconsider those rules soon enough," he suggested.

Allistor Abendroth

"Appearances can deceive the eyes... Like how a wonderful cover could hide hideous writing. But that doesn't mean that those people are all at fault. It's just that we must not judge by face value and we must offer help to those who needed it. It isn't even a month away from the Tournament when we are plagued by this demonic attack. Wounds aren't only physical after all." Allistor produced a chunk of ice in his hand and placed it on his neck.

"I'm not saying that we should discriminate and throw away people who are in dubious position. Even dark magic could be used for betterment if given some creativity and the will to help. Plus, I think we should atleast give Mana some rest. The students aren't the only one scarred on body and mind but also the teachers as well." He said as he drifted off, watching Rabbit and Artosh peacefully sleep on the hospital beds.

"...Right...I know, trust me...I've tried to speak to Katelyn, as have many of us...We just don't know...Perhaps once this ordeal with the demon is finished, things will be different. Maybe the bad attitude is just from that...or maybe it really all is from a life of pain...or both. I do wish we had figured this sooner...but we can't dwell on what we didn't do, right?...Once it's acknowledged, you've got to keep going," John mumbled.

Cecily nodded in agreement, though technically she herself had not moved past many things. She sighed softly at the mention of letting things go, but she did not let her student or her colleague see her displeasure. Her burden was hers to bear, and nobody's but hers.

Meanwhile, while child-Rabbit was now asleep, and Artosh was at peace, a final vision seemed to come to his mind. Perhaps it was part of a dream, due to the Arcane's effects on his mind and Rabbit's connection with him. However, now instead of reaching indirectly, an adult version of Rabbit now appeared in a dream directly in Artosh's mind. Artosh's conscience was there, in the dream, and he approached the younger Mage. When he reached him, he appeared in front of the Mage and smiled at him. His mask was off, and something about his face was different. His eyes could see, and he recognized his good friend in front of him. His smile was also much brighter than it usually was, almost as though Rabbit had finally overcome his eternal sadness.

"...You are peaceful now, Artosh?...Your body no longer aches from the battle?...I see you here are calm here...That is good...That is how I want you to be..." he whispered. He then gently pulled Artosh to him, and hugged him. With one arm across his shoulders, and one arm holding his cheek, he almost seemed to hold him as a mother might hold her child. Perhaps Rabbit saw Artosh that way, as something precious to be protected, like a child. "...That is how you should be...All of us are here...we love you...I love you...And one day, if not today, you will be happy...I will make sure of it...You are too kind, too good, too...beautiful...to despair..."

[Finsternia]

Allistor Abendroth

"Appearances can deceive the eyes... Like how a wonderful cover could hide hideous writing. But that doesn't mean that those people are all at fault. It's just that we must not judge by face value and we must offer help to those who needed it. It isn't even a month away from the Tournament when we are plagued by this demonic attack. Wounds aren't only physical after all." Allistor produced a chunk of ice in his hand and placed it on his neck.

"I'm not saying that we should discriminate and throw away people who are in dubious position. Even dark magic could be used for betterment if given some creativity and the will to help. Plus, I think we should atleast give Mana some rest. The students aren't the only one scarred on body and mind but also the teachers as well." He said as he drifted off, watching Rabbit and Artosh peacefully sleep on the hospital beds.

"...Right...I know, trust me...I've tried to speak to Katelyn, as have many of us...We just don't know...Perhaps once this ordeal with the demon is finished, things will be different. Maybe the bad attitude is just from that...or maybe it really all is from a life of pain...or both. I do wish we had figured this sooner...but we can't dwell on what we didn't do, right?...Once it's acknowledged, you've got to keep going," John mumbled.

Cecily nodded in agreement, though technically she herself had not moved past many things. She sighed softly at the mention of letting things go, but she did not let her student or her colleague see her displeasure. Her burden was hers to bear, and nobody's but hers.

Meanwhile, while child-Rabbit was now asleep, and Artosh was at peace, a final vision seemed to come to his mind. Perhaps it was part of a dream, due to the Arcane's effects on his mind and Rabbit's connection with him. However, now instead of reaching indirectly, an adult version of Rabbit now appeared in a dream directly in Artosh's mind. Artosh's conscience was there, in the dream, and he approached the younger Mage. When he reached him, he appeared in front of the Mage and smiled at him. His mask was off, and something about his face was different. His eyes could see, and he recognized his good friend in front of him. His smile was also much brighter than it usually was, almost as though Rabbit had finally overcome his eternal sadness.

"...You are peaceful now, Artosh?...Your body no longer aches from the battle?...I see you here are calm here...That is good...That is how I want you to be..." he whispered. He then gently pulled Artosh to him, and hugged him. With one arm across his shoulders, and one arm holding his cheek, he almost seemed to hold him as a mother might hold her child. Perhaps Rabbit saw Artosh that way, as something precious to be protected, like a child. "...That is how you should be...All of us are here...we love you...I love you...And one day, if not today, you will be happy...I will make sure of it...You are too kind, too good, too...beautiful...to despair..."

