Mana Academy: Beyond Borders IC

[Kingdom of Irhk]

Manfred von Kressel

"That's... certainly surprising. I never met them personally miss Eglantine, so forgive me for putting you though such a stressing situation. My apologies. I can give you transportation near Grenoble with a jet, but it might face some trouble landing, which I honestly hope it doesn't or that, at least, there isn't enough ash for the plane to land securely. If the situation isn't safe and the ash is still blocking the airport, you'll land at Valence and drive to Grenoble, which is roughly 1 hour away from the mentioned city. I can give you a nice pilot to go there, a few weapons if you didn't bring them, but Saturninus must stay.

The subject that brought you all here, well... I have reason to believe, after Saturninus' timely testimony, that Joachim is allied, or at least collaborated with Blanchefleur with the objective to wipe Heinrich off the map. I can also imagine his objectives by doing that, but there'll be time for that once you are back, luckily with miss Eglantine's parents."

Henry von Kressel

A retractable staff and a pistol were the only items Henry asked for. Certainly there was an armor lying around, but he could craft one with his magic and move faster if he needed to. With a martial weapon and a certain amount of firepower, he sat in the car designated to carry them both to the airport, as Henry kept loading it and checking the ammo he had available. Would Blanchefleur try to stop them once more? He wasn't even near a perfect form and his doctor would probably have a heart attack if he knew what Henry was up to his time.

With their small luggage carried inside the plane, Henry faced himself with another wild chase around Europe, until his eyes faced a clearly shocked Eglantine.

"I believe we planned to rest... Another failed plan, wouldn't you agree?"

Saturninus/Eglantine - Too Soon To Say Goodbye

Saturninus was shocked to hear about Eglantine's parents and their ordeal, something he had not even noticed in the short time he had been back in his mother's castle. He figured they had somehow escaped the wreckage, even though he had no way of knowing how, or how they even got to the Castle in the first place. Even if he had known, however, he doubted he would have been able to save them. His mother had eyes everywhere, and she would have caught him. In a way, even if he was without a home now, the probable destruction of his mother's castle was a strange and horrible miracle. It had granted his aunt and uncle a way to escape, and now his mother was on the run. With some luck, she would not immediately know what he had done, and his punishment would be delayed.

Yet he was not allowed to feel the comfort of his cousin's sudden reappearance either. Having discovered that her mother and father were alive, Vienna became the last thing on her mind. She still saw Saturninus in front of her, however, and she had wanted him to come with her. She wanted a happy reunion as much as he did, and when Manfred said he would have to stay, they stared at each other. Given the danger lurking in Europe, neither could assure the other that they were safe on their travels. "...Teenie...please be safe...I...I do have to stay here. I...promised that I would testify against...Lord Joachim...about my mom's actions." He put his hands on her shoulders, seeing the panic in her eyes. "...You're still the tough cousin who...always beat me in training...I'm sure of it. And your partner almost won the International Tournament." He looked at Henry and gave the slightest of smiles.

"Did he now?" Despite the tears in her eyes, Eglantine turned to Henry and flashed a smile at him. She was not surprised, but he would be.

"...If everything hadn't happened...You would have gone and faced-off against that Japanese girl...erm...Himiko?...You and...uh...heheh...Mana dominated, I...I don't know if I would have made it. Not with...what I did...but you would have faced her or...um...that black-haired girl from your House...I remember the Committee talking about it...The Committee was still salty that Abendroth couldn't join either, something about that...but anyway..." He chuckled, and then continued. "...Eglantine can take care of herself...but you better take care of her...when she can't...Okay?" Saturninus maintained his smile toward Henry, though he was already too tired to feel anything but dread.

Eglantine nodded. "...We'll be okay, Sat. You take care of yourself. Get some sleep when you can, you look like you might need it. And eat something. But not until after you hear Lord Joachim, because then you'll vomit." She laughed, and then the two cousins drew together for a hug. They held the hug for a few minutes, unwilling to let the moment go. Yet they had to, as both Rises had their duties to fulfill. Eglantine pulled back to stand with Henry, and she looked back at Saturninus until she was out of his sight.

In the meantime, Saturninus waved to her, trying to hide his own tears. They had been denied their childhood, their family-time, and the moment they got the chance to have it, it was taken from them. "...Not yet...soon...when all of this is over...then we can be together as a family again...a new family..." He sighed, and looked back at Manfred. In desperate need of a tissue for wiping his eyes, he sniffled and rubbed his tears away on a sleeve. "...So um...when is Lord Joachim arriving?...I might need something small to eat, at least...when this is over, hopefully...we'll have reason to celebrate. Your House and mine..."

Eglantine - Closer To Home

Eglantine did not ask for any weapons. She was confident enough in her own Magic that she could fight anything that got in her way. Adrenaline flooded her brain, and she was willing to trek through all of Europe until she found her parents, and then further until Blanchefleur was dead, if she was not dead already. Having a gun, to her, was a good fail-safe, but her aunt was not afraid of guns. Even so, she was glad that her boyfriend had grabbed one, as she never knew when something needed to be shot. If either of them ran out of Mana on the trip, it would also become necessary.

Bordering the plane in silence, Eglantine spent much of her time staring out the window. Her heart was palpitating. She wanted to run across the plane to see the tops of the buildings in Grenoble, but she knew that she would not see the town for an hour or so. She had to be a little patient. Keeping herself buckled purely by her own self-control, she tapped her foot as she watched the clouds fly alongside the aircraft. "...I don't know...Once I see them...Maybe I'll...Maybe we'll know more about what my aunt is planning...And what happened to her castle...I think Manfred was trying to hide the extent of the damage...but if he things I'll be sad about her death, then he's clearly mistaken...I hope she burned to ashes, but that would be too much good luck for one day..." She gave a sour snicker, as if she knew that she could only be thankful for the chance she had gotten before her.

The pilot of the plane noticed a massive amount of smoke and dust floating above the skies of Valence and Grenoble, and due to the decreasing visibility, he decided to land the plane. "...If I head too far through Valence, it'll be too dangerous to continue. I don't want to crash into the side of a mountain, or into...whatever's out there. You two can drive from Valence, but be careful...It might be radioactive or something..." The pilot landed the plane, and a rental car waited for Henry and Eglantine.

When they got off the plane, the Rise girl stared at the skies. The baby-blue color had become muddled by distant smoke, and was becoming increasingly grey. She frowned, wondering at the extent of the damage to the nearby mountain range. "...Let's be careful...There might be earthquakes while we drive..." She looked at Henry, and smiled. "...Do you want to drive, or do you want me to take it? I bet I can get there faster..."

Manfred von Kressel

As once more Henry and Eglantine set out to travel, Joachim stared at the young undead with a shy smile. Sometimes, he lost himself in the corridors of his mind and his plans, and while admiring the architecture of the ivory tower he built inside his brain, he forgot to explain its foundations to the ones surrounding him. Of course: he made a deal with Saturninus, but he forgot to explain how it would happen as the time went by.

"Oh, Saturninus... Joachim isn't coming. I have a plan laid out for him and it seems that my luck deeply helped me, at least this once... Feast yourself as you wish in the kitchen. You, along with Heinrich and Amber, will play dead for some time. Ironic as it may be, I'll set up a safehouse for you and them. To catch a beast, you must first disguise a cage as a house...

And this is what I will do with my brother this time."

Henry von Kressel

As Saturninus recalled the Tournament, Henry slightly blushed. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but Henry recalled the camaraderie most of them had with each other before it became a grim situation: Etienne died, Saturninus died and Henry fought his friend's mother alongside many students. However, he hardly fought about the outcome of the final that never happened. Certainly the Japanese probably said the same about Himiko: that she would win some European noble and that she would rise as a champion out of the conflict.

"If Alli fought in the tournament, the building would be completely destroyed by now... but I appreciate your trust. She will return safely, Saturninus."

En route to Valence

"I am sure that they might know better... But even in times like these, I think you should enjoy the family meeting, even if those among the Rise might be a little too troubled... And Manfred is skeptical. He sees the ash, but he isn't seeing the tower. This is a man that grew as a Noble in the information trade business and that left marks deep down in the way he sees the world, with those thick lenses of his... Until he sees it by himself, until he feels his breath getting heavier with ash and the damaged tower by himself, he won't be certain of it. He'll doubt, he'll question... Would make St. Thomas look like an ardent believer."

As the plane landed and they got out, Henry looked at the car and believed in Eglantine's words. She had fire in her eyes - not literally, at least yet - and had her sights set in Grenoble, even if the ash covered it.

"You drive, I'll rest my arms a little bit. Please, we need to get there alive and with the car in one piece. Pilot, hold on to this plane please, we might need it."

[Luminesa]

Saturninus/Eglantine - Too Soon To Say Goodbye

Saturninus was shocked to hear about Eglantine's parents and their ordeal, something he had not even noticed in the short time he had been back in his mother's castle. He figured they had somehow escaped the wreckage, even though he had no way of knowing how, or how they even got to the Castle in the first place. Even if he had known, however, he doubted he would have been able to save them. His mother had eyes everywhere, and she would have caught him. In a way, even if he was without a home now, the probable destruction of his mother's castle was a strange and horrible miracle. It had granted his aunt and uncle a way to escape, and now his mother was on the run. With some luck, she would not immediately know what he had done, and his punishment would be delayed.

Yet he was not allowed to feel the comfort of his cousin's sudden reappearance either. Having discovered that her mother and father were alive, Vienna became the last thing on her mind. She still saw Saturninus in front of her, however, and she had wanted him to come with her. She wanted a happy reunion as much as he did, and when Manfred said he would have to stay, they stared at each other. Given the danger lurking in Europe, neither could assure the other that they were safe on their travels. "...Teenie...please be safe...I...I do have to stay here. I...promised that I would testify against...Lord Joachim...about my mom's actions." He put his hands on her shoulders, seeing the panic in her eyes. "...You're still the tough cousin who...always beat me in training...I'm sure of it. And your partner almost won the International Tournament." He looked at Henry and gave the slightest of smiles.

"Did he now?" Despite the tears in her eyes, Eglantine turned to Henry and flashed a smile at him. She was not surprised, but he would be.

"...If everything hadn't happened...You would have gone and faced-off against that Japanese girl...erm...Himiko?...You and...uh...heheh...Mana dominated, I...I don't know if I would have made it. Not with...what I did...but you would have faced her or...um...that black-haired girl from your House...I remember the Committee talking about it...The Committee was still salty that Abendroth couldn't join either, something about that...but anyway..." He chuckled, and then continued. "...Eglantine can take care of herself...but you better take care of her...when she can't...Okay?" Saturninus maintained his smile toward Henry, though he was already too tired to feel anything but dread.

Eglantine nodded. "...We'll be okay, Sat. You take care of yourself. Get some sleep when you can, you look like you might need it. And eat something. But not until after you hear Lord Joachim, because then you'll vomit." She laughed, and then the two cousins drew together for a hug. They held the hug for a few minutes, unwilling to let the moment go. Yet they had to, as both Rises had their duties to fulfill. Eglantine pulled back to stand with Henry, and she looked back at Saturninus until she was out of his sight.

In the meantime, Saturninus waved to her, trying to hide his own tears. They had been denied their childhood, their family-time, and the moment they got the chance to have it, it was taken from them. "...Not yet...soon...when all of this is over...then we can be together as a family again...a new family..." He sighed, and looked back at Manfred. In desperate need of a tissue for wiping his eyes, he sniffled and rubbed his tears away on a sleeve. "...So um...when is Lord Joachim arriving?...I might need something small to eat, at least...when this is over, hopefully...we'll have reason to celebrate. Your House and mine..."

Eglantine - Closer To Home

Eglantine did not ask for any weapons. She was confident enough in her own Magic that she could fight anything that got in her way. Adrenaline flooded her brain, and she was willing to trek through all of Europe until she found her parents, and then further until Blanchefleur was dead, if she was not dead already. Having a gun, to her, was a good fail-safe, but her aunt was not afraid of guns. Even so, she was glad that her boyfriend had grabbed one, as she never knew when something needed to be shot. If either of them ran out of Mana on the trip, it would also become necessary.

Bordering the plane in silence, Eglantine spent much of her time staring out the window. Her heart was palpitating. She wanted to run across the plane to see the tops of the buildings in Grenoble, but she knew that she would not see the town for an hour or so. She had to be a little patient. Keeping herself buckled purely by her own self-control, she tapped her foot as she watched the clouds fly alongside the aircraft. "...I don't know...Once I see them...Maybe I'll...Maybe we'll know more about what my aunt is planning...And what happened to her castle...I think Manfred was trying to hide the extent of the damage...but if he things I'll be sad about her death, then he's clearly mistaken...I hope she burned to ashes, but that would be too much good luck for one day..." She gave a sour snicker, as if she knew that she could only be thankful for the chance she had gotten before her.

The pilot of the plane noticed a massive amount of smoke and dust floating above the skies of Valence and Grenoble, and due to the decreasing visibility, he decided to land the plane. "...If I head too far through Valence, it'll be too dangerous to continue. I don't want to crash into the side of a mountain, or into...whatever's out there. You two can drive from Valence, but be careful...It might be radioactive or something..." The pilot landed the plane, and a rental car waited for Henry and Eglantine.

When they got off the plane, the Rise girl stared at the skies. The baby-blue color had become muddled by distant smoke, and was becoming increasingly grey. She frowned, wondering at the extent of the damage to the nearby mountain range. "...Let's be careful...There might be earthquakes while we drive..." She looked at Henry, and smiled. "...Do you want to drive, or do you want me to take it? I bet I can get there faster..."

Manfred von Kressel

As once more Henry and Eglantine set out to travel, Joachim stared at the young undead with a shy smile. Sometimes, he lost himself in the corridors of his mind and his plans, and while admiring the architecture of the ivory tower he built inside his brain, he forgot to explain its foundations to the ones surrounding him. Of course: he made a deal with Saturninus, but he forgot to explain how it would happen as the time went by.

"Oh, Saturninus... Joachim isn't coming. I have a plan laid out for him and it seems that my luck deeply helped me, at least this once... Feast yourself as you wish in the kitchen. You, along with Heinrich and Amber, will play dead for some time. Ironic as it may be, I'll set up a safehouse for you and them. To catch a beast, you must first disguise a cage as a house...

And this is what I will do with my brother this time."

Henry von Kressel

As Saturninus recalled the Tournament, Henry slightly blushed. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but Henry recalled the camaraderie most of them had with each other before it became a grim situation: Etienne died, Saturninus died and Henry fought his friend's mother alongside many students. However, he hardly fought about the outcome of the final that never happened. Certainly the Japanese probably said the same about Himiko: that she would win some European noble and that she would rise as a champion out of the conflict.

"If Alli fought in the tournament, the building would be completely destroyed by now... but I appreciate your trust. She will return safely, Saturninus."

En route to Valence

"I am sure that they might know better... But even in times like these, I think you should enjoy the family meeting, even if those among the Rise might be a little too troubled... And Manfred is skeptical. He sees the ash, but he isn't seeing the tower. This is a man that grew as a Noble in the information trade business and that left marks deep down in the way he sees the world, with those thick lenses of his... Until he sees it by himself, until he feels his breath getting heavier with ash and the damaged tower by himself, he won't be certain of it. He'll doubt, he'll question... Would make St. Thomas look like an ardent believer."

As the plane landed and they got out, Henry looked at the car and believed in Eglantine's words. She had fire in her eyes - not literally, at least yet - and had her sights set in Grenoble, even if the ash covered it.

"You drive, I'll rest my arms a little bit. Please, we need to get there alive and with the car in one piece. Pilot, hold on to this plane please, we might need it."

Saturninus - The Caged Bird's Lament

Sighing deeply as he stood in the cold information room, Saturninus looked around and felt a deep discomfort. He did not want to be in this room with strange computers and disinterested scientists. Having just seen his cousin for the first time in four years, he felt he had his first good reunion torn from him. His stomach was tight, and inward, his heart squeezed. Yet he knew that he still had work to do in Vienna, and thus he looked back toward Manfred. He was surprised to see that Manfred had a smile for him, as if he had been making plans while Saturninus had been commiserating with his cousin and her boyfriend. "...Is...something the matter?" he murmured.

He was relieved when Manfred told him he could go make himself something to eat, but the Von Kressel elder's next words made him uncertain. He, the girl in the courtyard, and Heinrich were going to play dead, in order to lure Joachim into making a foolish move. The suggestion was definitely a gambit, and a risky one. If Joachim made no moves, or if he moved to see if Heinrich was dead, then the plan would need reinforcements. Otherwise it would fall apart. "...I...I don't know if...this man is...foolish enough to...just go and travel to France...if he has caught the news somehow..." he murmured, "...How often does...Lord Joachim travel to other places?...I'm sure he would be...more careful than that...if he is the head of a House..."

The Von Kressel's scheme was taking a strange turn. Saturninus thought he would just be testifying about Joachim's relationship with Blanchefleur, but more steps were being added, and so he did not know when he would be called to act. For now, he was a puppet once again, hung on a wall until he needed to dance on some strings for a mocking audience. Yet he was willing to accept this role, as humiliating as it seemed, so long as he was able to hide from Blanchefleur and to avoid a second, more brutal death.

Eglantine - Driving Through Fire

Eglantine did not need to be told twice to drive the car into Grenoble. As soon as Henry gave her permission, she hastened to the driver's side and buckled herself into the seat. "Yeah, well...look at this smoke. It looks like Mount St. Helens. The man is blind or he doesn't have enough soot in his throat yet to know that something has actually exploded," she answered, motioning her hand toward the thick smoke billowing from the near distance. She started the car as soon as she stopped talking, and as soon as she had two hands on the wheel she was on the road. She drove fast, despite the smoke coming from above Grenoble, and she had her eyes set on the town's entrance. "...Geez, they couldn't move us any closer?...It's a good thing there's not a lot of traffic today...and then...looking at the GPS..." She tapped her phone and rolled her eyes. "...He actually missed Grenoble, which is to the northeast of Valence. The smoke though is...wow..."

She squinted her eyes until she saw the entrance of Grenoble. She had turned an hour's trip into a forty-minute one, minus the toll booth at which she had to pay. She handed over the money with a huff, before she continued onward, and she did not stop until she entered the city. "...You know, I wish he had told us where...in this town...they went." Guessing from the grainy picture, she figured that she might try one of the hospitals. "...My dad looked hurt...really hurt...I don't imagine he just walked away from that with minor injuries, either...He was leaning on my mom, that's...not good..." She spoke to Henry, but her words were aimed more at herself. "...Now to park...and to walk."

Taking some time to find a road for parking, she paid for her parking and then stepped out with Henry. Eglantine walked ahead, looking on her GPS for the nearest hospital. "...Somewhere close, I'm sure...Not a whole lot in this place..." Being in the town, she could see people rushing around with some urgency, trying to get to their homes. Some people were standing and looking at the smoke in the sky, and some people were glued to the news on their phones and in their cars. Eglantine slipped her hands in her pockets to hide their sweat. Once she found her parents, she would know the extent that Manfred had missed. She was certain.

Grenoble did not have many hospitals, but the one she entered was busy. People were filling the waiting room, trying to get attention for their coughing and chest pains. The earthquake and its aftershocks, alongside the smoke pouring off the demolished mountainside, caused fear and ash inhalation all around, and Eglantine herself had covered her mouth and nose with her scarf as she had entered the town. Hurrying to the receptionist, she gave her name. "Eglantine Rise...m-my father...i-is he here?..." Her tongue felt cold as she lowered her scarf and spoke the words.

The receptionist looked at her, typed into a computer, and frowned with confusion. "...Rise?..."

"Y-Yes m'am..."

"...We have one listed by the name of 'Apollinaire', he is currently in the IC-"

"ICU?! Oh my God...please tell me he's okay, I'm his daughter, I-"

"Miss, calm down. It's okay. It's okay." The receptionist sensed the Rise girl's fear, and tried to make her relax. "...Now...your father is receiving treatment, but he is stable."

"Please! Let me go see him!"

The receptionist nodded, looking from her to Henry, and then she called a nurse from the ICU. Soon, a young woman in scrubs appeared and smiled at them. "You are Mr. Apollinaire's daughter?"

"Yes!...Oh my God, Henry, he's alive...he's alive..." Eglantine just barely held her tears, as the nurse nodded and waited for the couple to follow her.

Apollinaire was in his room, staring at the TV, when he heard footsteps heading toward his room. Running steps. He was confused, wondering if the nurses were hurrying to see another patient who was critical, but his attention peaked when he heard the heavy breathing outside his door. Eglantine threw the door open, and the two, along with Calixte, all stared at each other. The moment was much like pins and needles, numbness followed by a tingling recognition that was almost painful. None of the three spoke as Eglantine stepped into the room.

At first, Apollinaire and Calixte did not respond. Neither of them had planned for the words this moment would require. They had long accepted that their daughter was dead, and had spent the better half of four years trying to make sense of an uncertain future. A childless future. They had not even had a chance to bury her, as they had believed her ashes had mixed with those of her bedroom. Yet she was not ashes. Much like a phoenix, their daughter had risen from the ashes somehow, older and taller, but still the same girl.

"...Calli...am I...seeing things?" Her father straightened his back in the bed, not even noticing Henry's presence alongside his daughter's.

"...I..." Calixte looked at her husband and daughter, and then did not speak. Her throat was burning with questions, but she could not speak them as her throat constricted.

The nurse appeared with a gentle smile, and nodded to Eglantine. "...Ms. Calixte? Mr. Apollinaire?...This girl said she is Eglantine, your dau-"

"I KNOW WHO MY DAUGHTER IS!" Apollinaire ignored the IVs on his arms, tearing them out as he jumped out the bed. Just as the nurse was about to explain that he needed to stay in the bed, the man grabbed his only child in a tight hug. "...Oh God...Eglantine, is that really you?...What...Am I dreaming?...Are we dreaming?...Oh man...it must be that earthquake that rattled my brains..."

"No, Papa, it's me...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." Eglantine wanted to explain everything, why she had burned her room and had run away into Spain. Why she had hidden herself under different names and had pretended to be someone else. Why she had reappeared now of all times, after four years of pretending to be dead. Yet now those words did not come. "...I'm so sorry...Papa, Mama...I'm so sorry..."

Slowly, Calixte joined the hug. She had always struggled at affection, something she had hated about herself for many years, but now she knew she could not hide behind that fear. She felt her daughter's warmth and her long, blonde hair, almost the color of Blanchefleur's. "...Eglantine...We're sorry...We are sorry..."

Several nurses from down the hall came to see the shocking sight, the tearful reunion that had been four years and several countries in the making. Every party had thought the other was dead, or was going to die, or was just in mortal danger, and now they were reunited. None of the staff could have known what sorrow and shame had laced this family for so long, but the tears flowed from everyone. A couple of nurses clapped, some cheered, and the nurse in the room grabbed some tissues for the family. She also gave a kind look to Henry, being the only one to acknowledge his presence in the last hour or so. "...You...you can enter the room, too, of course...You did come with her, yes?" She stepped to the side and dabbed her own eyes, as she allowed Henry a chance to enter the room. In front of him was a beautiful reunion, one of many that would hopefully come as this broken family found its pieces again.

[Kingdom of Irhk]

Manfred von Kressel

As once more Henry and Eglantine set out to travel, Joachim stared at the young undead with a shy smile. Sometimes, he lost himself in the corridors of his mind and his plans, and while admiring the architecture of the ivory tower he built inside his brain, he forgot to explain its foundations to the ones surrounding him. Of course: he made a deal with Saturninus, but he forgot to explain how it would happen as the time went by.

"Oh, Saturninus... Joachim isn't coming. I have a plan laid out for him and it seems that my luck deeply helped me, at least this once... Feast yourself as you wish in the kitchen. You, along with Heinrich and Amber, will play dead for some time. Ironic as it may be, I'll set up a safehouse for you and them. To catch a beast, you must first disguise a cage as a house...

And this is what I will do with my brother this time."

Henry von Kressel

As Saturninus recalled the Tournament, Henry slightly blushed. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but Henry recalled the camaraderie most of them had with each other before it became a grim situation: Etienne died, Saturninus died and Henry fought his friend's mother alongside many students. However, he hardly fought about the outcome of the final that never happened. Certainly the Japanese probably said the same about Himiko: that she would win some European noble and that she would rise as a champion out of the conflict.

"If Alli fought in the tournament, the building would be completely destroyed by now... but I appreciate your trust. She will return safely, Saturninus."

En route to Valence

"I am sure that they might know better... But even in times like these, I think you should enjoy the family meeting, even if those among the Rise might be a little too troubled... And Manfred is skeptical. He sees the ash, but he isn't seeing the tower. This is a man that grew as a Noble in the information trade business and that left marks deep down in the way he sees the world, with those thick lenses of his... Until he sees it by himself, until he feels his breath getting heavier with ash and the damaged tower by himself, he won't be certain of it. He'll doubt, he'll question... Would make St. Thomas look like an ardent believer."

As the plane landed and they got out, Henry looked at the car and believed in Eglantine's words. She had fire in her eyes - not literally, at least yet - and had her sights set in Grenoble, even if the ash covered it.

"You drive, I'll rest my arms a little bit. Please, we need to get there alive and with the car in one piece. Pilot, hold on to this plane please, we might need it."

Saturninus - The Caged Bird's Lament

Sighing deeply as he stood in the cold information room, Saturninus looked around and felt a deep discomfort. He did not want to be in this room with strange computers and disinterested scientists. Having just seen his cousin for the first time in four years, he felt he had his first good reunion torn from him. His stomach was tight, and inward, his heart squeezed. Yet he knew that he still had work to do in Vienna, and thus he looked back toward Manfred. He was surprised to see that Manfred had a smile for him, as if he had been making plans while Saturninus had been commiserating with his cousin and her boyfriend. "...Is...something the matter?" he murmured.

He was relieved when Manfred told him he could go make himself something to eat, but the Von Kressel elder's next words made him uncertain. He, the girl in the courtyard, and Heinrich were going to play dead, in order to lure Joachim into making a foolish move. The suggestion was definitely a gambit, and a risky one. If Joachim made no moves, or if he moved to see if Heinrich was dead, then the plan would need reinforcements. Otherwise it would fall apart. "...I...I don't know if...this man is...foolish enough to...just go and travel to France...if he has caught the news somehow..." he murmured, "...How often does...Lord Joachim travel to other places?...I'm sure he would be...more careful than that...if he is the head of a House..."

The Von Kressel's scheme was taking a strange turn. Saturninus thought he would just be testifying about Joachim's relationship with Blanchefleur, but more steps were being added, and so he did not know when he would be called to act. For now, he was a puppet once again, hung on a wall until he needed to dance on some strings for a mocking audience. Yet he was willing to accept this role, as humiliating as it seemed, so long as he was able to hide from Blanchefleur and to avoid a second, more brutal death.

Eglantine - Driving Through Fire

Eglantine did not need to be told twice to drive the car into Grenoble. As soon as Henry gave her permission, she hastened to the driver's side and buckled herself into the seat. "Yeah, well...look at this smoke. It looks like Mount St. Helens. The man is blind or he doesn't have enough soot in his throat yet to know that something has actually exploded," she answered, motioning her hand toward the thick smoke billowing from the near distance. She started the car as soon as she stopped talking, and as soon as she had two hands on the wheel she was on the road. She drove fast, despite the smoke coming from above Grenoble, and she had her eyes set on the town's entrance. "...Geez, they couldn't move us any closer?...It's a good thing there's not a lot of traffic today...and then...looking at the GPS..." She tapped her phone and rolled her eyes. "...He actually missed Grenoble, which is to the northeast of Valence. The smoke though is...wow..."

She squinted her eyes until she saw the entrance of Grenoble. She had turned an hour's trip into a forty-minute one, minus the toll booth at which she had to pay. She handed over the money with a huff, before she continued onward, and she did not stop until she entered the city. "...You know, I wish he had told us where...in this town...they went." Guessing from the grainy picture, she figured that she might try one of the hospitals. "...My dad looked hurt...really hurt...I don't imagine he just walked away from that with minor injuries, either...He was leaning on my mom, that's...not good..." She spoke to Henry, but her words were aimed more at herself. "...Now to park...and to walk."

Taking some time to find a road for parking, she paid for her parking and then stepped out with Henry. Eglantine walked ahead, looking on her GPS for the nearest hospital. "...Somewhere close, I'm sure...Not a whole lot in this place..." Being in the town, she could see people rushing around with some urgency, trying to get to their homes. Some people were standing and looking at the smoke in the sky, and some people were glued to the news on their phones and in their cars. Eglantine slipped her hands in her pockets to hide their sweat. Once she found her parents, she would know the extent that Manfred had missed. She was certain.

Grenoble did not have many hospitals, but the one she entered was busy. People were filling the waiting room, trying to get attention for their coughing and chest pains. The earthquake and its aftershocks, alongside the smoke pouring off the demolished mountainside, caused fear and ash inhalation all around, and Eglantine herself had covered her mouth and nose with her scarf as she had entered the town. Hurrying to the receptionist, she gave her name. "Eglantine Rise...m-my father...i-is he here?..." Her tongue felt cold as she lowered her scarf and spoke the words.

The receptionist looked at her, typed into a computer, and frowned with confusion. "...Rise?..."

"Y-Yes m'am..."

"...We have one listed by the name of 'Apollinaire', he is currently in the IC-"

"ICU?! Oh my God...please tell me he's okay, I'm his daughter, I-"

"Miss, calm down. It's okay. It's okay." The receptionist sensed the Rise girl's fear, and tried to make her relax. "...Now...your father is receiving treatment, but he is stable."

"Please! Let me go see him!"

The receptionist nodded, looking from her to Henry, and then she called a nurse from the ICU. Soon, a young woman in scrubs appeared and smiled at them. "You are Mr. Apollinaire's daughter?"

"Yes!...Oh my God, Henry, he's alive...he's alive..." Eglantine just barely held her tears, as the nurse nodded and waited for the couple to follow her.

Apollinaire was in his room, staring at the TV, when he heard footsteps heading toward his room. Running steps. He was confused, wondering if the nurses were hurrying to see another patient who was critical, but his attention peaked when he heard the heavy breathing outside his door. Eglantine threw the door open, and the two, along with Calixte, all stared at each other. The moment was much like pins and needles, numbness followed by a tingling recognition that was almost painful. None of the three spoke as Eglantine stepped into the room.

At first, Apollinaire and Calixte did not respond. Neither of them had planned for the words this moment would require. They had long accepted that their daughter was dead, and had spent the better half of four years trying to make sense of an uncertain future. A childless future. They had not even had a chance to bury her, as they had believed her ashes had mixed with those of her bedroom. Yet she was not ashes. Much like a phoenix, their daughter had risen from the ashes somehow, older and taller, but still the same girl.

"...Calli...am I...seeing things?" Her father straightened his back in the bed, not even noticing Henry's presence alongside his daughter's.

"...I..." Calixte looked at her husband and daughter, and then did not speak. Her throat was burning with questions, but she could not speak them as her throat constricted.

The nurse appeared with a gentle smile, and nodded to Eglantine. "...Ms. Calixte? Mr. Apollinaire?...This girl said she is Eglantine, your dau-"

"I KNOW WHO MY DAUGHTER IS!" Apollinaire ignored the IVs on his arms, tearing them out as he jumped out the bed. Just as the nurse was about to explain that he needed to stay in the bed, the man grabbed his only child in a tight hug. "...Oh God...Eglantine, is that really you?...What...Am I dreaming?...Are we dreaming?...Oh man...it must be that earthquake that rattled my brains..."

"No, Papa, it's me...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." Eglantine wanted to explain everything, why she had burned her room and had run away into Spain. Why she had hidden herself under different names and had pretended to be someone else. Why she had reappeared now of all times, after four years of pretending to be dead. Yet now those words did not come. "...I'm so sorry...Papa, Mama...I'm so sorry..."

Slowly, Calixte joined the hug. She had always struggled at affection, something she had hated about herself for many years, but now she knew she could not hide behind that fear. She felt her daughter's warmth and her long, blonde hair, almost the color of Blanchefleur's. "...Eglantine...We're sorry...We are sorry..."

Several nurses from down the hall came to see the shocking sight, the tearful reunion that had been four years and several countries in the making. Every party had thought the other was dead, or was going to die, or was just in mortal danger, and now they were reunited. None of the staff could have known what sorrow and shame had laced this family for so long, but the tears flowed from everyone. A couple of nurses clapped, some cheered, and the nurse in the room grabbed some tissues for the family. She also gave a kind look to Henry, being the only one to acknowledge his presence in the last hour or so. "...You...you can enter the room, too, of course...You did come with her, yes?" She stepped to the side and dabbed her own eyes, as she allowed Henry a chance to enter the room. In front of him was a beautiful reunion, one of many that would hopefully come as this broken family found its pieces again.

Manfred von Kressel

"Oh, he won't travel. Please, accompany me to the dinner room."

Through corridors and doors they went once more, until they reached the dinner room. Pulling a chair, he gestured for Saturninus to sit, as he sat on the opposite side of the table, gesturing for some food to be cooked and served. He was a hungry man himself, and the sounds of food being made called Heinrich and Amber to the table as well.

"We will all participate in an illusion act. See, if what Saturninus here says to is the truth, Joachim is expecting Blanchefleur to get rid of Heinrich. But, no matter the extent of the damage, if he moves to Switzerland, a place we don't control right now or if his whereabouts are unknown while his own son travels back to America and the lair to one of the most infamous mages Europe ever produced got hit... this not only raises suspicions, but can show weakness. Joachim hates that.

So with his focus spread around and the inability to confirm if Heinrich is dead or not, given that the errand boy Blanchefleur sent is away from his contact and he's under the plausible excuse of not returning to the place he once was... We go to act 1. The dust settles, the ash is cleared, and we say that Heinrich and Amber are missing. Rob a few burnt bodies from a morgue or something... you two are dead.

Tragedy is the perfect setting for the need to change. If my evaluation is right, Joachim will lunge at Heinrich's Seat. Hans, a vassal, I don't know who exactly will come, but Joachim will place someone. And I want him to burn this influence, to waste every brain cell he has. He'll do so at the very first mention of your disappearance, so it will be quick. Act 2, we accept it.

Act 3, his chosen enters Heinrich's place. Prepared, with every last bit of data, everything perfectly set and the very height of his arrogance we topple him down. Heinrich, Amber and Saturninus enter the room. A public denounce inside the very feast he organized as a show of his success. A man, with his golden robes torn apart, nothing but the gross nudity of his acts exposed. I don't know if he'll be arrested, but he will certainly lose influence. And then I, or Sarah, or Anneliese, will take over."

With a deep breath, he allowed himself to inhale the smell of the chicken being cooked with many spices in a pan, relaxing his shoulders slowly and rubbing his hands.

"Well, but let us all eat now. Planning creates a certain appetite, after all."

Henry von Kressel

"Ja... Excusez-moi, oui. Merci."

So they were alive. In a very short timespan, the Rise seemed to be coming back from their graves. Eglantine, Michel, Saturninus, Apollinaire and Calixte... All of them, alive and well. For Eglantine, it meant that she had her parents back and surely it meant a lot to Henry. But every time he heard the word "Rise", his head went back to Soleil.

With every member of his family that Henry found, a certain piece of a possible peace came back to his mind. The weight upon Soleil's shoulders would be lighter, easier to carry, a burden easier to lift with so many relatives around him to support. There was hope after all. Such hope lightened Henry's consciousness, the consciousness of a man who never fully found forgiveness for orchestrating the death of his friend's mother. The reunion between Eglantine and her parents showed a side of Eglantine that he rarely saw, one that was a gateway to the young and hopeful girl she was.

Hope. The word kept popping up as he saw Eglantine hug her parents, just admiring it for some time before he decided to take slow steps. Henry had a certain nervousness while walking, carefully hidden as he put his hands behind him. He didn't know the opinions the parents of his girlfriend - even if they never officially set the status - about what he did or how they perceived the things he did, both in Mana and in Europe.