Artosh Luxenia

Artosh stirred in his dreams, feeling like he was waking up in the real world. He sat up from his bed and rubbed his forehead. His vision was still kinda blurry until be found himself being hugged by someone. He tried to struggle for a bit until he heard the person's voice. "B-Bunny-chan... You're awake..." Artosh hugged back, feeling his best friend's warmth and feeling the loving scent of home. It reminds him of those times when his mother comforts him when he was feeling down.

He stared at his friend's face before noticing his mask's absence. "Bunny-chan... Where is your mask? Can you see now?" He looked around and saw that the clinic was empty. The light from the windows show the warm afternoon light, like the warm colors of autumn leaves. "Are you alright? Y-Your wounds... You shouldn't stand up like this..."

[Luminesa]

"...Right...I know, trust me...I've tried to speak to Katelyn, as have many of us...We just don't know...Perhaps once this ordeal with the demon is finished, things will be different. Maybe the bad attitude is just from that...or maybe it really all is from a life of pain...or both. I do wish we had figured this sooner...but we can't dwell on what we didn't do, right?...Once it's acknowledged, you've got to keep going," John mumbled.

Cecily nodded in agreement, though technically she herself had not moved past many things. She sighed softly at the mention of letting things go, but she did not let her student or her colleague see her displeasure. Her burden was hers to bear, and nobody's but hers.

Meanwhile, while child-Rabbit was now asleep, and Artosh was at peace, a final vision seemed to come to his mind. Perhaps it was part of a dream, due to the Arcane's effects on his mind and Rabbit's connection with him. However, now instead of reaching indirectly, an adult version of Rabbit now appeared in a dream directly in Artosh's mind. Artosh's conscience was there, in the dream, and he approached the younger Mage. When he reached him, he appeared in front of the Mage and smiled at him. His mask was off, and something about his face was different. His eyes could see, and he recognized his good friend in front of him. His smile was also much brighter than it usually was, almost as though Rabbit had finally overcome his eternal sadness.

"...You are peaceful now, Artosh?...Your body no longer aches from the battle?...I see you here are calm here...That is good...That is how I want you to be..." he whispered. He then gently pulled Artosh to him, and hugged him. With one arm across his shoulders, and one arm holding his cheek, he almost seemed to hold him as a mother might hold her child. Perhaps Rabbit saw Artosh that way, as something precious to be protected, like a child. "...That is how you should be...All of us are here...we love you...I love you...And one day, if not today, you will be happy...I will make sure of it...You are too kind, too good, too...beautiful...to despair..."

Artosh Luxenia

Artosh stirred in his dreams, feeling like he was waking up in the real world. He sat up from his bed and rubbed his forehead. His vision was still kinda blurry until be found himself being hugged by someone. He tried to struggle for a bit until he heard the person's voice. "B-Bunny-chan... You're awake..." Artosh hugged back, feeling his best friend's warmth and feeling the loving scent of home. It reminds him of those times when his mother comforts him when he was feeling down.

He stared at his friend's face before noticing his mask's absence. "Bunny-chan... Where is your mask? Can you see now?" He looked around and saw that the clinic was empty. The light from the windows show the warm afternoon light, like the warm colors of autumn leaves. "Are you alright? Y-Your wounds... You shouldn't stand up like this..."

Rabbit looked at him once he started to speak, a soft, knowing smile on his face. His eyes did not seem to wander, as they usually did. They gazed directly at Artosh. "...I can see you, yes...And I can see the rest of this room...My mask is made so I can see, but I can see now without it..." To prove it, Rabbit looked around the rest of the room, and also noticed the lack of people around. However, he did not say anything about this. He seemed to understand what was happening, and he continued to smile calmly.

He then looked out the window. The toasty colors of fall met his eyes, and for a moment he seemed to be lost in this vision. Just watching the leaves fall off the trees enchanted him, but Artosh brought him back to earth with his question. He turned back toward him, and he laughed softly. "...I am quite alright...my body is healing, and I am able to move it around without causing myself further harm...but if you insist..."

Rabbit sat down next to him, and then gave the room another look around. He then looked at Artosh, and he giggled. Artosh would see that Rabbit looked sweet when he laughed, as his face softly lit-up and blushed. He almost seemed timid about showing his face, but at the same time he was beaming and did not seem worried. Rabbit in real-life, of course, always seemed nervous with his mask off, and struggled to keep his composure. "...Isn't this nice?...Just you and I, here in this place by ourselves...nobody prodding us with tools and waking us in the middle of the night...just silence...Everything just stops around us...and we don't even have to ask..." he whispered, happily.

[Finsternia]

Rabbit looked at him once he started to speak, a soft, knowing smile on his face. His eyes did not seem to wander, as they usually did. They gazed directly at Artosh. "...I can see you, yes...And I can see the rest of this room...My mask is made so I can see, but I can see now without it..." To prove it, Rabbit looked around the rest of the room, and also noticed the lack of people around. However, he did not say anything about this. He seemed to understand what was happening, and he continued to smile calmly.

He then looked out the window. The toasty colors of fall met his eyes, and for a moment he seemed to be lost in this vision. Just watching the leaves fall off the trees enchanted him, but Artosh brought him back to earth with his question. He turned back toward him, and he laughed softly. "...I am quite alright...my body is healing, and I am able to move it around without causing myself further harm...but if you insist..."