"Madame Calixte, Monsieur Apollinaire. It's a pleasure to meet you both even if the circumstances aren't exactly common or pleasant themselves. I am Henry von Kressel."

[Finsternia]

Artosh Luxenia - A Funeral of Flowers for a Ruined Past

"If I am going to be reborn... and be given at another chance at life... Why would I pick something that I knew? I wish to put behind the things that remind me of the pain of my own Magic... I wish to heal... and forget the scars that it inflicted on me..." He stares at his hands, once brimming with the strength of youth. When he was first admitted into Mana, until he finished its college curriculum, Artosh wasn't so gifted as the other students. Many came from families with long histories of magical talent but he came from a family of normal humans, where his magical talent was awakened due to perhaps a distant Mage ancestor or some other supernatural phenomena. His magic was extraordinary, a force capable of binding to other elements like as if it was lighting that was attracted from the sky to the earth. He started from nothing, and tried to tame his magic through the years, harnessing the double edged blade of the Arcane. For power he traded his life. For a great power he payed his youth, a power that eats through his mortal lifespan.

Thus he stepped forward, with anticipation and nervousness in his heart. No doctor nor mage was able to give him a cure, only a bandaid to cover a massive wound. Arcane Mages burned bright like fireworks, lighting the skies with their terrible magic and its tyrannical wonder, but like fireworks they disappear as soon as they make their brief blast of light. Artosh nodded towards Florian as he waited his metamorphosis. There was nothing inside the box when it opened, but rather a force and a scent. His eyes saw visions of nature and its splendor, its beautiful flowers in bloom, and the magical power beneath their petals and leaves. However, even with the beautiful vistas that his eyes could see, his mouth twitched and snapped open as his throat let out a bloodcurdling scream. His body wracked in pain as violet thunderbolts ran through his body, as a purple haze and light surrounded him like a tempest. The power of the Arcane is being evicted from his body, from his very soul, and it lashed like a rabid animal. Tendrils of electricity lashed against the walls, devouring the magic in the air. Florian can now see what the Arcane is. It is a pure form of Magic that concerns itself in transformation, in strength, and in its own voracity. It could transform to an element that it wishes to be, it could show great feats of power, and it could devour what is before it. Flumes of violet fire burned through the flowers around Artosh as his Magic is being wretched free from his body and soul, his eyes now only seeing hot white. His veins feel empty, his blood boiling, his Mana fading into nothing. Florian could see the Arcane squirming and lashing as it left Artosh's body as a vague blob-like figure. It looked like a neuron cell, a dense cluster of purple-violet energy with a dark black mass within as well as lashing tendrils of violet lightning. Rabbit could see it too. The Arcane has been devouring his blood, and has been integrating it into itself. Even Dark Mana has became prey to Artosh's magic, and with his blood's corrupting force as well as the Arcane's degenerative effects Artosh's life wouldn't have bloomed beyond his thirties.

However, the painful part was over. Artosh could feel the raging tide of pain subside, the white replaced by earthen glows of golden brown and lush green. He could feel vitality rushing back into his veins, into the channels of Mana that was empty moments ago. He could feel the damage to his body heal, revitalizing the body that he has forgotten to take care of. Vines from beneath his feet supported his weight as the burned plant life grew back, stronger and more resilient. His eyes flutter open, now as bright as the morning sky's blue expanse, and he could see what is before him. Two unopened chests, the capricious Fae Lord sitting upon his throne, his long time friend beside now embracing him, and a pulsing mass of power in the air. He felt familiarity from it, like an old friend who he has broken away from due to bitter experiences. He stared at it for a moment in silence. His magic made him see wonderful things, but now it's time to say goodbye to a former friend who left him with one foot deeply buried in the grave. Fresh spring wind fluttered in the castle halls, making him notice his now deep brown hair, and as he wrapped his arms around Rabbit he could feel his strength returning. With a light and comforting pat to his friend's back, his friend who has captured his heart, he leaned his head against Rabbit's shoulder as he says, "I'm alright now... I'm... alive... and well now..."

[Luminesa]

Artosh Luxenia - A Funeral of Flowers for a Ruined Past

"If I am going to be reborn... and be given at another chance at life... Why would I pick something that I knew? I wish to put behind the things that remind me of the pain of my own Magic... I wish to heal... and forget the scars that it inflicted on me..." He stares at his hands, once brimming with the strength of youth. When he was first admitted into Mana, until he finished its college curriculum, Artosh wasn't so gifted as the other students. Many came from families with long histories of magical talent but he came from a family of normal humans, where his magical talent was awakened due to perhaps a distant Mage ancestor or some other supernatural phenomena. His magic was extraordinary, a force capable of binding to other elements like as if it was lighting that was attracted from the sky to the earth. He started from nothing, and tried to tame his magic through the years, harnessing the double edged blade of the Arcane. For power he traded his life. For a great power he payed his youth, a power that eats through his mortal lifespan.

Thus he stepped forward, with anticipation and nervousness in his heart. No doctor nor mage was able to give him a cure, only a bandaid to cover a massive wound. Arcane Mages burned bright like fireworks, lighting the skies with their terrible magic and its tyrannical wonder, but like fireworks they disappear as soon as they make their brief blast of light. Artosh nodded towards Florian as he waited his metamorphosis. There was nothing inside the box when it opened, but rather a force and a scent. His eyes saw visions of nature and its splendor, its beautiful flowers in bloom, and the magical power beneath their petals and leaves. However, even with the beautiful vistas that his eyes could see, his mouth twitched and snapped open as his throat let out a bloodcurdling scream. His body wracked in pain as violet thunderbolts ran through his body, as a purple haze and light surrounded him like a tempest. The power of the Arcane is being evicted from his body, from his very soul, and it lashed like a rabid animal. Tendrils of electricity lashed against the walls, devouring the magic in the air. Florian can now see what the Arcane is. It is a pure form of Magic that concerns itself in transformation, in strength, and in its own voracity. It could transform to an element that it wishes to be, it could show great feats of power, and it could devour what is before it. Flumes of violet fire burned through the flowers around Artosh as his Magic is being wretched free from his body and soul, his eyes now only seeing hot white. His veins feel empty, his blood boiling, his Mana fading into nothing. Florian could see the Arcane squirming and lashing as it left Artosh's body as a vague blob-like figure. It looked like a neuron cell, a dense cluster of purple-violet energy with a dark black mass within as well as lashing tendrils of violet lightning. Rabbit could see it too. The Arcane has been devouring his blood, and has been integrating it into itself. Even Dark Mana has became prey to Artosh's magic, and with his blood's corrupting force as well as the Arcane's degenerative effects Artosh's life wouldn't have bloomed beyond his thirties.

However, the painful part was over. Artosh could feel the raging tide of pain subside, the white replaced by earthen glows of golden brown and lush green. He could feel vitality rushing back into his veins, into the channels of Mana that was empty moments ago. He could feel the damage to his body heal, revitalizing the body that he has forgotten to take care of. Vines from beneath his feet supported his weight as the burned plant life grew back, stronger and more resilient. His eyes flutter open, now as bright as the morning sky's blue expanse, and he could see what is before him. Two unopened chests, the capricious Fae Lord sitting upon his throne, his long time friend beside now embracing him, and a pulsing mass of power in the air. He felt familiarity from it, like an old friend who he has broken away from due to bitter experiences. He stared at it for a moment in silence. His magic made him see wonderful things, but now it's time to say goodbye to a former friend who left him with one foot deeply buried in the grave. Fresh spring wind fluttered in the castle halls, making him notice his now deep brown hair, and as he wrapped his arms around Rabbit he could feel his strength returning. With a light and comforting pat to his friend's back, his friend who has captured his heart, he leaned his head against Rabbit's shoulder as he says, "I'm alright now... I'm... alive... and well now..."

Rabbit/Florian/Artosh - Beauty From Pain

Rabbit knew the dangers of pulling Magic from a person’s body. The damage to one’s Manastream could be permanent, and could slash a person’s lifespan. The Arcane was even more difficult to remove than other kinds of Magic, as it was so volatile and cancerous. Indeed, it had created unstable tumors of Magic all over the inside of his body, and as Florian’s Magic had activated, the tumors revealed their gruesome nature and quantity. As Artosh’s body caught fire, his blood boiled, clotted, and coiled in agony. The Mana that emerged was almost coagulated with not just pure, raging energy, but also blobs of his own Black Blood.

Despite the horror of the scene before him, however, Rabbit had taken the step forward to be closer to his best friend. His beloved companion. Artosh had stood with him when he had extracted Mikhailov’s soul from his own body, a complicated and grueling task which he could not have completed alone. Yet even so, Rabbit had long held the regret of forcing Artosh through such an endeavor that had scarred him and shattered his heart. Tears fell from his eyes, behind his mask, as he watched this transformation before him. He knew it was necessary, but could do nothing as the uglier effects of Florian’s Magic revealed themselves.

Yet the flowers around him continued to sway without a care. The vines grew, the slivers of light shone through the windows, the flowers grew up and around the two Mages. Florian did not offer comfort during the ritual. He could not comfort when the pain was necessary. All he could do was watch the Dark Mana Being, who attempted to move closer to the stricken Mage. “Stand back. Let the Magic take its course...” he mumbled, not bothering to speak above his guest’s screams and wails. Yet soon, as he knew it would be, the pain passed, and as Artosh’s body had been left a bubbling, pathetic cinder, now it rose once again as a magnificent new structure. The healthy, beautiful body and Magic of a Mage whose life had almost been cut short before him. The Fae gave a slight smile.

Rabbit was amazed by the transformation, and as he had wrapped his arms around Artosh, he savored the new warmth of his friend’s body. He caressed him, stroking his hair and back, speaking little as he let Artosh experience his new body and Mana. He could feel the life of the Fae Realm within Artosh, growing and shaping into a beautiful garden. A breeze floated through the halls, and Artosh responded with a hug of his own. The younger Mage rested his head against the older Mage’s shoulder, and reassured him that all was well now. “...Indeed...you are alive...You have always been beautiful, Artosh...but how lovely you look now...I have desired for so long...to see you like this, and to hold you...”

The Fae chuckled on his throne, and smirked. “...Ahhh, that is much better, then. I see you like your new changes. Well, they will take time to understand. I will not reveal their secrets. You must discover those yourself. After all, few natural impulses are as strong as human curiosity...But with time, I am sure you will find things that even I did not realize I had given you. Fae boredom is sometimes like that.”

He sat more upright, and his smirk became what appeared to be a genuine smile. He was quite handsome, gorgeous in an ethereal way, the slivers of light floating over his armor and face giving him a violet glow. Florian was indeed a King, if either ever doubted him. “...You may stay for a few moments longer, to give each other your secrets and your desires. I see you have plenty. But once that is finished, you shall return to your school, and I shall study other creatures. I do have others that have caught my eye, though they are not as...delightful to me.”

Rabbit looked to Florian, and then took a moment to bow. “Of course, Fae King. We will not take much more of your time. We just wish to enjoy each other’s company in a place in which no time or space can tear us apart...It has been...so long, at least for our hearts. We were separated by an ocean and many rivers...but now we are here...together...” he answered. He then looked back to Artosh, tracing his new muscles with his fingers as he put Artosh’s head against his shoulder. “...My dear...whom I have forgotten for so long...Tell me anything on your heart...” he murmured.

[Finsternia]

Artosh Luxenia - April Showers Bring May Flowers

The younger man still feels numb as he can still feel electricity run through his skin and thunder boom in his ears. He can feel Rabbit hold him, he can faintly hear Florian's congratulations and remarks, but his senses are still returning to him. He gently patted Rabbit repeatedly, trying to understand if he was really alive or if that white searing pain was the end. His burnt nerves spring back to life but now everything feels more emphasized. The spring wind blowing felt more energizing and awakening, the scent of flowers around him more refreshing, the hug of a long time friend now even warmer and tighter. The Faerie King remarked on how his new transformation would take time to master and that through time and effort, his new abilities would be revealed to him. The King also granted the both of them time in this timeless place, both ruined yet still standing, dreary yet wondrous despite its cracks and age.

Artosh tried to steady himself on newfound balance as he gazed towards the figure sitting upon the throne. A man who he has never known for only a couple hours. A man from another place who has taken interest at the tragedy of a firefly's short yet brilliant life. A man who thought that this passing and fleeting life is worth saving. The former Arcane Mage stepped forward seven times and beneath his feet grew lush grass against marble floors, and around his ankles twisted zinnias and asters, their beautiful violet petals rising and swaying with the wind. Artosh looks at Florian for a couple moments before kneeling down. "I... I do not... know you... nor the reason why... you cared to give me this second chance... but... I would like to say thank you... Truly... Thank you... Fae King... You've... earned my trust... and my respect..."

He rises back to his feet with a smile, his eyes bright with confidence once again. Artosh nods towards Florian as he turns his back to Rabbit, who he greets with a smile and a rush for a hug. He buries his head in his shoulders, and Rabbit could feel his feet leave the floor for a moment as Artosh unwittingly lifts him off the ground. Artosh could feel his nerves burn and electrify from Rabbit's gentle touch and he could only try to keep him close. "...You're alive... You're alive... Bai Tuzi..." He sighs his name with relief as Artosh looks up at him. "...I'm glad... you are safe out there... I've read your letter... I'm so sorry if I wasn't able to reply I... I really don't know what to say... or what to write... I..." His eyes that shine with the sky's colors and lights look at Rabbit's mask and into his milky white eyes. Those eyes look blank and empty, even cold, but for Artosh they were as soft as clouds in his sky. "In the Tournament... when I kissed you... I meant it..." Artosh holds his hands and stares at him, trying to squeeze out the words from his lips like a tongue tied teenager. "I... I like you... When... When you're back home... back in Mana... Please go out with me..."

[Luminesa]

Artosh Luxenia - April Showers Bring May Flowers

The younger man still feels numb as he can still feel electricity run through his skin and thunder boom in his ears. He can feel Rabbit hold him, he can faintly hear Florian's congratulations and remarks, but his senses are still returning to him. He gently patted Rabbit repeatedly, trying to understand if he was really alive or if that white searing pain was the end. His burnt nerves spring back to life but now everything feels more emphasized. The spring wind blowing felt more energizing and awakening, the scent of flowers around him more refreshing, the hug of a long time friend now even warmer and tighter. The Faerie King remarked on how his new transformation would take time to master and that through time and effort, his new abilities would be revealed to him. The King also granted the both of them time in this timeless place, both ruined yet still standing, dreary yet wondrous despite its cracks and age.

Artosh tried to steady himself on newfound balance as he gazed towards the figure sitting upon the throne. A man who he has never known for only a couple hours. A man from another place who has taken interest at the tragedy of a firefly's short yet brilliant life. A man who thought that this passing and fleeting life is worth saving. The former Arcane Mage stepped forward seven times and beneath his feet grew lush grass against marble floors, and around his ankles twisted zinnias and asters, their beautiful violet petals rising and swaying with the wind. Artosh looks at Florian for a couple moments before kneeling down. "I... I do not... know you... nor the reason why... you cared to give me this second chance... but... I would like to say thank you... Truly... Thank you... Fae King... You've... earned my trust... and my respect..."

He rises back to his feet with a smile, his eyes bright with confidence once again. Artosh nods towards Florian as he turns his back to Rabbit, who he greets with a smile and a rush for a hug. He buries his head in his shoulders, and Rabbit could feel his feet leave the floor for a moment as Artosh unwittingly lifts him off the ground. Artosh could feel his nerves burn and electrify from Rabbit's gentle touch and he could only try to keep him close. "...You're alive... You're alive... Bai Tuzi..." He sighs his name with relief as Artosh looks up at him. "...I'm glad... you are safe out there... I've read your letter... I'm so sorry if I wasn't able to reply I... I really don't know what to say... or what to write... I..." His eyes that shine with the sky's colors and lights look at Rabbit's mask and into his milky white eyes. Those eyes look blank and empty, even cold, but for Artosh they were as soft as clouds in his sky. "In the Tournament... when I kissed you... I meant it..." Artosh holds his hands and stares at him, trying to squeeze out the words from his lips like a tongue tied teenager. "I... I like you... When... When you're back home... back in Mana... Please go out with me..."

Florian/Artosh/Rabbit - Back to Earth

Florian looked down at Artosh and Rabbit, as they each faced him and gave their words of gratitude. They were funny like that, becoming so emotional at the blink of an eye. Yet he did not mind. Tears watered the flowers and helped them to grow. He watched as Artosh caused flowers to grow under his own feet, and the Fae King grinned. The younger Mage had a funny way of thanking him. Florian had earned his trust and respect, he said.

The Lavender King felt that somehow he was always worthy of some sort of respect in his home, but said nothing, as he thought the words and the kneeling were amusing. “...You are most welcome. Every now and then I...enjoy taking wilted flowers and watering them back to life,” he explained. He then let Artosh have another moment with Rabbit.

Artosh turned back to Rabbit, who simply smiled and gazed at him, hands clasped as he waited for him. The younger Mage’s eyes sparkled with confidence and excitement at life, and his silver-haired companion could not help but feel that the world became brighter as he smiled at him. He welcomed his dear friend’s hug without resistance, but was not expecting to be lifted off his feet. “...Ah...A-Artosh?”

He stammered his friend’s name as a response, but his eyes softened as he understood the gesture. His companion was declaring his feelings once again, as if either of them had forgotten that tempestuous day on the grounds of the Lycee. The ground under his feet seemed to disappear, and he could feel a soft breeze teasing his hair. The world around him seemed to vanish, as his feet dangled above the ground.

“...Oh...I...I see now...Yes...how could I be...so slow...” Rabbit put his arms back around Artosh, as though he was fitting them into a glove. The embrace was snug and familiar, but with a new dimension. A shared tenderness, which gave the space between them the aura of a quiet sunset. The Dark Mana Being was blushing and tearing behind his mask, as the Changeling Mage declared that his feelings were still true.

Even if he had not read the letters, he had kept his dear companion in his heart, the only thing he had asked from his first letter. Rabbit recalled writing the letter, gazing lovingly at the words, and kissing the envelope before he put it away. He had kissed many envelopes after that one, as well. Now he was not looking down at a piece of paper, but at that reality come back to life. Artosh put Rabbit back on his feet after a moment, but even then he squeezed his hands with urgency and affection. He almost did not even realize that his toes and heels had touched the ground again.

The care that Rabbit had shown him was now being repaid, and not with abandonment. Not with abuse. Not with a rebound, either. He had never doubted that Artosh meant more to him than he could know. “...Of course...yes...Wherever you want to go...W-We’ll find a way...I-I have a present for you, but...I-I believe it is still in transit...with Henry...” He giggled. “...And...I am sure that the others are...worried about my sudden disappearance. But...once that is all settled...yes...Anywhere you want...”

He leaned forward and put his forehead against Artosh’s, ignoring their height difference, and he pulled him close. He was holding sunlight, the verdant fields, and the wildflowers rising from the moors, all within the person in his embrace, and for the first time in almost a month he felt true happiness. “...Oh Artosh...if this is a dream...I do not want to awaken...This is the sweetest dream...I have had...in years...And I refuse to let it go...”

[Luminesa]

Saturninus - The Caged Bird's Lament

Sighing deeply as he stood in the cold information room, Saturninus looked around and felt a deep discomfort. He did not want to be in this room with strange computers and disinterested scientists. Having just seen his cousin for the first time in four years, he felt he had his first good reunion torn from him. His stomach was tight, and inward, his heart squeezed. Yet he knew that he still had work to do in Vienna, and thus he looked back toward Manfred. He was surprised to see that Manfred had a smile for him, as if he had been making plans while Saturninus had been commiserating with his cousin and her boyfriend. "...Is...something the matter?" he murmured.

He was relieved when Manfred told him he could go make himself something to eat, but the Von Kressel elder's next words made him uncertain. He, the girl in the courtyard, and Heinrich were going to play dead, in order to lure Joachim into making a foolish move. The suggestion was definitely a gambit, and a risky one. If Joachim made no moves, or if he moved to see if Heinrich was dead, then the plan would need reinforcements. Otherwise it would fall apart. "...I...I don't know if...this man is...foolish enough to...just go and travel to France...if he has caught the news somehow..." he murmured, "...How often does...Lord Joachim travel to other places?...I'm sure he would be...more careful than that...if he is the head of a House..."

The Von Kressel's scheme was taking a strange turn. Saturninus thought he would just be testifying about Joachim's relationship with Blanchefleur, but more steps were being added, and so he did not know when he would be called to act. For now, he was a puppet once again, hung on a wall until he needed to dance on some strings for a mocking audience. Yet he was willing to accept this role, as humiliating as it seemed, so long as he was able to hide from Blanchefleur and to avoid a second, more brutal death.

Eglantine - Driving Through Fire

Eglantine did not need to be told twice to drive the car into Grenoble. As soon as Henry gave her permission, she hastened to the driver's side and buckled herself into the seat. "Yeah, well...look at this smoke. It looks like Mount St. Helens. The man is blind or he doesn't have enough soot in his throat yet to know that something has actually exploded," she answered, motioning her hand toward the thick smoke billowing from the near distance. She started the car as soon as she stopped talking, and as soon as she had two hands on the wheel she was on the road. She drove fast, despite the smoke coming from above Grenoble, and she had her eyes set on the town's entrance. "...Geez, they couldn't move us any closer?...It's a good thing there's not a lot of traffic today...and then...looking at the GPS..." She tapped her phone and rolled her eyes. "...He actually missed Grenoble, which is to the northeast of Valence. The smoke though is...wow..."

She squinted her eyes until she saw the entrance of Grenoble. She had turned an hour's trip into a forty-minute one, minus the toll booth at which she had to pay. She handed over the money with a huff, before she continued onward, and she did not stop until she entered the city. "...You know, I wish he had told us where...in this town...they went." Guessing from the grainy picture, she figured that she might try one of the hospitals. "...My dad looked hurt...really hurt...I don't imagine he just walked away from that with minor injuries, either...He was leaning on my mom, that's...not good..." She spoke to Henry, but her words were aimed more at herself. "...Now to park...and to walk."

Taking some time to find a road for parking, she paid for her parking and then stepped out with Henry. Eglantine walked ahead, looking on her GPS for the nearest hospital. "...Somewhere close, I'm sure...Not a whole lot in this place..." Being in the town, she could see people rushing around with some urgency, trying to get to their homes. Some people were standing and looking at the smoke in the sky, and some people were glued to the news on their phones and in their cars. Eglantine slipped her hands in her pockets to hide their sweat. Once she found her parents, she would know the extent that Manfred had missed. She was certain.

Grenoble did not have many hospitals, but the one she entered was busy. People were filling the waiting room, trying to get attention for their coughing and chest pains. The earthquake and its aftershocks, alongside the smoke pouring off the demolished mountainside, caused fear and ash inhalation all around, and Eglantine herself had covered her mouth and nose with her scarf as she had entered the town. Hurrying to the receptionist, she gave her name. "Eglantine Rise...m-my father...i-is he here?..." Her tongue felt cold as she lowered her scarf and spoke the words.

The receptionist looked at her, typed into a computer, and frowned with confusion. "...Rise?..."

"Y-Yes m'am..."

"...We have one listed by the name of 'Apollinaire', he is currently in the IC-"

"ICU?! Oh my God...please tell me he's okay, I'm his daughter, I-"

"Miss, calm down. It's okay. It's okay." The receptionist sensed the Rise girl's fear, and tried to make her relax. "...Now...your father is receiving treatment, but he is stable."

"Please! Let me go see him!"

The receptionist nodded, looking from her to Henry, and then she called a nurse from the ICU. Soon, a young woman in scrubs appeared and smiled at them. "You are Mr. Apollinaire's daughter?"

"Yes!...Oh my God, Henry, he's alive...he's alive..." Eglantine just barely held her tears, as the nurse nodded and waited for the couple to follow her.

Apollinaire was in his room, staring at the TV, when he heard footsteps heading toward his room. Running steps. He was confused, wondering if the nurses were hurrying to see another patient who was critical, but his attention peaked when he heard the heavy breathing outside his door. Eglantine threw the door open, and the two, along with Calixte, all stared at each other. The moment was much like pins and needles, numbness followed by a tingling recognition that was almost painful. None of the three spoke as Eglantine stepped into the room.

At first, Apollinaire and Calixte did not respond. Neither of them had planned for the words this moment would require. They had long accepted that their daughter was dead, and had spent the better half of four years trying to make sense of an uncertain future. A childless future. They had not even had a chance to bury her, as they had believed her ashes had mixed with those of her bedroom. Yet she was not ashes. Much like a phoenix, their daughter had risen from the ashes somehow, older and taller, but still the same girl.

"...Calli...am I...seeing things?" Her father straightened his back in the bed, not even noticing Henry's presence alongside his daughter's.

"...I..." Calixte looked at her husband and daughter, and then did not speak. Her throat was burning with questions, but she could not speak them as her throat constricted.

The nurse appeared with a gentle smile, and nodded to Eglantine. "...Ms. Calixte? Mr. Apollinaire?...This girl said she is Eglantine, your dau-"

"I KNOW WHO MY DAUGHTER IS!" Apollinaire ignored the IVs on his arms, tearing them out as he jumped out the bed. Just as the nurse was about to explain that he needed to stay in the bed, the man grabbed his only child in a tight hug. "...Oh God...Eglantine, is that really you?...What...Am I dreaming?...Are we dreaming?...Oh man...it must be that earthquake that rattled my brains..."

"No, Papa, it's me...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." Eglantine wanted to explain everything, why she had burned her room and had run away into Spain. Why she had hidden herself under different names and had pretended to be someone else. Why she had reappeared now of all times, after four years of pretending to be dead. Yet now those words did not come. "...I'm so sorry...Papa, Mama...I'm so sorry..."

Slowly, Calixte joined the hug. She had always struggled at affection, something she had hated about herself for many years, but now she knew she could not hide behind that fear. She felt her daughter's warmth and her long, blonde hair, almost the color of Blanchefleur's. "...Eglantine...We're sorry...We are sorry..."

Several nurses from down the hall came to see the shocking sight, the tearful reunion that had been four years and several countries in the making. Every party had thought the other was dead, or was going to die, or was just in mortal danger, and now they were reunited. None of the staff could have known what sorrow and shame had laced this family for so long, but the tears flowed from everyone. A couple of nurses clapped, some cheered, and the nurse in the room grabbed some tissues for the family. She also gave a kind look to Henry, being the only one to acknowledge his presence in the last hour or so. "...You...you can enter the room, too, of course...You did come with her, yes?" She stepped to the side and dabbed her own eyes, as she allowed Henry a chance to enter the room. In front of him was a beautiful reunion, one of many that would hopefully come as this broken family found its pieces again.

Manfred von Kressel

"Oh, he won't travel. Please, accompany me to the dinner room."

Through corridors and doors they went once more, until they reached the dinner room. Pulling a chair, he gestured for Saturninus to sit, as he sat on the opposite side of the table, gesturing for some food to be cooked and served. He was a hungry man himself, and the sounds of food being made called Heinrich and Amber to the table as well.

"We will all participate in an illusion act. See, if what Saturninus here says to is the truth, Joachim is expecting Blanchefleur to get rid of Heinrich. But, no matter the extent of the damage, if he moves to Switzerland, a place we don't control right now or if his whereabouts are unknown while his own son travels back to America and the lair to one of the most infamous mages Europe ever produced got hit... this not only raises suspicions, but can show weakness. Joachim hates that.

So with his focus spread around and the inability to confirm if Heinrich is dead or not, given that the errand boy Blanchefleur sent is away from his contact and he's under the plausible excuse of not returning to the place he once was... We go to act 1. The dust settles, the ash is cleared, and we say that Heinrich and Amber are missing. Rob a few burnt bodies from a morgue or something... you two are dead.

Tragedy is the perfect setting for the need to change. If my evaluation is right, Joachim will lunge at Heinrich's Seat. Hans, a vassal, I don't know who exactly will come, but Joachim will place someone. And I want him to burn this influence, to waste every brain cell he has. He'll do so at the very first mention of your disappearance, so it will be quick. Act 2, we accept it.

Act 3, his chosen enters Heinrich's place. Prepared, with every last bit of data, everything perfectly set and the very height of his arrogance we topple him down. Heinrich, Amber and Saturninus enter the room. A public denounce inside the very feast he organized as a show of his success. A man, with his golden robes torn apart, nothing but the gross nudity of his acts exposed. I don't know if he'll be arrested, but he will certainly lose influence. And then I, or Sarah, or Anneliese, will take over."

With a deep breath, he allowed himself to inhale the smell of the chicken being cooked with many spices in a pan, relaxing his shoulders slowly and rubbing his hands.

"Well, but let us all eat now. Planning creates a certain appetite, after all."

Henry von Kressel

"Ja... Excusez-moi, oui. Merci."

So they were alive. In a very short timespan, the Rise seemed to be coming back from their graves. Eglantine, Michel, Saturninus, Apollinaire and Calixte... All of them, alive and well. For Eglantine, it meant that she had her parents back and surely it meant a lot to Henry. But every time he heard the word "Rise", his head went back to Soleil.

With every member of his family that Henry found, a certain piece of a possible peace came back to his mind. The weight upon Soleil's shoulders would be lighter, easier to carry, a burden easier to lift with so many relatives around him to support. There was hope after all. Such hope lightened Henry's consciousness, the consciousness of a man who never fully found forgiveness for orchestrating the death of his friend's mother. The reunion between Eglantine and her parents showed a side of Eglantine that he rarely saw, one that was a gateway to the young and hopeful girl she was.

Hope. The word kept popping up as he saw Eglantine hug her parents, just admiring it for some time before he decided to take slow steps. Henry had a certain nervousness while walking, carefully hidden as he put his hands behind him. He didn't know the opinions the parents of his girlfriend - even if they never officially set the status - about what he did or how they perceived the things he did, both in Mana and in Europe.

"Madame Calixte, Monsieur Apollinaire. It's a pleasure to meet you both even if the circumstances aren't exactly common or pleasant themselves. I am Henry von Kressel."

Saturninus - Plots Over Dinner

Manfred had a fiery gleam in his eyes, as he regaled his family with the tales of how he would trick Joachim into revealing his true intentions. Saturninus could feel himself wincing inside. Even as Manfred explained his plan, he continued to look over at Heinrich, whom a few moments ago had been discovered to be a traitor and a crook. Amber was still shaken, as she usually was. The Rise heir did not feel that Manfred should trust either of them, yet he had this elaborate plan ready to snatch the Great Lord von Kressel. If his arrogance matched Blanchefleur's, then the plot had a chance of working. If his pragmatism trumped his pride, however, then he would not strike as soon as Heinrich was dead.

"...So we will play dead...he will travel to France...and then he will travel here?..." Saturninus frowned. "...I imagine...he would send emissaries...There's no reason to leave your home if...it would make you so vulnerable...That's why my mother hardly ever left home. She had...spies and...associates all over France. I...think she still does. If she is alive...she will probably message them...and find ways to keep in touch with her spies..." His eyes turned toward a corner of the room, as his stomach grumbled and his attention waned. The mansion was so bright and homey, compared to Rise Castle, and the food smelled warm and comforting as well. Yet he did not feel as though he could relax even now.

He felt this unease as he searched the room, and he saw a speck moving on the floor. A spider. Eight spindly legs that crept along the wall-posts. Saturninus felt sweat break around his face and neck, and he marched away from the table toward the wall. "AGH!" He yelled with rage as he stomped the spider under his foot. "...And stay dead..." he murmured. Sweat dripped off his face and onto his shoes. He was shaking, and his hands were numb. Palpitations rushed his chest, and he had to lean against the wall for a moment. "...Lord...Man...fred...check...the building...for...spiders...kill them all...please...please...trust...me..." he gasped. "...Hers...They're...I bet...they're hers..."

Eglantine and Family - Meeting The Parents

The nurses took a moment, after Apollinaire and Calixte had hugged Eglantine tightly enough, to put the exuberant father back in his bed and to wire him back to his fluids and painkillers. Already he had started to wince from the pain resurfacing, but he did not want to let his daughter and wife know how much he was hurting. The possibility that he might have to amputate his left arm was enough of a sorrow for him. Yet he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind for now. Eglantine had somehow risen from the dead, or perhaps she had not been dead at all. He could not imagine what had happened in the last four years, which had been a void, a cloud of fear and indecision.

However, Eglantine beat him to the punch, and asked the questions first. She wiped her eyes, and held his hand. "...How did...you both get here?...W-We heard you were...possibly in another country?..." she inquired, almost breathless from crying. Her mother pat her back as she tried to keep her composure. As she tried to regain her calm, however, she recalled that Henry was standing in the doorway, waiting to be acknowledged. "...O-Oh yeah...Mom, Dad...this is Henry...my boyfriend. He came with me from...from Austria..." She nodded to Henry as he appeared in the room, and her parents in turn looked to him.

Apollinaire was still in a daze, but Calixte's mouth flickered into a cool smile as she looked to Henry. "...Well then...I guess we should be a...little politer, since this young man brought our daughter here...There are many questions that need answering, but...I am sure he means no harm. It's always good to see another...Noble's son greeting us...We didn't get many of those in the last year or so..."

Her husband nodded, but he gave a slightly warmer smile to Henry. He could see the fear in the boy's eyes, and he remembered his own fear when he first met Calixte. "...Any good kid is a little nervous on his first date. Long drive from Vienna to this little old town...Come sit down so we can get to know you!" Apollinaire nodded to the small couch by the window. "We have a lot of talking to do, I'm sure."

[Chrome Legion]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


Elizabeth stared out at the fissures revealed by her magic. Trying to prize some kind of meaning from them. Her colleagues had offered some kind of tracks, but Tsukuyomi had mostly ignored it. Not because she didn't believe it was valuable, but because she had no personal use for it. Her tallents would be put to poor use trying to dig through it, and her weakness with technology wouldn't help. Liz's concerns centered around what came next. They didn't know what plane was infringing on their own, they didn't know where or how the planes were breached. Tsukuyomi hadn't felt anything like the kind of power that would be needed to punch a bridge through the worlds.

"There's a lot to think about here. I'm fairly confident I could punch a hole over to the other plane, but I don't know what kind of response that would receive. I would like to avoid knocking a hole into some old god's bedroom and waking it up. If this is what's responsible for the disappearances, we need to find where and how the planes where bridged. I'll try to leave that upto you. I must prepare in advance to make any more major planar breaches. And... There are many places that our world should not encroach upon. If that is the case, you may have to be ready to give up those that disappear."

[Luminesa]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


Elizabeth stared out at the fissures revealed by her magic. Trying to prize some kind of meaning from them. Her colleagues had offered some kind of tracks, but Tsukuyomi had mostly ignored it. Not because she didn't believe it was valuable, but because she had no personal use for it. Her tallents would be put to poor use trying to dig through it, and her weakness with technology wouldn't help. Liz's concerns centered around what came next. They didn't know what plane was infringing on their own, they didn't know where or how the planes were breached. Tsukuyomi hadn't felt anything like the kind of power that would be needed to punch a bridge through the worlds.

"There's a lot to think about here. I'm fairly confident I could punch a hole over to the other plane, but I don't know what kind of response that would receive. I would like to avoid knocking a hole into some old god's bedroom and waking it up. If this is what's responsible for the disappearances, we need to find where and how the planes where bridged. I'll try to leave that upto you. I must prepare in advance to make any more major planar breaches. And... There are many places that our world should not encroach upon...If that is the case, you may have to be ready to give up those that disappear."

John and Cecily - Tracks In The Sky

John and Cecily waited for Tsukiyomi to look at the TV and the video they had brought, but her eyes had wandered elsewhere. She was trying to look into the world beyond theirs, and while John could not understand why she had not spoken for several minutes, Cecily had an idea. Tsukiyomi seemed to be looking into the light-array she had created outside, and she was drawing conclusions based on something that she had seen. Yet she could not figure how to explain this idea to John. Fortunately, she did not have to do so, as the teacher turned from the window and addressed the duo.