Rabbit sat down next to him, and then gave the room another look around. He then looked at Artosh, and he giggled. Artosh would see that Rabbit looked sweet when he laughed, as his face softly lit-up and blushed. He almost seemed timid about showing his face, but at the same time he was beaming and did not seem worried. Rabbit in real-life, of course, always seemed nervous with his mask off, and struggled to keep his composure. "...Isn't this nice?...Just you and I, here in this place by ourselves...nobody prodding us with tools and waking us in the middle of the night...just silence...Everything just stops around us...and we don't even have to ask..." he whispered, happily.

Artosh Luxenia

Artosh watched Rabbit move around the room like as if he was gliding on the tiles, as if he was dancing with the warm autumn orange and red. When Rabbit sat beside him, he felt a rush of heat towards his cheeks as he saw how Rabbit looks like when he's laughing, how the color of his cheeks were a bright rose. He was like a small baby deer, innocence without fear. This felt like a Rabbit he never knew, a Rabbit that is confident with his beautiful looks and wonderful smile, with his eyes so bright and glittering.

When Rabbit started speaking, Artosh was pulled back to reality. He slowly and nervously reached for Rabbit's hand and lightly held it as he watched the sunset outside. "Yeah... It feels like we are in a standstill... Like fall, this time of peace might be short but... It's so beautiful and so warm that you feel like it could last for eternity..." He said as he smiled at his friend, the same bright smile that others knew.

[Luminesa]

Rabbit looked at him once he started to speak, a soft, knowing smile on his face. His eyes did not seem to wander, as they usually did. They gazed directly at Artosh. "...I can see you, yes...And I can see the rest of this room...My mask is made so I can see, but I can see now without it..." To prove it, Rabbit looked around the rest of the room, and also noticed the lack of people around. However, he did not say anything about this. He seemed to understand what was happening, and he continued to smile calmly.

He then looked out the window. The toasty colors of fall met his eyes, and for a moment he seemed to be lost in this vision. Just watching the leaves fall off the trees enchanted him, but Artosh brought him back to earth with his question. He turned back toward him, and he laughed softly. "...I am quite alright...my body is healing, and I am able to move it around without causing myself further harm...but if you insist..."

Rabbit sat down next to him, and then gave the room another look around. He then looked at Artosh, and he giggled. Artosh would see that Rabbit looked sweet when he laughed, as his face softly lit-up and blushed. He almost seemed timid about showing his face, but at the same time he was beaming and did not seem worried. Rabbit in real-life, of course, always seemed nervous with his mask off, and struggled to keep his composure. "...Isn't this nice?...Just you and I, here in this place by ourselves...nobody prodding us with tools and waking us in the middle of the night...just silence...Everything just stops around us...and we don't even have to ask..." he whispered, happily.

Artosh Luxenia

Artosh watched Rabbit move around the room like as if he was gliding on the tiles, as if he was dancing with the warm autumn orange and red. When Rabbit sat beside him, he felt a rush of heat towards his cheeks as he saw how Rabbit looks like when he's laughing, how the color of his cheeks were a bright rose. He was like a small baby deer, innocence without fear. This felt like a Rabbit he never knew, a Rabbit that is confident with his beautiful looks and wonderful smile, with his eyes so bright and glittering.

When Rabbit started speaking, Artosh was pulled back to reality. He slowly and nervously reached for Rabbit's hand and lightly held it as he watched the sunset outside. "Yeah... It feels like we are in a standstill... Like fall, this time of peace might be short but... It's so beautiful and so warm that you feel like it could last for eternity..." He said as he smiled at his friend, the same bright smile that others knew.

Rabbit turned and looked at Artosh, and he smiled brightly. This other version of Rabbit was indeed much happier, and much more confident, than Rabbit in real life. He seemed as though all of the weight on his shoulders was gone, and he was finally well. He even squeezed Artosh's hand differently. He did not do so as he normally did-timidly and with hesitation-but with enthusiasm and cheer. Here, he did not fear touch or affection anymore. "...Heaven...perhaps...this is what it is like...Perhaps the two of us finally laid to rest, and we woke-up here...No pain, no illness...no wounds...just peace...Is it possible to just remain here forever?...I would be happy...If we are in Heaven together, that is more than I could ever hope for..." His eyes sparkled dreamily, as he spoke, and he seemed more content than he had ever shown himself to feel. He looked away out the window again, and he seemed entirely enchanted by the simple beauty of autumn.

[Finsternia]

Artosh Luxenia

Artosh watched Rabbit move around the room like as if he was gliding on the tiles, as if he was dancing with the warm autumn orange and red. When Rabbit sat beside him, he felt a rush of heat towards his cheeks as he saw how Rabbit looks like when he's laughing, how the color of his cheeks were a bright rose. He was like a small baby deer, innocence without fear. This felt like a Rabbit he never knew, a Rabbit that is confident with his beautiful looks and wonderful smile, with his eyes so bright and glittering.