Tsukiyomi seemed to have an idea about Artosh's location, and she was sure enough that she was ready to go invade another dimension. However, the location was potentially dangerous. She did not want to breach such un-tread ground with such recklessness, and so she wanted the other two nurses and teachers to try and connect the dots. Somehow, their world had been connected to another one, and the possibilities were endless. Thousands of deadly realms lie beyond the grasp of normal human comprehension, so many that John felt his head was going to explode. He ran a hand through his hair and groaned, wondering how they would have to prepare for the breach of a creature they did not even know existed.

"...A god could easily come into our world and take what it wanted, even without leaving traces...but if it has left traces, we will try and find them. That way we can avoid losing other teachers and students, if we can control it," Cecily suggested. She looked out the window, and wondered if perhaps the disturbance was coming from somewhere on the island. "...But...Artosh went missing...in that hospital...So there has to be a Magical trace in that hospital room..." she murmured.

"It would be a good idea to check the island for any traces of a...different dimension, though. After all, if it took Artosh, that means it's probably tracking other people here."

"How do you know?"

"He doesn't exactly go many places, from what I've seen, sooo...he...it...whatever it is...would have to have known he was here. Which means he knows this place exists, and that means other kids and staff are at risk of being kidnapped by the same being. If we can find some clues as to what it is, too, we'll be able to...perhaps mount some sort of defense against it. I don't think...that witch across the pond can use interdimensional Magic, but it would be good to be prepared just in case," John explained. He could feel sweat trickling down from behind his ears and neck. Blanchefleur would pose enough of a problem if she had found Mana's location, but if this being was stronger than the most powerful Dark Mage in Europe, he had no idea how he would prepare for a fight against such a being.

Cecily noticed John's tension, and bowed to Tsukiyomi. "We'll try and do some sort of search as soon as we can. Thank you for the suggestion. I'm guessing you don't...really need the TV and the tape then, so we'll take those." She nodded to John, who grabbed the small TV and walked out the door with her across campus.

The campus felt lonesome and empty at night, with all of the children in their dorms and the other teachers busy grading papers. Nobody was outside at this evening hour, in which the stars rose to light the way back to the infirmary. Uncertainty filled their throats like frost, as they finally made their way back to the warmer building and put the equipment to the side. For a few moments, neither the teacher nor the nurse spoke to each other, as they were trying to plan how to tackle this dreadful circumstance. All the while, painful words glowed like a neon sign in each of their heads.

If that is the case, you may have to be ready to give up those that disappear.

Neither of them could hear the faint growling of wolves from the woods, but the small wolf that had walked toward Oliver's room had taken a moment to watch the teachers from a distance. It never slunk too far from the woods, and made sure to avoid Tsukiyomi's gaze, but as it glanced at Cecily, the wolf's fur began to prickle. It made a skip and a hop in the other direction, away from her and John, as it had trekked through the snow toward the student's room. The other wolves seemed to feel the tension as well, even if they were not in the same place, and some sniffed at the snow and growled as they wondered about the source of their fear.

[Saleon]

Eliza Hartford
The Sanguine Space Station

---

Catherine de Sanguine Vivere


Catherine didn't want to be pulled away, but now it seemed she did have something to worry about. "Okay then, maybe he did fall down a well to a new dimension. And our fae expert thinks it was a fae dimension. Sure ain't my area of expertise, so I guess I'll have to take your word for it. On a list of things I wanted to worry about, this is pretty low on the list. Well, I don't really know much about how to deal with this. Though... There are the other portals that have been shut off at the entrance to the towers. They only ever connected two places on earth, and I'm kind of fuzzy on how they worked, but do you think we could adapt them to take us to these Fay Wilds? I can use the powers of the towers, but we did burn a lot of fuel getting here."

The towers were starting to seem a bit sluggish to her commands, Catherine was starting to suspect that she had overburdened the ancient systems that carried them here. It did seem to be a problem with the reserves of power, the two great orbs still seemed unchanged in the center of the complex, but perhaps what ever arcane control systems and magics translated that stored energy into meaningful work.

"The... Faewylds don't work that way. I can't necessarily recalibrate magic to make a new portal to the Faewylds," Eliza says, clearing her throat. She then turns her eyes to Rene, seeming to wave her finger towards the energysource. Rene took the small note and started flittering off, lunging around as his visage vanishes from everyone's sight.

"I can trace it, but traveling to the faewylds is a delicate matter..." Eliza says... mulling over her options.
She looks back to the group, "put it simply, you don't enter the Faewylds. You first travel the Hedge. The only way between this world and the Faewylds. And to get there... you need to find an entrance usually only offered to the Fae. Walking through the Hedge is difficult on its own, but then finding where you need to go is another task. Which means you need to bargain... with the Fae. For entrance, travel, and directions.

"and most Fae make it very clear if you are welcome or not. So... it'll take a bit of effort. So... ready for a crash course in Fae magic?"

[Kingdom of Irhk]

Manfred von Kressel

"Oh, he won't travel. Please, accompany me to the dinner room."

Through corridors and doors they went once more, until they reached the dinner room. Pulling a chair, he gestured for Saturninus to sit, as he sat on the opposite side of the table, gesturing for some food to be cooked and served. He was a hungry man himself, and the sounds of food being made called Heinrich and Amber to the table as well.

"We will all participate in an illusion act. See, if what Saturninus here says to is the truth, Joachim is expecting Blanchefleur to get rid of Heinrich. But, no matter the extent of the damage, if he moves to Switzerland, a place we don't control right now or if his whereabouts are unknown while his own son travels back to America and the lair to one of the most infamous mages Europe ever produced got hit... this not only raises suspicions, but can show weakness. Joachim hates that.

So with his focus spread around and the inability to confirm if Heinrich is dead or not, given that the errand boy Blanchefleur sent is away from his contact and he's under the plausible excuse of not returning to the place he once was... We go to act 1. The dust settles, the ash is cleared, and we say that Heinrich and Amber are missing. Rob a few burnt bodies from a morgue or something... you two are dead.

Tragedy is the perfect setting for the need to change. If my evaluation is right, Joachim will lunge at Heinrich's Seat. Hans, a vassal, I don't know who exactly will come, but Joachim will place someone. And I want him to burn this influence, to waste every brain cell he has. He'll do so at the very first mention of your disappearance, so it will be quick. Act 2, we accept it.

Act 3, his chosen enters Heinrich's place. Prepared, with every last bit of data, everything perfectly set and the very height of his arrogance we topple him down. Heinrich, Amber and Saturninus enter the room. A public denounce inside the very feast he organized as a show of his success. A man, with his golden robes torn apart, nothing but the gross nudity of his acts exposed. I don't know if he'll be arrested, but he will certainly lose influence. And then I, or Sarah, or Anneliese, will take over."

With a deep breath, he allowed himself to inhale the smell of the chicken being cooked with many spices in a pan, relaxing his shoulders slowly and rubbing his hands.

"Well, but let us all eat now. Planning creates a certain appetite, after all."

Henry von Kressel

"Ja... Excusez-moi, oui. Merci."

So they were alive. In a very short timespan, the Rise seemed to be coming back from their graves. Eglantine, Michel, Saturninus, Apollinaire and Calixte... All of them, alive and well. For Eglantine, it meant that she had her parents back and surely it meant a lot to Henry. But every time he heard the word "Rise", his head went back to Soleil.

With every member of his family that Henry found, a certain piece of a possible peace came back to his mind. The weight upon Soleil's shoulders would be lighter, easier to carry, a burden easier to lift with so many relatives around him to support. There was hope after all. Such hope lightened Henry's consciousness, the consciousness of a man who never fully found forgiveness for orchestrating the death of his friend's mother. The reunion between Eglantine and her parents showed a side of Eglantine that he rarely saw, one that was a gateway to the young and hopeful girl she was.

Hope. The word kept popping up as he saw Eglantine hug her parents, just admiring it for some time before he decided to take slow steps. Henry had a certain nervousness while walking, carefully hidden as he put his hands behind him. He didn't know the opinions the parents of his girlfriend - even if they never officially set the status - about what he did or how they perceived the things he did, both in Mana and in Europe.

"Madame Calixte, Monsieur Apollinaire. It's a pleasure to meet you both even if the circumstances aren't exactly common or pleasant themselves. I am Henry von Kressel."

Saturninus - Plots Over Dinner

Manfred had a fiery gleam in his eyes, as he regaled his family with the tales of how he would trick Joachim into revealing his true intentions. Saturninus could feel himself wincing inside. Even as Manfred explained his plan, he continued to look over at Heinrich, whom a few moments ago had been discovered to be a traitor and a crook. Amber was still shaken, as she usually was. The Rise heir did not feel that Manfred should trust either of them, yet he had this elaborate plan ready to snatch the Great Lord von Kressel. If his arrogance matched Blanchefleur's, then the plot had a chance of working. If his pragmatism trumped his pride, however, then he would not strike as soon as Heinrich was dead.

"...So we will play dead...he will travel to France...and then he will travel here?..." Saturninus frowned. "...I imagine...he would send emissaries...There's no reason to leave your home if...it would make you so vulnerable...That's why my mother hardly ever left home. She had...spies and...associates all over France. I...think she still does. If she is alive...she will probably message them...and find ways to keep in touch with her spies..." His eyes turned toward a corner of the room, as his stomach grumbled and his attention waned. The mansion was so bright and homey, compared to Rise Castle, and the food smelled warm and comforting as well. Yet he did not feel as though he could relax even now.

He felt this unease as he searched the room, and he saw a speck moving on the floor. A spider. Eight spindly legs that crept along the wall-posts. Saturninus felt sweat break around his face and neck, and he marched away from the table toward the wall. "AGH!" He yelled with rage as he stomped the spider under his foot. "...And stay dead..." he murmured. Sweat dripped off his face and onto his shoes. He was shaking, and his hands were numb. Palpitations rushed his chest, and he had to lean against the wall for a moment. "...Lord...Man...fred...check...the building...for...spiders...kill them all...please...please...trust...me..." he gasped. "...Hers...They're...I bet...they're hers..."

Eglantine and Family - Meeting The Parents

The nurses took a moment, after Apollinaire and Calixte had hugged Eglantine tightly enough, to put the exuberant father back in his bed and to wire him back to his fluids and painkillers. Already he had started to wince from the pain resurfacing, but he did not want to let his daughter and wife know how much he was hurting. The possibility that he might have to amputate his left arm was enough of a sorrow for him. Yet he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind for now. Eglantine had somehow risen from the dead, or perhaps she had not been dead at all. He could not imagine what had happened in the last four years, which had been a void, a cloud of fear and indecision.

However, Eglantine beat him to the punch, and asked the questions first. She wiped her eyes, and held his hand. "...How did...you both get here?...W-We heard you were...possibly in another country?..." she inquired, almost breathless from crying. Her mother pat her back as she tried to keep her composure. As she tried to regain her calm, however, she recalled that Henry was standing in the doorway, waiting to be acknowledged. "...O-Oh yeah...Mom, Dad...this is Henry...my boyfriend. He came with me from...from Austria..." She nodded to Henry as he appeared in the room, and her parents in turn looked to him.

Apollinaire was still in a daze, but Calixte's mouth flickered into a cool smile as she looked to Henry. "...Well then...I guess we should be a...little politer, since this young man brought our daughter here...There are many questions that need answering, but...I am sure he means no harm. It's always good to see another...Noble's son greeting us...We didn't get many of those in the last year or so..."

Her husband nodded, but he gave a slightly warmer smile to Henry. He could see the fear in the boy's eyes, and he remembered his own fear when he first met Calixte. "...Any good kid is a little nervous on his first date. Long drive from Vienna to this little old town...Come sit down so we can get to know you!" Apollinaire nodded to the small couch by the window. "We have a lot of talking to do, I'm sure."

Manfred von Kressel

Manfred stared at the dead spider on the ground. It was unusual for them to appear in this particular place, but unusual was the word to define Europe's moment. Without moving his hand or making a gesture, his eyes slightly squinted and the spider burned to ashes, and soon as the bug was nothing but ashes, the fire suddenly extinguished.

"We'll talk about that after lunch, Saturninus! No reason to worry your head with the possibilities that are coming towards us now. Enjoy your food, eat all you wish, and I'll be sure to relay your... sanitary warning, so to speak, to the other seats. We have defensive measures against that type of stuff everywhere, of the type you can't exactly sabotage easily."

The pieces of chicken came on the pan, golden and with the spices on it, the scented smoke summoning their hunger to the table.

"My brother, my niece and my newest ally, let us all feast now. Serve yourself as you please, for no man can plan on an empty stomach."

Henry von Kressel

The years he spent alongside Soleil certainly crafted a lighter impression of the Rise, which in a certain manner made the surprise of knowing that they were normal - and somewhat friendly - people a little bit less... surprising. However, it was still a surprise to see Eglantine's parents, alive, well and actually trying to start a conversation with him.

Accepting the invitation, Henry sat on the couch slowly, while staring at Eglantine's red face after so many tears flowed through it. Taking a deep breath, Henry put on the best smile he could while enjoying the surprising comfort of the room's couch.

"That we have, monsieur. But I am sure that you are interested in Eglantine's long vacation as well, so please, no need to worry about me right now. So... what do you wish to know about me? Please, don't feel ashamed to ask, I'll answer your doubts to the best of my abilities."

[Luminesa]

Eliza Hartford
The Sanguine Space Station

---

Catherine de Sanguine Vivere


Catherine didn't want to be pulled away, but now it seemed she did have something to worry about. "Okay then, maybe he did fall down a well to a new dimension. And our fae expert thinks it was a fae dimension. Sure ain't my area of expertise, so I guess I'll have to take your word for it. On a list of things I wanted to worry about, this is pretty low on the list. Well, I don't really know much about how to deal with this. Though... There are the other portals that have been shut off at the entrance to the towers. They only ever connected two places on earth, and I'm kind of fuzzy on how they worked, but do you think we could adapt them to take us to these Fay Wilds? I can use the powers of the towers, but we did burn a lot of fuel getting here."

The towers were starting to seem a bit sluggish to her commands, Catherine was starting to suspect that she had overburdened the ancient systems that carried them here. It did seem to be a problem with the reserves of power, the two great orbs still seemed unchanged in the center of the complex, but perhaps what ever arcane control systems and magics translated that stored energy into meaningful work.

"The... Faewylds don't work that way. I can't necessarily recalibrate magic to make a new portal to the Faewylds," Eliza says, clearing her throat. She then turns her eyes to Rene, seeming to wave her finger towards the energysource. Rene took the small note and started flittering off, lunging around as his visage vanishes from everyone's sight.

"I can trace it, but traveling to the faewylds is a delicate matter..." Eliza says... mulling over her options.
She looks back to the group, "put it simply, you don't enter the Faewylds. You first travel the Hedge. The only way between this world and the Faewylds. And to get there... you need to find an entrance usually only offered to the Fae. Walking through the Hedge is difficult on its own, but then finding where you need to go is another task. Which means you need to bargain... with the Fae. For entrance, travel, and directions.

"and most Fae make it very clear if you are welcome or not. So... it'll take a bit of effort. So... ready for a crash course in Fae magic?"

Michel - An Old Dog And Fae Tricks

Michel had heard stories about The Hedge. A maze between reality and unreality, between the mundane world and a world that even most Mages could not access. It was not a path, but a space, overgrown by chaotic Fae Magic and wandering dreams. Many of those dreams were also nightmares. The former Jaegar doubted that Rabbit was somehow lost in the Hedge. "If the Fae has taken Rabbit himself, then there wouldn't be a whole lot of reasons for him to just...drop him off in the Hedge, I'm guessing. That would be a pointless thing to do, unless he wanted to make some sort of trial?..." He had no idea how Fae logic worked, though he guessed it was not like human logic.

He looked toward Eliza as she offered her crash course in Fae Magic. Michel thought he had learned almost everything about forbidden Magic, but this girl had managed to bring them this far, and apparently knew more than he had credited her for knowing. He sighed. "If it'll get us a better picture of how to save him, then well...spill the beans, kid. I don't imagine standing here all day is going to help, so we need to pick up the pace before he gets eaten by Fae Magic," he explained. His old thirst for battle was poking him, but he had to control it. Without any direction, he would end-up lost and maimed in an unknown world, with nobody to help him. "If you can reach the Fae himself somehow, that would be even better. You said flowers bloomed where he was standing? Maybe those are a sign. I wonder what would happen if you picked them," he suggested.

Rabbit/Florian/Artosh - Throwing Leads

The sentimental moment between Rabbit and Artosh was amusing to the Fae, but he began to feel that he was being watched or hunted. He was not frustrated, as many Mages had tried to pierce the veil between their world and his before, but they normally landed in the Hedge. He would have chuckled at the attempts, if he had not sensed an Unseelie presence when he had grabbed the Dark Mana Being. The presence was on Earth, and he did not like the fact that Unseelie were showing themselves to humans. They were overplaying their hands, most likely, or they were overconfident about their power in the mundane world. Poisonous, filthy, wretched... Florian found himself having strong feelings, so he composed himself and sighed.

"...I am afraid that I will have to send both of you back to your planet. The time for festivities in this place is over. Now your lives must continue, as you have hoped they shall continue. I have granted you a gift. Shall it lead to your doom or to your blessing, I cannot say. The choices are yours. But Artosh..." He stepped away from his throne once more, as the other chests disappeared, and he looked down at Artosh. Once more, as he had when he was the doctor, he leaned close and stared down into his eyes. "...Remember that the plants only grow if you choke the weeds. I will be watching."

With these words, Rabbit and Artosh would find themselves torn from the dreamy world and replanted in the frigid atmosphere of Mana Academy. Deep in the snowy forest, closer to the cavern on the island's northern shore, their feet fell and sunk into the thick layer of icy powder. The cold of the evening wrapped around them, awakening them from their halcyon dream. Yet from one dream sprung another. The two teachers and friends were back together, with Rabbit huddling close to the younger professor as the snow fell around them. Soft and quiet the evening rose, and once they were back in the warmth of their dormitory building, they would be able to truly relax.

"...The world here became...much more beautiful while we were gone...don't you think?" the older Dark Mana Being hugged Artosh close, smiling underneath his mask. The winter was not always kind, and Rabbit was shivering ever so slightly, but he still loved the cold nights which seemed like scenes from a children's book.