When Rabbit started speaking, Artosh was pulled back to reality. He slowly and nervously reached for Rabbit's hand and lightly held it as he watched the sunset outside. "Yeah... It feels like we are in a standstill... Like fall, this time of peace might be short but... It's so beautiful and so warm that you feel like it could last for eternity..." He said as he smiled at his friend, the same bright smile that others knew.

Rabbit turned and looked at Artosh, and he smiled brightly. This other version of Rabbit was indeed much happier, and much more confident, than Rabbit in real life. He seemed as though all of the weight on his shoulders was gone, and he was finally well. He even squeezed Artosh's hand differently. He did not do so as he normally did-timidly and with hesitation-but with enthusiasm and cheer. Here, he did not fear touch or affection anymore. "...Heaven...perhaps...this is what it is like...Perhaps the two of us finally laid to rest, and we woke-up here...No pain, no illness...no wounds...just peace...Is it possible to just remain here forever?...I would be happy...If we are in Heaven together, that is more than I could ever hope for..." His eyes sparkled dreamily, as he spoke, and he seemed more content than he had ever shown himself to feel. He looked away out the window again, and he seemed entirely enchanted by the simple beauty of autumn.

Artosh Luxenia

"Heh. Heaven huh..." There was a tinge of sadness in Artosh's voice as he thought of the students. He tried to slap himself, which resulted to a stinging and reddening cheek. "Oww... We're still alive apparently..." The white haired mage laughed at his stupid act and watched his best friend by the edge of his vision. It does feel like Heaven on Earth. His body doesn't hurt anymore, his mind was calm, and his soul was at rest. He cannot feel the ravages of the Arcane in his body. With Rabbit here, he feels at home. Artosh slowly entwined his fingers with Rabbit's and smiled. "It feels like a dream..."

[Luminesa]

Rabbit turned and looked at Artosh, and he smiled brightly. This other version of Rabbit was indeed much happier, and much more confident, than Rabbit in real life. He seemed as though all of the weight on his shoulders was gone, and he was finally well. He even squeezed Artosh's hand differently. He did not do so as he normally did-timidly and with hesitation-but with enthusiasm and cheer. Here, he did not fear touch or affection anymore. "...Heaven...perhaps...this is what it is like...Perhaps the two of us finally laid to rest, and we woke-up here...No pain, no illness...no wounds...just peace...Is it possible to just remain here forever?...I would be happy...If we are in Heaven together, that is more than I could ever hope for..." His eyes sparkled dreamily, as he spoke, and he seemed more content than he had ever shown himself to feel. He looked away out the window again, and he seemed entirely enchanted by the simple beauty of autumn.

Artosh Luxenia

"Heh. Heaven huh..." There was a tinge of sadness in Artosh's voice as he thought of the students. He tried to slap himself, which resulted to a stinging and reddening cheek. "Oww... We're still alive apparently..." The white haired mage laughed at his stupid act and watched his best friend by the edge of his vision. It does feel like Heaven on Earth. His body doesn't hurt anymore, his mind was calm, and his soul was at rest. He cannot feel the ravages of the Arcane in his body. With Rabbit here, he feels at home. Artosh slowly entwined his fingers with Rabbit's and smiled. "It feels like a dream..."

When Artosh slapped himself, Rabbit grabbed his other hand and admonished him softly, while laughing, "Don't do that! What good will that do? You don't want to actually be hurt..." He then slowly put Artosh's other hand back by his side, and he stared at him for a moment. The bright smile suddenly turned into a frown, as he thought about his words. 'You don't want to actually be hurt...' Of course Artosh did not want to be hurt. However, Rabbit did not understand why he wanted to disturb the beautiful moment, the feeling of complete peace. He then looked away, and stared out the window. The reality fell over him like the leaves off the trees outside.

Softly, but quickly.

"...I understand...we will...not be here forever...This is...only a dream...Why is it only a dream..." he mumbled, his voice becoming softer at the end of his words. His eyes became downcast, as though he could not actually look at the visions anymore without feeling a sharp longing for the images in them."...Why must we dream, to be happy...Is all of this...too much to ask for?...Peace, health, friendship, serenity...all of this...Have we reached the limits of our happiness?...What does all of this mean?...Will we...only truly be happy...when we are dead?" His voice picked-up again, and now fear entered his voice. Artosh's innocent comment had caused for him to doubt the dream, and now he could only wonder if this was the most he would ever have of what he wanted.

[Chrome Legion]

Annice Null


Annice wasn't having much luck fining her way through the forest. With the fires out and the cross marking the sky gone, she was well and thoroughly lost. You would think that it would be hard to get lost on an island that some postage stamps smirked at for its size, but you don't have Annice's completely broken sense of direction. It could be assumed that a metal singer would do something with magnets and make some sort of compass, but Annice could still get lost in the bathroom if she spent to long in there. Never mind the horror stories she had about Walmart. Or the three hours of circles she drove in trying to actually find the ferry to mana on her first day.
Some how, by some small miracle, Annice found her in a open patch of the forest. And there actually was some one else there. She moved in slowy, still not entirely sure what all was going on here, and not wanting to be caught off guard and alone. As Annice moved closer, she could make out who it was on the ground, Hikari. Annice hadn't spent much time with the girl out side of class, nor did it seem like anyone else did, except her sister and that strange doll. Surprisingly, with how still she was, it looked like she was actually conscious. It was as Annice kneeled over her that she noticed something particularly strange. There were strange lumps under Hikari's flesh around her joints. It looked like some kind of magical binding, and gave off the same feel that Annice got from Catherine. Had the blood mage left Hikari here like this? What exactly was going on here? Carefully, Annice nullified the magical bonds placed on Hikari, then offered her hand to help the girl up. Or punch her straight back into a prone position if that was needed.

[Finsternia]

Artosh Luxenia

"Heh. Heaven huh..." There was a tinge of sadness in Artosh's voice as he thought of the students. He tried to slap himself, which resulted to a stinging and reddening cheek. "Oww... We're still alive apparently..." The white haired mage laughed at his stupid act and watched his best friend by the edge of his vision. It does feel like Heaven on Earth. His body doesn't hurt anymore, his mind was calm, and his soul was at rest. He cannot feel the ravages of the Arcane in his body. With Rabbit here, he feels at home. Artosh slowly entwined his fingers with Rabbit's and smiled. "It feels like a dream..."

When Artosh slapped himself, Rabbit grabbed his other hand and admonished him softly, while laughing, "Don't do that! What good will that do? You don't want to actually be hurt..." He then slowly put Artosh's other hand back by his side, and he stared at him for a moment. The bright smile suddenly turned into a frown, as he thought about his words. 'You don't want to actually be hurt...' Of course Artosh did not want to be hurt. However, Rabbit did not understand why he wanted to disturb the beautiful moment, the feeling of complete peace. He then looked away, and stared out the window. The reality fell over him like the leaves off the trees outside.

Softly, but quickly.

"...I understand...we will...not be here forever...This is...only a dream...Why is it only a dream..." he mumbled, his voice becoming softer at the end of his words. His eyes became downcast, as though he could not actually look at the visions anymore without feeling a sharp longing for the images in them."...Why must we dream, to be happy...Is all of this...too much to ask for?...Peace, health, friendship, serenity...all of this...Have we reached the limits of our happiness?...What does all of this mean?...Will we...only truly be happy...when we are dead?" His voice picked-up again, and now fear entered his voice. Artosh's innocent comment had caused for him to doubt the dream, and now he could only wonder if this was the most he would ever have of what he wanted.

Artosh Luxenia

"A... A dream...?" Artosh whispered and thought of it. A perfect moment like this is too perfect to be real after all. The dreamscape slowly degraded like the edges of a paper being burned, slowly being consumed by a dreamless sleep and the blackness of unconsciousness. It was painfully slow but it was there in the edges. "B-Bunny-chan... We can still be happy! All of us! After all, we cannot appreciate all the good in this world without suffering right? Death isn't the solution... We must live our lives for the better..."

[Charlia]

Annice Null


Annice wasn't having much luck fining her way through the forest. With the fires out and the cross marking the sky gone, she was well and thoroughly lost. You would think that it would be hard to get lost on an island that some postage stamps smirked at for its size, but you don't have Annice's completely broken sense of direction. It could be assumed that a metal singer would do something with magnets and make some sort of compass, but Annice could still get lost in the bathroom if she spent to long in there. Never mind the horror stories she had about Walmart. Or the three hours of circles she drove in trying to actually find the ferry to mana on her first day.
Some how, by some small miracle, Annice found her in a open patch of the forest. And there actually was some one else there. She moved in slowy, still not entirely sure what all was going on here, and not wanting to be caught off guard and alone. As Annice moved closer, she could make out who it was on the ground, Hikari. Annice hadn't spent much time with the girl out side of class, nor did it seem like anyone else did, except her sister and that strange doll. Surprisingly, with how still she was, it looked like she was actually conscious. It was as Annice kneeled over her that she noticed something particularly strange. There were strange lumps under Hikari's flesh around her joints. It looked like some kind of magical binding, and gave off the same feel that Annice got from Catherine. Had the blood mage left Hikari here like this? What exactly was going on here? Carefully, Annice nullified the magical bonds placed on Hikari, then offered her hand to help the girl up. Or punch her straight back into a prone position if that was needed.

The girl reached up, taking the hand of the one standing over her and slowly, unsteadily climbing to her feet.

"Ah... Thank you," she said, smiling. "I couldn't move, and I'm not sure why... Um... Would you mind telling me who you are? And where I am? And... oh, this is embarrassing, but would you mind... would you mind telling me who I am? I... can't seem to remember. Why was I on the ground, why couldn't I get up? I'm... well, confused, to put it mildly..."

[Luminesa]

When Artosh slapped himself, Rabbit grabbed his other hand and admonished him softly, while laughing, "Don't do that! What good will that do? You don't want to actually be hurt..." He then slowly put Artosh's other hand back by his side, and he stared at him for a moment. The bright smile suddenly turned into a frown, as he thought about his words. 'You don't want to actually be hurt...' Of course Artosh did not want to be hurt. However, Rabbit did not understand why he wanted to disturb the beautiful moment, the feeling of complete peace. He then looked away, and stared out the window. The reality fell over him like the leaves off the trees outside.