In the meantime, Florian walked back to his throne and stared toward the doors of his castle. Closed once again, he waited to see if the intruders would find his realm. "...Unseelie and Mages coming to find me...Very well...I laid their trap...Let them come and see what happens when they bother me..." he murmured.

[Luminesa]

Saturninus - Plots Over Dinner

Manfred had a fiery gleam in his eyes, as he regaled his family with the tales of how he would trick Joachim into revealing his true intentions. Saturninus could feel himself wincing inside. Even as Manfred explained his plan, he continued to look over at Heinrich, whom a few moments ago had been discovered to be a traitor and a crook. Amber was still shaken, as she usually was. The Rise heir did not feel that Manfred should trust either of them, yet he had this elaborate plan ready to snatch the Great Lord von Kressel. If his arrogance matched Blanchefleur's, then the plot had a chance of working. If his pragmatism trumped his pride, however, then he would not strike as soon as Heinrich was dead.

"...So we will play dead...he will travel to France...and then he will travel here?..." Saturninus frowned. "...I imagine...he would send emissaries...There's no reason to leave your home if...it would make you so vulnerable...That's why my mother hardly ever left home. She had...spies and...associates all over France. I...think she still does. If she is alive...she will probably message them...and find ways to keep in touch with her spies..." His eyes turned toward a corner of the room, as his stomach grumbled and his attention waned. The mansion was so bright and homey, compared to Rise Castle, and the food smelled warm and comforting as well. Yet he did not feel as though he could relax even now.

He felt this unease as he searched the room, and he saw a speck moving on the floor. A spider. Eight spindly legs that crept along the wall-posts. Saturninus felt sweat break around his face and neck, and he marched away from the table toward the wall. "AGH!" He yelled with rage as he stomped the spider under his foot. "...And stay dead..." he murmured. Sweat dripped off his face and onto his shoes. He was shaking, and his hands were numb. Palpitations rushed his chest, and he had to lean against the wall for a moment. "...Lord...Man...fred...check...the building...for...spiders...kill them all...please...please...trust...me..." he gasped. "...Hers...They're...I bet...they're hers..."

Eglantine and Family - Meeting The Parents

The nurses took a moment, after Apollinaire and Calixte had hugged Eglantine tightly enough, to put the exuberant father back in his bed and to wire him back to his fluids and painkillers. Already he had started to wince from the pain resurfacing, but he did not want to let his daughter and wife know how much he was hurting. The possibility that he might have to amputate his left arm was enough of a sorrow for him. Yet he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind for now. Eglantine had somehow risen from the dead, or perhaps she had not been dead at all. He could not imagine what had happened in the last four years, which had been a void, a cloud of fear and indecision.

However, Eglantine beat him to the punch, and asked the questions first. She wiped her eyes, and held his hand. "...How did...you both get here?...W-We heard you were...possibly in another country?..." she inquired, almost breathless from crying. Her mother pat her back as she tried to keep her composure. As she tried to regain her calm, however, she recalled that Henry was standing in the doorway, waiting to be acknowledged. "...O-Oh yeah...Mom, Dad...this is Henry...my boyfriend. He came with me from...from Austria..." She nodded to Henry as he appeared in the room, and her parents in turn looked to him.

Apollinaire was still in a daze, but Calixte's mouth flickered into a cool smile as she looked to Henry. "...Well then...I guess we should be a...little politer, since this young man brought our daughter here...There are many questions that need answering, but...I am sure he means no harm. It's always good to see another...Noble's son greeting us...We didn't get many of those in the last year or so..."

Her husband nodded, but he gave a slightly warmer smile to Henry. He could see the fear in the boy's eyes, and he remembered his own fear when he first met Calixte. "...Any good kid is a little nervous on his first date. Long drive from Vienna to this little old town...Come sit down so we can get to know you!" Apollinaire nodded to the small couch by the window. "We have a lot of talking to do, I'm sure."

Manfred von Kressel

Manfred stared at the dead spider on the ground. It was unusual for them to appear in this particular place, but unusual was the word to define Europe's moment. Without moving his hand or making a gesture, his eyes slightly squinted and the spider burned to ashes, and soon as the bug was nothing but ashes, the fire suddenly extinguished.

"We'll talk about that after lunch, Saturninus! No reason to worry your head with the possibilities that are coming towards us now. Enjoy your food, eat all you wish, and I'll be sure to relay your... sanitary warning, so to speak, to the other seats. We have defensive measures against that type of stuff everywhere, of the type you can't exactly sabotage easily."

The pieces of chicken came on the pan, golden and with the spices on it, the scented smoke summoning their hunger to the table.

"My brother, my niece and my newest ally, let us all feast now. Serve yourself as you please, for no man can plan on an empty stomach."

Henry von Kressel

The years he spent alongside Soleil certainly crafted a lighter impression of the Rise, which in a certain manner made the surprise of knowing that they were normal - and somewhat friendly - people a little bit less... surprising. However, it was still a surprise to see Eglantine's parents, alive, well and actually trying to start a conversation with him.

Accepting the invitation, Henry sat on the couch slowly, while staring at Eglantine's red face after so many tears flowed through it. Taking a deep breath, Henry put on the best smile he could while enjoying the surprising comfort of the room's couch.

"That we have, monsieur. But I am sure that you are interested in Eglantine's long vacation as well, so please, no need to worry about me right now. So... what do you wish to know about me? Please, don't feel ashamed to ask, I'll answer your doubts to the best of my abilities."

Saturninus Rise - The Creep of Paranoia

The spider being stomped had not brought much peace to Saturninus, and Manfred did not seem to understand the boy’s fears. Yet he did understand that the Rise heir could not think properly without food, and so he invited Saturninus to come eat before talking. In the meantime, he burned the spider simply by glaring down at it, a feat which the Rise heir had been certain his mother could only do. Then again, he did not know the strength of the Mages of House Von Kressel, except for that of Henry.

Yet even so, Saturninus’s eyes scanned the room for more spiders. He tried to wipe the sweat off his brow and off his face with the napkin at the table, and he tried to ignore any black specks he saw on the walls, in the molding, or in the rug. It’s just dirt. It was just one spider. Yeah. Maybe it was just one spider. Maybe I really am just going insane. Hahahahahaha! As he panicked internally, however, the scent of delicious food met his nose, and his eyes turned toward his plate of food.

He tried to remember what his last meal had been, before he had died in that alley. He had breakfast in his room in Paris, but he had not paid attention to the food. He recalled more clearly the lemon pound cake that Mercillia had served him to console him, how he had cried at receiving such a small, sweet, homemade gift. Once again he received a homemade gift in the form of a hearty meal, his first meal after having resurrected. Spices fluttered in the air as he cut into the baked, buttery chicken, which was served with hot, roasted potatoes, a cold, fresh salad, and sweet red wine.

“...I’m...actually quite glad that I waited until now to have my first meal...” Saturninus murmured, looking to Manfred. “...My mother cannot cook. It’s better...for my first plate of food after such a morning...to actually be something I can digest,” he joked. His delivery was uncertain, as if he was not sure that he could joke with these unfamiliar Mages. Yet he still managed a smile, despite his anxiety. For a few moments, he did not check the room for more black specks, even if some of them seemed to be creeping along the rug in the living room...

Eglantine and Family - Stories of Fires

“Heh...‘long vacation’ is one way to describe it, I guess...” Eglantine mumbled through her tears. She continued to wipe her eyes, trying to keep her composure so that she could speak. As she turned to look at Henry, her smile was crooked from sobbing, but she was still grateful for his company. She had wished that he could have met her parents under less chaotic circumstances, but now was a better time than never. She looked back to her parents, and nodded. “...I...I was tired of...all the training...the burden of...being a potential heiress...I didn’t want to be Bound, not after...seeing...”

Apollinaire nodded solemnly. “...Saturninus and Celestine...” He finished her sentence, recalling the horror he had seen in her face when she had watched the ritual. All of the family was forced to watch the Bindings, and Eglantine had refused to be Bound, despite being the same age as her now-alive cousin. “...We didn’t want it either...You were strong even without a demon’s power...”

“They were too,” Eglantine interjected.

“Well of course...but...we tried to do everything to avoid that from happening...Saturninus and Celestine...lost their lives that day...” Eglantine’s father looked toward Henry, as if to make a point to him as well. “...If she had been Bound, you never would have met her...” he added.

Calixte remained silent, letting her husband speak. She had things she wanted to say, but she did not know how to communicate them. As she put the pieces together, she began to realize what had happened. Eglantine had always known more than her parents had thought, and she had been aware that she could not avoid being Bound forever if she had stayed at home. Even Soleil had just barely managed to escape it, ironically due to Solaine’s own secret meddling. Knowing what awaited her if she had stayed at home, Eglantine had gone to extremes and had faked being dead. More tears welled in Calixte’s eyes, and she stared at her daughter. “...You knew...even at such a young age...how badly we had failed you...” she muttered.

Eglantine turned to her mother, surprised to hear her talk in such a deprecating way about herself. “...Mom, you...you didn’t fail...”

“If we had been successful, you never would have left home! What family is so awful that a child burns her bedroom and runs away to...to...”

“Spain.”

“Spain?! You ran away to Spain! You did not even stay in the country, you traveled hundreds of miles to get away! Just like Victor-Pierre, and his parents are shambling shells of their former selves. We were not, so...why couldn’t we do more?...” Calixte charged her daughter with the question, as she got the energy to talk, but in reality she was charging herself with the damning questions.

Apollinaire could tell that his wife was breaking-down, and so he reached his better arm to touch her hand. “...Calixte, don’t be so hard on yourself...”

“I have to be! It’s our fault our fourteen-year-old daughter was so scared that she ran away from home for four years! Who else can I blame?! Blanchefleur?! Her children didn’t run away!”

“Calixte, they were Bound, just like I said! If they had wanted to run away, they would have done the same thing. They weren’t allowed to leave. They weren’t even allowed to bring boys or girls home!”

“Apollinaire, our daughter could have died in some foreign country, and we never would have known it! What’s worse, fearing your daughter died in a fire in her own home, or fearing that she died in another country where we can’t even find the body?!” Calixte was shaking, her eyes wide with anger. The nurse in the room seemed to wince at her sharp voice, while Eglantine sat and just watched, waiting for a chance to calm her mother.

As a pause came to the room, Eglantine stared at her mother and gulped down some tears. “...That’s all...over now, mom. My room can be rebuilt. I...I’m alive, too...I ran away...I went to school...I made friends...and I got a boyfriend...” She nodded and smiled, trying to keep tears down her throat. “...Celestine...never got that chance...and Saturninus...never got a chance either...but...I’m here...I didn’t explain why I was running...I was scared...I thought you would stop me...b-but it’s just like Dad said...I couldn’t stay...I-I’d...never have a life...s-so don’t hate yourself, Mom. I’m...I’m here...and...I’m so sorry...”

Calixte stared at her daughter, and the vault in her heart slowly turned until it fell open. She started to wail in pain, as she grabbed her daughter and hugged her as tight as she could. Eglantine took a turn patting and rubbing her mother’s back, and her mother only felt the bittersweetness of such a motion. The daughter was consoling the mother for her failures, and not the other way around. She knew that Blanchefleur’s children would never forgive her, and that Solaine’s child would never go home, after being sent to the States. Victor-Pierre had left France for good. Thus Calixte received a gift that was rare for a Rise parent to receive from their children.

Forgiveness. The Balm in Gilead which did not repair the past, but which secured the future. She did not know how her daughter could forgive her so quickly, but then she realized that just as she had mourned for four years, Eglantine had thought about her family for four years. “...Eglantine...my baby...it’s okay...I’m...I’m sorry too...”

[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. I think... 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.

[Luminesa]

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. I think... 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.

Ruta and The Front Office - Long Nights Alone

Ruta had sat at his computer looking through the Mundane and Magical news he had found, and he could not feel more tired. Something about the Alps exploding had splattered itself all across the headlines in both worlds, and no matter where he looked, he could not escape it. He had received phone calls he had to take privately, from voices telling him to be prepared for deployment. He had groaned, hearing the hoarse voice on the other end of the line. The last thing I need to hear right now. 'Deployment.' And for what?...What even has happened?...Why won't anyone say what has actually happened?!

The Mundanes, as usual, seemed to know nothing about what had happened, and a million conspiracy theories had blossomed in the span of a few hours. He could not keep-up. He tried to talk to Ruby about what he had read, what was being passed by word-of-mouth, but everyone was afraid. Everyone feared that somehow, some worse evil had been unleashed into the Physical World, something for which nobody could have prepared. Ruta decided, then, to bury himself in his paperwork, to try and see if anything else could calm him and remind him that the whole world was not on fire.

Somehow, the school had gotten another new student, a young girl who had arrived at the docks late at night. The boat waiting for her must have been slow, or she must have been lost in the system. Either way, Cleo had arrived at Mana in November, a bit late, but never too late these days. "...At the very least, I suppose time marches on..." Taking a chug of the Jagarmeister in his mug, and taking a deep breath before popping a few breath-mints, he stood and walked out the door to find Cleo wandering around the halls. "You must be the new student. I am Antonius Ruta, the student-dean of Mana Academy, and the Magical Combat professor. Yes, my job allows me to do both. Pardon my...tiredness, since it is late. Please, come to my office and let us talk for a moment. Your paperwork had processed, but I'm sure you'd like to get more information about our school," he greeted, his voice slow, deep, and calm.

[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. I think... 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.

Ruta and The Front Office - Long Nights Alone

Ruta had sat at his computer looking through the Mundane and Magical news he had found, and he could not feel more tired. Something about the Alps exploding had splattered itself all across the headlines in both worlds, and no matter where he looked, he could not escape it. He had received phone calls he had to take privately, from voices telling him to be prepared for deployment. He had groaned, hearing the hoarse voice on the other end of the line. The last thing I need to hear right now. 'Deployment.' And for what?...What even has happened?...Why won't anyone say what has actually happened?!

The Mundanes, as usual, seemed to know nothing about what had happened, and a million conspiracy theories had blossomed in the span of a few hours. He could not keep-up. He tried to talk to Ruby about what he had read, what was being passed by word-of-mouth, but everyone was afraid. Everyone feared that somehow, some worse evil had been unleashed into the Physical World, something for which nobody could have prepared. Ruta decided, then, to bury himself in his paperwork, to try and see if anything else could calm him and remind him that the whole world was not on fire.

Somehow, the school had gotten another new student, a young girl who had arrived at the docks late at night. The boat waiting for her must have been slow, or she must have been lost in the system. Either way, Cleo had arrived at Mana in November, a bit late, but never too late these days. "...At the very least, I suppose time marches on..." Taking a chug of the Jagarmeister in his mug, and taking a deep breath before popping a few breath-mints, he stood and walked out the door to find Cleo wandering around the halls. "You must be the new student. I am Antonius Ruta, the student-dean of Mana Academy, and the Magical Combat professor. Yes, my job allows me to do both. Pardon my...tiredness, since it is late. Please, come to my office and let us talk for a moment. Your paperwork had processed, but I'm sure you'd like to get more information about our school," he greeted, his voice slow, deep, and calm.

Cleo jumped at the voice, and turned around. "Oh, hello! Sorry about getting here so late..." Her smile faded a little. "Yeah, I'd like to know more about this school." Ack, why is this so AWKWARD?She thought. "Like, how did this school even start? How did anyone even GET powers?" Cleo Labrador Retriever puppy, Blue, yipped as though she wanted to know the answer too.

[Luminesa]

Ruta and The Front Office - Long Nights Alone

Ruta had sat at his computer looking through the Mundane and Magical news he had found, and he could not feel more tired. Something about the Alps exploding had splattered itself all across the headlines in both worlds, and no matter where he looked, he could not escape it. He had received phone calls he had to take privately, from voices telling him to be prepared for deployment. He had groaned, hearing the hoarse voice on the other end of the line. The last thing I need to hear right now. 'Deployment.' And for what?...What even has happened?...Why won't anyone say what has actually happened?!

The Mundanes, as usual, seemed to know nothing about what had happened, and a million conspiracy theories had blossomed in the span of a few hours. He could not keep-up. He tried to talk to Ruby about what he had read, what was being passed by word-of-mouth, but everyone was afraid. Everyone feared that somehow, some worse evil had been unleashed into the Physical World, something for which nobody could have prepared. Ruta decided, then, to bury himself in his paperwork, to try and see if anything else could calm him and remind him that the whole world was not on fire.

Somehow, the school had gotten another new student, a young girl who had arrived at the docks late at night. The boat waiting for her must have been slow, or she must have been lost in the system. Either way, Cleo had arrived at Mana in November, a bit late, but never too late these days. "...At the very least, I suppose time marches on..." Taking a chug of the Jagarmeister in his mug, and taking a deep breath before popping a few breath-mints, he stood and walked out the door to find Cleo wandering around the halls. "You must be the new student. I am Antonius Ruta, the student-dean of Mana Academy, and the Magical Combat professor. Yes, my job allows me to do both. Pardon my...tiredness, since it is late. Please, come to my office and let us talk for a moment. Your paperwork had processed, but I'm sure you'd like to get more information about our school," he greeted, his voice slow, deep, and calm.

Cleo jumped at the voice, and turned around. "Oh, hello! Sorry about getting here so late..." Her smile faded a little. "Yeah, I'd like to know more about this school." Ack, why is this so AWKWARD?She thought. "Like, how did this school even start? How did anyone even GET powers?" Cleo Labrador Retriever puppy, Blue, yipped as though she wanted to know the answer too.

Ruta - The Sword and the Pen

Ruta nodded to Cleo as she approached. She looked like a spry, clumsy teenage girl, much like Ambrosia when she first arrived. Hopefully this girl would not cause such trouble with her first week of school. She seemed to be innocent enough, a bit lost, and she was already apologizing for something she could not control. "Your boat should have arrived three hours ago. That's not something you need to apologize for. But you do have some substantial questions. I can give you some answers, and then help you so you do not get lost around the school." With a turn of his heel, the Jaegar's black-cloaked form walked back toward the office, inviting Cleo inside.