Softly, but quickly.

"...I understand...we will...not be here forever...This is...only a dream...Why is it only a dream..." he mumbled, his voice becoming softer at the end of his words. His eyes became downcast, as though he could not actually look at the visions anymore without feeling a sharp longing for the images in them."...Why must we dream, to be happy...Is all of this...too much to ask for?...Peace, health, friendship, serenity...all of this...Have we reached the limits of our happiness?...What does all of this mean?...Will we...only truly be happy...when we are dead?" His voice picked-up again, and now fear entered his voice. Artosh's innocent comment had caused for him to doubt the dream, and now he could only wonder if this was the most he would ever have of what he wanted.

Artosh Luxenia

"A... A dream...?" Artosh whispered and thought of it. A perfect moment like this is too perfect to be real after all. The dreamscape slowly degraded like the edges of a paper being burned, slowly being consumed by a dreamless sleep and the blackness of unconsciousness. It was painfully slow but it was there in the edges. "B-Bunny-chan... We can still be happy! All of us! After all, we cannot appreciate all the good in this world without suffering right? Death isn't the solution... We must live our lives for the better..."

"Yes...this is a dream, Artosh...but...I do...I do want to be happy...I just...I don't know...if this could ever be possible, out there...out in the real world...Away from here..." Rabbit mumbled, still lost in his thoughts. When he hears Artosh's panicked voice, however, he turned back toward him and stared at him. Artosh wanted desperately to be happy as well. He was trying as hard as he could to maintain the dream, while Rabbit was merely crushing it with his despairing words. The vision around them was burning like a photograph in a fire. Rabbit's eyes filled with remorse, as he realized what he had done.

...All I do is hurt you...all I ever do...I caused you to be ill...I caused you the pain that put you in the infirmary...and now I am destroying your one happy dream...You are hope, and I am despair...You try so hard to keep above the water, and here I am, dragging you down...because I am afraid...You are the sunlight...I am the moon...you have always shined so brightly...and here I am, wishing I was...more like you... His thoughts consumed him, and his expression fell even more, while the room around them began to burn.

Finally, he pulled Artosh to him, and he clung to him again. He held him as tightly as possible, thinking that perhaps the fires would back away if they saw how much he wanted to protect his friend. Or perhaps he had a secret desire to smother Artosh, some twisted desire to finally annihilate him and to stop his pain eternally. Yet that would simply be more innocent blood on his hands, and Rabbit broke down at the thought.

"I want to be happy! Yes! I want to be happy! I want to continue dreaming!...I want to stay here...I cannot go back. I cannot go back to the pain. Oh, I am so tired of the pain...It hurts so much...I have stabbed someone I have loved, and now someone I have loved has stabbed me...It hurts so much...I cannot go back, I must stay here...As undeserving as I am of Heaven, I desire with all my heart to be here...I have not slept so peacefully in a long time...I have not felt such peace in a long time...I have...never dreamed before...it is so beautiful...And I want to share this with my closest friend...with you...forever...I can protect you here...nothing will ever hurt you...Please, don't let go of me...Please...let's stay here forever...let's dream forever and never go back..."

Outside the dream, Rabbit suddenly shouted in pain. He squeezed his eyes even tighter, and he began to toss and turn in the bed. He was mumbling under his breath, as he was also breathing fast, but his words could not be heard from a distance. When John ran to his side, he felt Rabbit's forehead and quickly drew back. "...Ergh...he has a bad fever. Cecily! Allistor! Grab some cold towels and some ice. We need to cool him down!" he ordered.

Cecily did as she was told, disturbed by Rabbit's sudden fit of pain. Why was he in such pain, now, when he was so peaceful moments ago? What was happening to him? She could not tell, but she ran away to get a wet rag and then some ice, hoping that she could do something to help him.

[Finsternia]

Artosh embraced Rabbit and buried his face in his bestfriend's soft moonlight hair. "Rabbit... You're all the opposite of what you said... Remember when we first met? I was so nervous during my first year of teaching. But you were there to help me. You were there to give me hope."

The scenery still continues to burn, like a data file being corrupted. The walls are decaying into flakes of glittering pieces of reality as they vanished into nothingness like flying embers of a bonfire. Artosh saw thia and hugged Rabbit tighter, afraid to let go. He felt like if he was to let go, Rabbit would be consumed by the ever advancing void.

"Yes... You are the moon... You shine when I cannot, when I am down... You were there when I get depressed... You continued to shine your soft calming moonlight to show me places I am afraid to go when it is dark... You showed me beauty and happiness during times of trouble... You never hurt me Rabbit... You saved me..." Chairs and beds were already being consumed as the dream fell apart. Beyond was just a vast black, the dreamless sleep. Artosh slightly shuddered at the thought. It was as if this is final death against the cosmic forces.

"Rabbit... Nightly dreams must end... Like this one... But that doesn't stop you with turning that dream into reality..." Artosh pulled away from the dream and held Rabbit by his shoulders. "Rabbit... Please... Dream with me... In the real world... Let us dream of peaceful and happy times and let us share that dream with everyone... Let's make that dream come true..."