"Mana Academy was built as a refuge and as a training grounds for new Mages. It has existed for almost a thousand years, in many different forms, but our current form is here on this island. I'm sure you've noticed it is not easy to find, and it is not visible outside of the barriers we have placed. Those barriers are what protect these students, which now include yourself, from a world which does not understand their skills and their birthrights. What was started by ancient Mages in the forests of a much different North America has now become the sprawling complex which you see now." Ruta knew he was giving the shorter version of the school's history, but he reckoned it was not a bad start. If she had other questions, she would be able to ask them. Quite the inquisitive girl. Perhaps she will make an excellent student, he pondered hopefully.

Walking to his desk, he looked out the window. Ruby had gone out on her patrols of the campus, along with some of the other Jaegar-guards. He would have to go when she returned. The cold was nothing unusual to him, as his winters in Chicago had been just as bitter. Yet the darkness always gave him a chill, even after having spent so much time in his current profession. Never had he expected to live this long. Turning back to Cleo, her bright eyes awaiting answers, he focused again and gave a small smile. "Every Mage is different. Most are born with their abilities in an infantile form, and they learn them as they grow older. Some intelligent Mundanes...that is, people who cannot naturally use Magic...learn Mage by training. There are quite a few specifics, but your Magical History teacher can explain such to you at length as well. Of course, I can answer your questions...but it is also late, and I am sure you would like to see your dormitory."

Flipping through the paper-copies of the computer files on the students, he found 'Cleo Sola' and pulled her introductory files. "Since you have come directly to me, here is a map of the school, some information on your classes and their locations, and a map of your dorm-room. You are Aquo. That hall is not far from here. It has the blue insignia on the front, and the azure obelisks outside the building. Your uniform is in your room, which is listed on the papers. I do not wish to rush you away, but I do want to give you the items you need for your classes. Now, do you have any questions about your classes, as you look at the paperwork?" he inquired.

[Wiland Noria]

Cleo jumped at the voice, and turned around. "Oh, hello! Sorry about getting here so late..." Her smile faded a little. "Yeah, I'd like to know more about this school." Ack, why is this so AWKWARD?She thought. "Like, how did this school even start? How did anyone even GET powers?" Cleo Labrador Retriever puppy, Blue, yipped as though she wanted to know the answer too.

Ruta - The Sword and the Pen

Ruta nodded to Cleo as she approached. She looked like a spry, clumsy teenage girl, much like Ambrosia when she first arrived. Hopefully this girl would not cause such trouble with her first week of school. She seemed to be innocent enough, a bit lost, and she was already apologizing for something she could not control. "Your boat should have arrived three hours ago. That's not something you need to apologize for. But you do have some substantial questions. I can give you some answers, and then help you so you do not get lost around the school." With a turn of his heel, the Jaegar's black-cloaked form walked back toward the office, inviting Cleo inside.

"Mana Academy was built as a refuge and as a training grounds for new Mages. It has existed for almost a thousand years, in many different forms, but our current form is here on this island. I'm sure you've noticed it is not easy to find, and it is not visible outside of the barriers we have placed. Those barriers are what protect these students, which now include yourself, from a world which does not understand their skills and their birthrights. What was started by ancient Mages in the forests of a much different North America has now become the sprawling complex which you see now." Ruta knew he was giving the shorter version of the school's history, but he reckoned it was not a bad start. If she had other questions, she would be able to ask them. Quite the inquisitive girl. Perhaps she will make an excellent student, he pondered hopefully.

Walking to his desk, he looked out the window. Ruby had gone out on her patrols of the campus, along with some of the other Jaegar-guards. He would have to go when she returned. The cold was nothing unusual to him, as his winters in Chicago had been just as bitter. Yet the darkness always gave him a chill, even after having spent so much time in his current profession. Never had he expected to live this long. Turning back to Cleo, her bright eyes awaiting answers, he focused again and gave a small smile. "Every Mage is different. Most are born with their abilities in an infantile form, and they learn them as they grow older. Some intelligent Mundanes...that is, people who cannot naturally use Magic...learn Mage by training. There are quite a few specifics, but your Magical History teacher can explain such to you at length as well. Of course, I can answer your questions...but it is also late, and I am sure you would like to see your dormitory."

Flipping through the paper-copies of the computer files on the students, he found 'Cleo Sola' and pulled her introductory files. "Since you have come directly to me, here is a map of the school, some information on your classes and their locations, and a map of your dorm-room. You are Aquo. That hall is not far from here. It has the blue insignia on the front, and the azure obelisks outside the building. Your uniform is in your room, which is listed on the papers. I do not wish to rush you away, but I do want to give you the items you need for your classes. Now, do you have any questions about your classes, as you look at the paperwork?" he inquired.

Cleo followed Ruta to his office, slightly startled by how... hm. She couldn't quite find a word to describe him. Blunt? Yeah, blunt was probably the closest word she could find. He started explaining how Mana Academy began, and she listened as best she could. When Ruta finished speaking, Cleo couldn't help feeling tired. Some of her questions had been answered, but they had been replaced by new ones. "So, why does Mana Academy have to stay hidden and everything? I mean, I know you said the world wouldn't understand us, but why would Mana Academy have to be hidden because of that? And if there are people who can't do magic naturally, why are they here?" Wow, now she felt as though she had asked too many questions.

[Luminesa]

Ruta - The Sword and the Pen

Ruta nodded to Cleo as she approached. She looked like a spry, clumsy teenage girl, much like Ambrosia when she first arrived. Hopefully this girl would not cause such trouble with her first week of school. She seemed to be innocent enough, a bit lost, and she was already apologizing for something she could not control. "Your boat should have arrived three hours ago. That's not something you need to apologize for. But you do have some substantial questions. I can give you some answers, and then help you so you do not get lost around the school." With a turn of his heel, the Jaegar's black-cloaked form walked back toward the office, inviting Cleo inside.

"Mana Academy was built as a refuge and as a training grounds for new Mages. It has existed for almost a thousand years, in many different forms, but our current form is here on this island. I'm sure you've noticed it is not easy to find, and it is not visible outside of the barriers we have placed. Those barriers are what protect these students, which now include yourself, from a world which does not understand their skills and their birthrights. What was started by ancient Mages in the forests of a much different North America has now become the sprawling complex which you see now." Ruta knew he was giving the shorter version of the school's history, but he reckoned it was not a bad start. If she had other questions, she would be able to ask them. Quite the inquisitive girl. Perhaps she will make an excellent student, he pondered hopefully.

Walking to his desk, he looked out the window. Ruby had gone out on her patrols of the campus, along with some of the other Jaegar-guards. He would have to go when she returned. The cold was nothing unusual to him, as his winters in Chicago had been just as bitter. Yet the darkness always gave him a chill, even after having spent so much time in his current profession. Never had he expected to live this long. Turning back to Cleo, her bright eyes awaiting answers, he focused again and gave a small smile. "Every Mage is different. Most are born with their abilities in an infantile form, and they learn them as they grow older. Some intelligent Mundanes...that is, people who cannot naturally use Magic...learn Mage by training. There are quite a few specifics, but your Magical History teacher can explain such to you at length as well. Of course, I can answer your questions...but it is also late, and I am sure you would like to see your dormitory."

Flipping through the paper-copies of the computer files on the students, he found 'Cleo Sola' and pulled her introductory files. "Since you have come directly to me, here is a map of the school, some information on your classes and their locations, and a map of your dorm-room. You are Aquo. That hall is not far from here. It has the blue insignia on the front, and the azure obelisks outside the building. Your uniform is in your room, which is listed on the papers. I do not wish to rush you away, but I do want to give you the items you need for your classes. Now, do you have any questions about your classes, as you look at the paperwork?" he inquired.

Cleo followed Ruta to his office, slightly startled by how... hm. She couldn't quite find a word to describe him. Blunt? Yeah, blunt was probably the closest word she could find. He started explaining how Mana Academy began, and she listened as best she could. When Ruta finished speaking, Cleo couldn't help feeling tired. Some of her questions had been answered, but they had been replaced by new ones. "So, why does Mana Academy have to stay hidden and everything? I mean, I know you said the world wouldn't understand us, but why would Mana Academy have to be hidden because of that? And if there are people who can't do magic naturally, why are they here?" Wow, now she felt as though she had asked too many questions.

Ruta - Raising Fledglings

Despite the seeming naivety of the new girl, the freshness of Cleo's questions amused Ruta in a way. Many of the students at Mana Academy had grown-up with their knowledge of the Magical World and its rules, etiquette, and functions. Several of them were considered Magical royalty, with the world's design being a part of their everyday lives, something to be implicitly understood and protected. Yet Cleo had only just discovered her powers, and had many questions about how she was to act in the Magical World. Ruta chuckled. "...Well. There are quite a few reasons. The Magical World and the Mundane World...used to be more well-connected...but that has changed over the centuries. Mages began to be hunted, and in many instances, wars between Mages also leaked into the Mundane World...that is to say, the world that is not Mana and the other Magical schools." He sighed, as if remembering conflicts he had studied and read while training as a Jaegar. Instances which could never be repeated.

"...For such reasons, Mana has to remain hidden, as do other places in which Mages operate. Until Mages and Mundanes can be more cooperative in creating world peace...it is the only way to ensure the protection and safety of all of us. Yourself included. Therefore, we will say that the use of Magic off-campus is...not recommended. Having partaken in many instances of it, the destruction is not something that I or others enjoy cleaning. And I would not like a new student such as yourself to be caught in such affairs." He took another swig from his cup, careful not to drink enough that she could smell it. Nodding to the stack of papers and books he had handed Cleo, he added, "Your rulebook is included with your supplies. I suggest you study it carefully."

Sensing the nervousness in her face, the Jaegar attempted to try and calm her. Having witnessed Soleil's anxiety many times, and still feeling the bitterness of not always doing well aiding him, he did not want Cleo to feel the same sort of weakness and worry. "...Do not worry about the questions that you are asking. Now is your time to ask. When you leave here, we expect you to understand your power and place as a Mage educated at Mana Academy. Your role in our world is an important one. In fact...it is an important one for both worlds. Speaking of which, to answer your last question..." He tapped his fingers on the desk, coughing before he continued. "Mages who have only just learned their Magic have a special place here. We are a refuge for all Mages. Royalty and commoners. Born Mages and fledglings. If we do not accept certain Mages, we are keeping members of our world from receiving their best education. And their best protection. While we admittedly have had incidents here in which...we have failed in the past, we have made changes to ensure your safety, and that of other students who come here."

Ruta took a deep breath. He was not used to giving such speeches, and at times they were tiresome. A bunch of flowery words which served to calm students' fears only created new questions without answers. The Magical World was one full of conflict, violence, and unanswered questions, as the Mundane World was, and he did not have all the answers this girl wanted. Yet he did not want her to run away. "I'm sure you will do well here. Your desire to learn and your energy will serve you well. This is a high-standards environment, but high standards and excellent teachers produce the best students, of which you shall be one." His computer lit once again, and at the same time, his phone flashed. A hidden number and a missed call. A second later, a voicemail. Internally he groaned. More bad news, I am sure. Good Lord, make it stop. He turned back to Cleo. "Do you have anymore questions? Some of your questions will be better-answered when you attend our classes, especially your Magical History class. Ms. Tsukiyomi is a great professor, and a phenomenal Mage."

[Wiland Noria]

Cleo followed Ruta to his office, slightly startled by how... hm. She couldn't quite find a word to describe him. Blunt? Yeah, blunt was probably the closest word she could find. He started explaining how Mana Academy began, and she listened as best she could. When Ruta finished speaking, Cleo couldn't help feeling tired. Some of her questions had been answered, but they had been replaced by new ones. "So, why does Mana Academy have to stay hidden and everything? I mean, I know you said the world wouldn't understand us, but why would Mana Academy have to be hidden because of that? And if there are people who can't do magic naturally, why are they here?" Wow, now she felt as though she had asked too many questions.

Ruta - Raising Fledglings

Despite the seeming naivety of the new girl, the freshness of Cleo's questions amused Ruta in a way. Many of the students at Mana Academy had grown-up with their knowledge of the Magical World and its rules, etiquette, and functions. Several of them were considered Magical royalty, with the world's design being a part of their everyday lives, something to be implicitly understood and protected. Yet Cleo had only just discovered her powers, and had many questions about how she was to act in the Magical World. Ruta chuckled. "...Well. There are quite a few reasons. The Magical World and the Mundane World...used to be more well-connected...but that has changed over the centuries. Mages began to be hunted, and in many instances, wars between Mages also leaked into the Mundane World...that is to say, the world that is not Mana and the other Magical schools." He sighed, as if remembering conflicts he had studied and read while training as a Jaegar. Instances which could never be repeated.

"...For such reasons, Mana has to remain hidden, as do other places in which Mages operate. Until Mages and Mundanes can be more cooperative in creating world peace...it is the only way to ensure the protection and safety of all of us. Yourself included. Therefore, we will say that the use of Magic off-campus is...not recommended. Having partaken in many instances of it, the destruction is not something that I or others enjoy cleaning. And I would not like a new student such as yourself to be caught in such affairs." He took another swig from his cup, careful not to drink enough that she could smell it. Nodding to the stack of papers and books he had handed Cleo, he added, "Your rulebook is included with your supplies. I suggest you study it carefully."

Sensing the nervousness in her face, the Jaegar attempted to try and calm her. Having witnessed Soleil's anxiety many times, and still feeling the bitterness of not always doing well aiding him, he did not want Cleo to feel the same sort of weakness and worry. "...Do not worry about the questions that you are asking. Now is your time to ask. When you leave here, we expect you to understand your power and place as a Mage educated at Mana Academy. Your role in our world is an important one. In fact...it is an important one for both worlds. Speaking of which, to answer your last question..." He tapped his fingers on the desk, coughing before he continued. "Mages who have only just learned their Magic have a special place here. We are a refuge for all Mages. Royalty and commoners. Born Mages and fledglings. If we do not accept certain Mages, we are keeping members of our world from receiving their best education. And their best protection. While we admittedly have had incidents here in which...we have failed in the past, we have made changes to ensure your safety, and that of other students who come here."

Ruta took a deep breath. He was not used to giving such speeches, and at times they were tiresome. A bunch of flowery words which served to calm students' fears only created new questions without answers. The Magical World was one full of conflict, violence, and unanswered questions, as the Mundane World was, and he did not have all the answers this girl wanted. Yet he did not want her to run away. "I'm sure you will do well here. Your desire to learn and your energy will serve you well. This is a high-standards environment, but high standards and excellent teachers produce the best students, of which you shall be one." His computer lit once again, and at the same time, his phone flashed. A hidden number and a missed call. A second later, a voicemail. Internally he groaned. More bad news, I am sure. Good Lord, make it stop. He turned back to Cleo. "Do you have anymore questions? Some of your questions will be better-answered when you attend our classes, especially your Magical History class. Ms. Tsukiyomi is a great professor, and a phenomenal Mage."

Cleo listened intently to Ruta's words, hoping to remember as much as she could. "Not really... I guess I'll learn more in class, right?" Cleo said. "I guess I should find my dorm." She turned to leave Ruta's office, thinking about what she had learned. Maybe she could help to bring The Magical and Mundane worlds together! And Ruta had said something about the school failing... What had he meant? Blue yawned a puppy yawn at Cleo's feet, and she smiled tiredly. Hopefully she would find answers tomorrow, in class. But in the meantime, she should get some rest.

[Luminesa]

Ruta - Raising Fledglings

Despite the seeming naivety of the new girl, the freshness of Cleo's questions amused Ruta in a way. Many of the students at Mana Academy had grown-up with their knowledge of the Magical World and its rules, etiquette, and functions. Several of them were considered Magical royalty, with the world's design being a part of their everyday lives, something to be implicitly understood and protected. Yet Cleo had only just discovered her powers, and had many questions about how she was to act in the Magical World. Ruta chuckled. "...Well. There are quite a few reasons. The Magical World and the Mundane World...used to be more well-connected...but that has changed over the centuries. Mages began to be hunted, and in many instances, wars between Mages also leaked into the Mundane World...that is to say, the world that is not Mana and the other Magical schools." He sighed, as if remembering conflicts he had studied and read while training as a Jaegar. Instances which could never be repeated.

"...For such reasons, Mana has to remain hidden, as do other places in which Mages operate. Until Mages and Mundanes can be more cooperative in creating world peace...it is the only way to ensure the protection and safety of all of us. Yourself included. Therefore, we will say that the use of Magic off-campus is...not recommended. Having partaken in many instances of it, the destruction is not something that I or others enjoy cleaning. And I would not like a new student such as yourself to be caught in such affairs." He took another swig from his cup, careful not to drink enough that she could smell it. Nodding to the stack of papers and books he had handed Cleo, he added, "Your rulebook is included with your supplies. I suggest you study it carefully."

Sensing the nervousness in her face, the Jaegar attempted to try and calm her. Having witnessed Soleil's anxiety many times, and still feeling the bitterness of not always doing well aiding him, he did not want Cleo to feel the same sort of weakness and worry. "...Do not worry about the questions that you are asking. Now is your time to ask. When you leave here, we expect you to understand your power and place as a Mage educated at Mana Academy. Your role in our world is an important one. In fact...it is an important one for both worlds. Speaking of which, to answer your last question..." He tapped his fingers on the desk, coughing before he continued. "Mages who have only just learned their Magic have a special place here. We are a refuge for all Mages. Royalty and commoners. Born Mages and fledglings. If we do not accept certain Mages, we are keeping members of our world from receiving their best education. And their best protection. While we admittedly have had incidents here in which...we have failed in the past, we have made changes to ensure your safety, and that of other students who come here."

Ruta took a deep breath. He was not used to giving such speeches, and at times they were tiresome. A bunch of flowery words which served to calm students' fears only created new questions without answers. The Magical World was one full of conflict, violence, and unanswered questions, as the Mundane World was, and he did not have all the answers this girl wanted. Yet he did not want her to run away. "I'm sure you will do well here. Your desire to learn and your energy will serve you well. This is a high-standards environment, but high standards and excellent teachers produce the best students, of which you shall be one." His computer lit once again, and at the same time, his phone flashed. A hidden number and a missed call. A second later, a voicemail. Internally he groaned. More bad news, I am sure. Good Lord, make it stop. He turned back to Cleo. "Do you have anymore questions? Some of your questions will be better-answered when you attend our classes, especially your Magical History class. Ms. Tsukiyomi is a great professor, and a phenomenal Mage."