At this point the blackness have devoured everything, except for a small patch of the ground where Artosh's bed is with Rabbit. The corruption slowly ate at the bed's legs, turning them into glittering pieces of reality that are obliterated by the nothingness. "Let us dream... Rabbit..." Artosh said as the bed was entirely destroyed, falling into the deep abyss as he reached towards Rabbit. He was like falling from a building, sinking into the sea, slowly being embraced why the dark nothingness.

Artosh in the real world seems well, except for a few deep breaths and gasping for air. Allistor went towards Rabbit's bed and made snow roses on the bedsheets. It was reminiscent of what he did for Soleil but the feeling of seeing these snow roses around Rabbit's body felt like a burial. Roses all around his body in a gesture of farewell. Allistor shook the vision of his teacher dying and continued his magic, the roses excluded a wonderful cold feeling that calms the nerves and would help regulate Rabbit's body temperature.

[Luminesa]

Artosh embraced Rabbit and buried his face in his bestfriend's soft moonlight hair. "Rabbit... You're all the opposite of what you said... Remember when we first met? I was so nervous during my first year of teaching. But you were there to help me. You were there to give me hope."

The scenery still continues to burn, like a data file being corrupted. The walls are decaying into flakes of glittering pieces of reality as they vanished into nothingness like flying embers of a bonfire. Artosh saw thia and hugged Rabbit tighter, afraid to let go. He felt like if he was to let go, Rabbit would be consumed by the ever advancing void.

"Yes... You are the moon... You shine when I cannot, when I am down... You were there when I get depressed... You continued to shine your soft calming moonlight to show me places I am afraid to go when it is dark... You showed me beauty and happiness during times of trouble... You never hurt me Rabbit... You saved me..." Chairs and beds were already being consumed as the dream fell apart. Beyond was just a vast black, the dreamless sleep. Artosh slightly shuddered at the thought. It was as if this is final death against the cosmic forces.

"Rabbit... Nightly dreams must end... Like this one... But that doesn't stop you with turning that dream into reality..." Artosh pulled away from the dream and held Rabbit by his shoulders. "Rabbit... Please... Dream with me... In the real world... Let us dream of peaceful and happy times and let us share that dream with everyone... Let's make that dream come true..."

At this point the blackness have devoured everything, except for a small patch of the ground where Artosh's bed is with Rabbit. The corruption slowly ate at the bed's legs, turning them into glittering pieces of reality that are obliterated by the nothingness. "Let us dream... Rabbit..." Artosh said as the bed was entirely destroyed, falling into the deep abyss as he reached towards Rabbit. He was like falling from a building, sinking into the sea, slowly being embraced why the dark nothingness.

Artosh in the real world seems well, except for a few deep breaths and gasping for air. Allistor went towards Rabbit's bed and made snow roses on the bedsheets. It was reminiscent of what he did for Soleil but the feeling of seeing these snow roses around Rabbit's body felt like a burial. Roses all around his body in a gesture of farewell. Allistor shook the vision of his teacher dying and continued his magic, the roses excluded a wonderful cold feeling that calms the nerves and would help regulate Rabbit's body temperature.

In the dream, Artosh disappeared along with everything else. Rabbit now floated in the darkness, having watched his friend sink into the nothingness below. He floated where he was, now, his body burning. He was the last piece of the film that had yet to burn. His cold body went up in flames, and he hugged himself, almost as though Artosh was still there. His eyes could still see, but there was nothing left to see. All was dark around him, except for himself.

And yet then the stars began to shine. Nebulas and galaxies formed in front of him, the cradle of creation. Countless burning lights awakened around him, and many died. He saw the sun as it pulled the planets around it, and the moons that floated around the planets. There was no sound. All was peaceful once again, but Rabbit was the only lifeform in this lonely dream-universe. Artosh was gone. He had this beautiful vision, but he himself was fading, and he had nobody who with he could share this dream.

"...The moon...lights the things...the sun cannot see...but it cannot...glow without the sun...I will awaken...in pain, and feeling...as I always do...and yet...perhaps...I can dream of happiness...even there...I can seek it...I want to seek it..." He reached his arms out, as though he could grab the stars in his hands. However, when he did so, his body began to fade, to crumble away like a burning piece of paper. He simply closed his eyes, accepting the end of the vision, and all faded to black...

In real-life, however, Rabbit was still breathing quickly, and clutching his pillow. Tearless sobs escaped his throat, as though some profound sadness had clutched him and was holding him hostage. His face was still a hot-pink, his hair was strewn around him as though he was a banshee, and he looked vastly different from his usual calm, gentle self. He was vulnerable and sick, emotional and feverish. Yet the snow petals evaporated and created a cold steam around his body. The ice and wet rags that John and Cecily also grabbed helped, and while he was still hot and panicked, his breathing began to slow down and regulate itself.