Cleo listened intently to Ruta's words, hoping to remember as much as she could. "Not really... I guess I'll learn more in class, right?" Cleo said. "I guess I should find my dorm." She turned to leave Ruta's office, thinking about what she had learned. Maybe she could help to bring The Magical and Mundane worlds together! And Ruta had said something about the school failing... What had he meant? Blue yawned a puppy yawn at Cleo's feet, and she smiled tiredly. Hopefully she would find answers tomorrow, in class. But in the meantime, she should get some rest.

Ruta - A Spin of the Wheel

“Do not feel embarrassed at asking so many questions. I have also given you many answers, and you are probably exhausted. Tomorrow you will be able to get more questions answered, when your brain and your body are better-rested. Be sure to get to your dorm quickly, since it is quite cold,” Ruta urged her, softening his tone just a little. He looked down at her puppy, and smirked. “Ah yes, as for your dog, we have plenty of other pet-owners among the students. I’m sure you will have no problems making friends.”

As soon as Cleo left, Ruta let out another large groan. Now his focus turned back toward the phone and the computer. More bad news. Part of him wanted to ignore it, but he knew the number that had called. “...Now to see...what they want me to know that will ruin my evening...” Looking down at his phone, he listened to the voicemail.

...Grunwald...Answer immediately...Grave issue...Excalibur missing...

The Jaegar felt as though he had just swallowed a bag of sharp rocks, as he heard the voicemail. He put the phone back on the table, his hands shaking. Excalibur had been the sword of a Jaegar buried several years ago, and a special one. It had been locked away, and nobody except another Jaegar would have known the location. He felt himself struggling to breathe, and he looked out the window for Ruby. After a moment, he recalled that he needed to answer the phone immediately, and so he called the mysterious number.

The Wolves

Cleo was not a face that Florian or his wolves knew. They were keeping away from the Aquo Dorm for a few reasons, but upon sensing the new girl, a wolf or two began to emerge from the woods to take a peek at her. They stayed low, keeping their bodies mostly hidden in the snow and behind the trees. The dog did not concern them, as the little creature looked harmless. Yet the new girl was a blank slate. Perhaps she would be a force for good. She certainly did not have the same aura as Allistor or Cecily. One wolf snuffed a little, its eyes sparkling as it observed her from a distance.

[Kingdom of Irhk]

Manfred von Kressel

Manfred stared at the dead spider on the ground. It was unusual for them to appear in this particular place, but unusual was the word to define Europe's moment. Without moving his hand or making a gesture, his eyes slightly squinted and the spider burned to ashes, and soon as the bug was nothing but ashes, the fire suddenly extinguished.

"We'll talk about that after lunch, Saturninus! No reason to worry your head with the possibilities that are coming towards us now. Enjoy your food, eat all you wish, and I'll be sure to relay your... sanitary warning, so to speak, to the other seats. We have defensive measures against that type of stuff everywhere, of the type you can't exactly sabotage easily."

The pieces of chicken came on the pan, golden and with the spices on it, the scented smoke summoning their hunger to the table.

"My brother, my niece and my newest ally, let us all feast now. Serve yourself as you please, for no man can plan on an empty stomach."

Henry von Kressel

The years he spent alongside Soleil certainly crafted a lighter impression of the Rise, which in a certain manner made the surprise of knowing that they were normal - and somewhat friendly - people a little bit less... surprising. However, it was still a surprise to see Eglantine's parents, alive, well and actually trying to start a conversation with him.

Accepting the invitation, Henry sat on the couch slowly, while staring at Eglantine's red face after so many tears flowed through it. Taking a deep breath, Henry put on the best smile he could while enjoying the surprising comfort of the room's couch.

"That we have, monsieur. But I am sure that you are interested in Eglantine's long vacation as well, so please, no need to worry about me right now. So... what do you wish to know about me? Please, don't feel ashamed to ask, I'll answer your doubts to the best of my abilities."

Saturninus Rise - The Creep of Paranoia

The spider being stomped had not brought much peace to Saturninus, and Manfred did not seem to understand the boy’s fears. Yet he did understand that the Rise heir could not think properly without food, and so he invited Saturninus to come eat before talking. In the meantime, he burned the spider simply by glaring down at it, a feat which the Rise heir had been certain his mother could only do. Then again, he did not know the strength of the Mages of House Von Kressel, except for that of Henry.

Yet even so, Saturninus’s eyes scanned the room for more spiders. He tried to wipe the sweat off his brow and off his face with the napkin at the table, and he tried to ignore any black specks he saw on the walls, in the molding, or in the rug. It’s just dirt. It was just one spider. Yeah. Maybe it was just one spider. Maybe I really am just going insane. Hahahahahaha! As he panicked internally, however, the scent of delicious food met his nose, and his eyes turned toward his plate of food.

He tried to remember what his last meal had been, before he had died in that alley. He had breakfast in his room in Paris, but he had not paid attention to the food. He recalled more clearly the lemon pound cake that Mercillia had served him to console him, how he had cried at receiving such a small, sweet, homemade gift. Once again he received a homemade gift in the form of a hearty meal, his first meal after having resurrected. Spices fluttered in the air as he cut into the baked, buttery chicken, which was served with hot, roasted potatoes, a cold, fresh salad, and sweet red wine.

“...I’m...actually quite glad that I waited until now to have my first meal...” Saturninus murmured, looking to Manfred. “...My mother cannot cook. It’s better...for my first plate of food after such a morning...to actually be something I can digest,” he joked. His delivery was uncertain, as if he was not sure that he could joke with these unfamiliar Mages. Yet he still managed a smile, despite his anxiety. For a few moments, he did not check the room for more black specks, even if some of them seemed to be creeping along the rug in the living room...

Eglantine and Family - Stories of Fires

“Heh...‘long vacation’ is one way to describe it, I guess...” Eglantine mumbled through her tears. She continued to wipe her eyes, trying to keep her composure so that she could speak. As she turned to look at Henry, her smile was crooked from sobbing, but she was still grateful for his company. She had wished that he could have met her parents under less chaotic circumstances, but now was a better time than never. She looked back to her parents, and nodded. “...I...I was tired of...all the training...the burden of...being a potential heiress...I didn’t want to be Bound, not after...seeing...”

Apollinaire nodded solemnly. “...Saturninus and Celestine...” He finished her sentence, recalling the horror he had seen in her face when she had watched the ritual. All of the family was forced to watch the Bindings, and Eglantine had refused to be Bound, despite being the same age as her now-alive cousin. “...We didn’t want it either...You were strong even without a demon’s power...”

“They were too,” Eglantine interjected.

“Well of course...but...we tried to do everything to avoid that from happening...Saturninus and Celestine...lost their lives that day...” Eglantine’s father looked toward Henry, as if to make a point to him as well. “...If she had been Bound, you never would have met her...” he added.

Calixte remained silent, letting her husband speak. She had things she wanted to say, but she did not know how to communicate them. As she put the pieces together, she began to realize what had happened. Eglantine had always known more than her parents had thought, and she had been aware that she could not avoid being Bound forever if she had stayed at home. Even Soleil had just barely managed to escape it, ironically due to Solaine’s own secret meddling. Knowing what awaited her if she had stayed at home, Eglantine had gone to extremes and had faked being dead. More tears welled in Calixte’s eyes, and she stared at her daughter. “...You knew...even at such a young age...how badly we had failed you...” she muttered.

Eglantine turned to her mother, surprised to hear her talk in such a deprecating way about herself. “...Mom, you...you didn’t fail...”

“If we had been successful, you never would have left home! What family is so awful that a child burns her bedroom and runs away to...to...”

“Spain.”

“Spain?! You ran away to Spain! You did not even stay in the country, you traveled hundreds of miles to get away! Just like Victor-Pierre, and his parents are shambling shells of their former selves. We were not, so...why couldn’t we do more?...” Calixte charged her daughter with the question, as she got the energy to talk, but in reality she was charging herself with the damning questions.

Apollinaire could tell that his wife was breaking-down, and so he reached his better arm to touch her hand. “...Calixte, don’t be so hard on yourself...”

“I have to be! It’s our fault our fourteen-year-old daughter was so scared that she ran away from home for four years! Who else can I blame?! Blanchefleur?! Her children didn’t run away!”

“Calixte, they were Bound, just like I said! If they had wanted to run away, they would have done the same thing. They weren’t allowed to leave. They weren’t even allowed to bring boys or girls home!”

“Apollinaire, our daughter could have died in some foreign country, and we never would have known it! What’s worse, fearing your daughter died in a fire in her own home, or fearing that she died in another country where we can’t even find the body?!” Calixte was shaking, her eyes wide with anger. The nurse in the room seemed to wince at her sharp voice, while Eglantine sat and just watched, waiting for a chance to calm her mother.

As a pause came to the room, Eglantine stared at her mother and gulped down some tears. “...That’s all...over now, mom. My room can be rebuilt. I...I’m alive, too...I ran away...I went to school...I made friends...and I got a boyfriend...” She nodded and smiled, trying to keep tears down her throat. “...Celestine...never got that chance...and Saturninus...never got a chance either...but...I’m here...I didn’t explain why I was running...I was scared...I thought you would stop me...b-but it’s just like Dad said...I couldn’t stay...I-I’d...never have a life...s-so don’t hate yourself, Mom. I’m...I’m here...and...I’m so sorry...”

Calixte stared at her daughter, and the vault in her heart slowly turned until it fell open. She started to wail in pain, as she grabbed her daughter and hugged her as tight as she could. Eglantine took a turn patting and rubbing her mother’s back, and her mother only felt the bittersweetness of such a motion. The daughter was consoling the mother for her failures, and not the other way around. She knew that Blanchefleur’s children would never forgive her, and that Solaine’s child would never go home, after being sent to the States. Victor-Pierre had left France for good. Thus Calixte received a gift that was rare for a Rise parent to receive from their children.

Forgiveness. The Balm in Gilead which did not repair the past, but which secured the future. She did not know how her daughter could forgive her so quickly, but then she realized that just as she had mourned for four years, Eglantine had thought about her family for four years. “...Eglantine...my baby...it’s okay...I’m...I’m sorry too...”

Henry von Kressel

The pain Eglantine carried was also the pain that her parents carried. The same fear her parents had was the fear she had: they could've died years ago, without even seeing their bodies. No mourning could be given or no flowers could be sent, yet certainly they would cry for their absence. They shared this affection, even if it was shaped through the pain of not seeing each other for years.

Calixte and Apollinaire were no longer specters that lingered on Eglantine's mind. They were physical figures, their sadness being displayed through their eyes and how tight their hugs were. The reconciliation between them was a tearful moment filled with joy and the apologies they firmly believed they owed each other. Yet Henry knew very well that Eglantine didn't hold any grudges towards them, and that her parents never held any grudges towards her. They all understood that the shadow that stood upon them, modeled with cruelty and a firmness of hand, known across Europe as Blanchefleur, was the real cause of their separation.

Yet deep inside his firm posture, Henry was shaken. He was shaken as he realized that he would never have this reconciliation for himself. He would never watch his father hug him or be truly happy with his presence, even though he got it from his mother. As a fine balance of fate, the Rise got their numbers - the good ones - being strengthened, and Henry watched his house divide.

Shoving his selfishness away, Henry allowed himself to just appreciate the moment where Eglantine was reunited, in body and soul - if such thing even existed - with her parents, who also became alive again. The doubt that was killing them softly was finally cast away as Eglantine, sassiness and sensibility, pride and feelings, all in one blonde bundle, finally arrived.

"Well... I am sure Eglantine will enjoy the time she'll spend with you, soon as you are... properly recovered. And there are more Rise around Europe... I think I should tell you that Michel came back from the dead, but in his case, literally from the grave. You can always shed light in the past, but the road ahead is certainly less painful or at least less absent for you. So... Just enjoy each other presence in this small isle of tranquility."

[Wiland Noria]

Cleo listened intently to Ruta's words, hoping to remember as much as she could. "Not really... I guess I'll learn more in class, right?" Cleo said. "I guess I should find my dorm." She turned to leave Ruta's office, thinking about what she had learned. Maybe she could help to bring The Magical and Mundane worlds together! And Ruta had said something about the school failing... What had he meant? Blue yawned a puppy yawn at Cleo's feet, and she smiled tiredly. Hopefully she would find answers tomorrow, in class. But in the meantime, she should get some rest.

Ruta - A Spin of the Wheel

“Do not feel embarrassed at asking so many questions. I have also given you many answers, and you are probably exhausted. Tomorrow you will be able to get more questions answered, when your brain and your body are better-rested. Be sure to get to your dorm quickly, since it is quite cold,” Ruta urged her, softening his tone just a little. He looked down at her puppy, and smirked. “Ah yes, as for your dog, we have plenty of other pet-owners among the students. I’m sure you will have no problems making friends.”

As soon as Cleo left, Ruta let out another large groan. Now his focus turned back toward the phone and the computer. More bad news. Part of him wanted to ignore it, but he knew the number that had called. “...Now to see...what they want me to know that will ruin my evening...” Looking down at his phone, he listened to the voicemail.

...Grunwald...Answer immediately...Grave issue...Excalibur missing...

The Jaegar felt as though he had just swallowed a bag of sharp rocks, as he heard the voicemail. He put the phone back on the table, his hands shaking. Excalibur had been the sword of a Jaegar buried several years ago, and a special one. It had been locked away, and nobody except another Jaegar would have known the location. He felt himself struggling to breathe, and he looked out the window for Ruby. After a moment, he recalled that he needed to answer the phone immediately, and so he called the mysterious number.

The Wolves

Cleo was not a face that Florian or his wolves knew. They were keeping away from the Aquo Dorm for a few reasons, but upon sensing the new girl, a wolf or two began to emerge from the woods to take a peek at her. They stayed low, keeping their bodies mostly hidden in the snow and behind the trees. The dog did not concern them, as the little creature looked harmless. Yet the new girl was a blank slate. Perhaps she would be a force for good. She certainly did not have the same aura as Allistor or Cecily. One wolf snuffed a little, its eyes sparkling as it observed her from a distance.

As Cleo walked towards the Aquo Dorm, some of her nervousness returned. Would she make friends? How well would she do in class? No, I'll be fine. I bet I'll make plenty of friends, and do good in class too! She thought hopefully. She wasn't the best at math or science, but she could improve, couldn't she? Would science be taught here, anyway? This is a magic school, so maybe magic would be taught instead... Suddenly, some instinct told her to look over at the forest. Blue yipped, trying to get her attention. Cleo looked down at her and smiled. She continued on to the dorm, but some feeling told her she was being watched.

[Luminesa]

Ruta - A Spin of the Wheel

“Do not feel embarrassed at asking so many questions. I have also given you many answers, and you are probably exhausted. Tomorrow you will be able to get more questions answered, when your brain and your body are better-rested. Be sure to get to your dorm quickly, since it is quite cold,” Ruta urged her, softening his tone just a little. He looked down at her puppy, and smirked. “Ah yes, as for your dog, we have plenty of other pet-owners among the students. I’m sure you will have no problems making friends.”

As soon as Cleo left, Ruta let out another large groan. Now his focus turned back toward the phone and the computer. More bad news. Part of him wanted to ignore it, but he knew the number that had called. “...Now to see...what they want me to know that will ruin my evening...” Looking down at his phone, he listened to the voicemail.

...Grunwald...Answer immediately...Grave issue...Excalibur missing...

The Jaegar felt as though he had just swallowed a bag of sharp rocks, as he heard the voicemail. He put the phone back on the table, his hands shaking. Excalibur had been the sword of a Jaegar buried several years ago, and a special one. It had been locked away, and nobody except another Jaegar would have known the location. He felt himself struggling to breathe, and he looked out the window for Ruby. After a moment, he recalled that he needed to answer the phone immediately, and so he called the mysterious number.

The Wolves

Cleo was not a face that Florian or his wolves knew. They were keeping away from the Aquo Dorm for a few reasons, but upon sensing the new girl, a wolf or two began to emerge from the woods to take a peek at her. They stayed low, keeping their bodies mostly hidden in the snow and behind the trees. The dog did not concern them, as the little creature looked harmless. Yet the new girl was a blank slate. Perhaps she would be a force for good. She certainly did not have the same aura as Allistor or Cecily. One wolf snuffed a little, its eyes sparkling as it observed her from a distance.

As Cleo walked towards the Aquo Dorm, some of her nervousness returned. Would she make friends? How well would she do in class? No, I'll be fine. I bet I'll make plenty of friends, and do good in class too! She thought hopefully. She wasn't the best at math or science, but she could improve, couldn't she? Would science be taught here, anyway? This is a magic school, so maybe magic would be taught instead... Suddenly, some instinct told her to look over at the forest. Blue yipped, trying to get her attention. Cleo looked down at her and smiled. She continued on to the dorm, but some feeling told her she was being watched.

The Wolves - An Introductory Test

The moment the small dog yipped, the two wolves took a few creaking steps back, shuffling the snow under their paws as they moved. Their golden eyes remained unblinking, but they crouched low and continued to watch. They did not want to be caught, but if they were, they knew where to bring the girl. Not into the center of the forest, which was so cold and deep, but perhaps to her dorm. First, however, they wanted to see how she would react when she saw them. After a moment of crouching, one of them craned their head upward so that Cleo and Blue could see their eyes and ears.

The wiry, silvery fur was darkened by the black, moonlit sky, but the silhouette was still faintly visible. Upon seeing the gold in the wolf's eyes, Cleo would feel a supernatural presence. An intelligent presence, not that of a mere wild animal. It recognized that she was a Mage, as it recognized that all of the students and teachers were Mages. Yet they could not guess this particular girl's behavior until she moved. Florian had given them no commands about this new girl, as he was focusing on Rene and Tsukiyomi, and was allowing them a little bit of autonomy.