[Chrome Legion]

Annice Null


Now Annice was even more confused, what was going on here. First she finds this girl, parylized by Catherine, and now she can't even remember own name? It didn't look like she had suffered any kind of head injury. Was it some kind of Dissociative fugue? What could have caused it though? Maybe... Annice had been told that some magical effects could lead to memory loss, particularly certain types of possession. That would explain why Catherine had bound her in the way that she had. But then were were the others now? Annice would have to look for them later, for now getting what ever was left of Hikari back to safety would be the best bet.

"I'm not sure if I'm the best person to answer those kind of questions. Right now just about the only thing I know that you don't is our names. I'm Annice, your name is Hikari. Let's get you somewhere warm first. Then we can try to figure out what happened. Can you walk okay?"

[Finsternia]

Artosh embraced Rabbit and buried his face in his bestfriend's soft moonlight hair. "Rabbit... You're all the opposite of what you said... Remember when we first met? I was so nervous during my first year of teaching. But you were there to help me. You were there to give me hope."

The scenery still continues to burn, like a data file being corrupted. The walls are decaying into flakes of glittering pieces of reality as they vanished into nothingness like flying embers of a bonfire. Artosh saw thia and hugged Rabbit tighter, afraid to let go. He felt like if he was to let go, Rabbit would be consumed by the ever advancing void.

"Yes... You are the moon... You shine when I cannot, when I am down... You were there when I get depressed... You continued to shine your soft calming moonlight to show me places I am afraid to go when it is dark... You showed me beauty and happiness during times of trouble... You never hurt me Rabbit... You saved me..." Chairs and beds were already being consumed as the dream fell apart. Beyond was just a vast black, the dreamless sleep. Artosh slightly shuddered at the thought. It was as if this is final death against the cosmic forces.

"Rabbit... Nightly dreams must end... Like this one... But that doesn't stop you with turning that dream into reality..." Artosh pulled away from the dream and held Rabbit by his shoulders. "Rabbit... Please... Dream with me... In the real world... Let us dream of peaceful and happy times and let us share that dream with everyone... Let's make that dream come true..."

At this point the blackness have devoured everything, except for a small patch of the ground where Artosh's bed is with Rabbit. The corruption slowly ate at the bed's legs, turning them into glittering pieces of reality that are obliterated by the nothingness. "Let us dream... Rabbit..." Artosh said as the bed was entirely destroyed, falling into the deep abyss as he reached towards Rabbit. He was like falling from a building, sinking into the sea, slowly being embraced why the dark nothingness.

Artosh in the real world seems well, except for a few deep breaths and gasping for air. Allistor went towards Rabbit's bed and made snow roses on the bedsheets. It was reminiscent of what he did for Soleil but the feeling of seeing these snow roses around Rabbit's body felt like a burial. Roses all around his body in a gesture of farewell. Allistor shook the vision of his teacher dying and continued his magic, the roses excluded a wonderful cold feeling that calms the nerves and would help regulate Rabbit's body temperature.

In the dream, Artosh disappeared along with everything else. Rabbit now floated in the darkness, having watched his friend sink into the nothingness below. He floated where he was, now, his body burning. He was the last piece of the film that had yet to burn. His cold body went up in flames, and he hugged himself, almost as though Artosh was still there. His eyes could still see, but there was nothing left to see. All was dark around him, except for himself.

And yet then the stars began to shine. Nebulas and galaxies formed in front of him, the cradle of creation. Countless burning lights awakened around him, and many died. He saw the sun as it pulled the planets around it, and the moons that floated around the planets. There was no sound. All was peaceful once again, but Rabbit was the only lifeform in this lonely dream-universe. Artosh was gone. He had this beautiful vision, but he himself was fading, and he had nobody who with he could share this dream.

"...The moon...lights the things...the sun cannot see...but it cannot...glow without the sun...I will awaken...in pain, and feeling...as I always do...and yet...perhaps...I can dream of happiness...even there...I can seek it...I want to seek it..." He reached his arms out, as though he could grab the stars in his hands. However, when he did so, his body began to fade, to crumble away like a burning piece of paper. He simply closed his eyes, accepting the end of the vision, and all faded to black...

In real-life, however, Rabbit was still breathing quickly, and clutching his pillow. Tearless sobs escaped his throat, as though some profound sadness had clutched him and was holding him hostage. His face was still a hot-pink, his hair was strewn around him as though he was a banshee, and he looked vastly different from his usual calm, gentle self. He was vulnerable and sick, emotional and feverish. Yet the snow petals evaporated and created a cold steam around his body. The ice and wet rags that John and Cecily also grabbed helped, and while he was still hot and panicked, his breathing began to slow down and regulate itself.

Allistor Abendroth

Allistor sighed and focused on pulling the cold steam and melted ice together to make a soft snow towel to put on Rabbit's forehead. Leaning forward, he placed a mark on the snow, a rune that would let it repair itself as it melted. "Sir... Do you have any fever medicine? Or some antibiotics? Maybe Sir Rabbit's got an infection." His eyes glanced at Artosh for a moment, who seems to have some uneasiness himself. Breathing deeply, Allistor lowered the temperature of Rabbit's surroundings for a bit to help with controlling his temperature. "And sir? Some potions to calm Sir Rabbit too... Or an enchanted dream catcher. Seems like he's having a very terrible dream."