I try not to show anything other then calmness nothing to show how I feel. Morgan still here after all. This will be.... interesting. She's back? And stronger then before. A lot, had she beaten the second nightmare? It wouldn't shock me if she did.
"Cas… my hand."
She looks at him confused then let's go embarrassed. I laugh patting her on the shoulder
"Seems we don't have to go across the hollow mountains after all"
They look at me then cassie smiles
"I guess we dont"
I feel sunny tense up looking at his runes no doubt. He stares at it with a look that could mean so many things, some good some not but I'm sure that means she's a master now. Loud crashing rings out i look over at Effie pushing everyone away.
"Sunny, ■■■■, Cassie! Is it true? Princess is back?"
Sunny nods
"Yes. I… I passed her to the healers with my own two hands."
Effie stops then a wide smile crossed her face
"Hell yes! I never had a doubt! No Nightmare Creature exists that can keep that pampered psycho down!"
I laugh
"I don't think anything can keep Neph down for long."
Kai gets here soon as well. I give him my seat knowing how he is. When he's told even sitting he seems to wobble
"Gods… thank the gods…"
I pat him on the back. He's someone that feels a lot of guilt and even if her being trapped in the dream realm isn't something he could have stopped he still blames himself no doubt.
"Well she's back and now we won't be going back to that side of the hollow mountains!"
He nods seeming to be about to cry
"Yeah we won't have to"
I lean on the wall waiting. The doors open and the healers leave Morgan leans forward seeming interested but thats not quite what the spark in her eyes tells of.
"How… how is she? Lady Changing Star is really back?"
The healer stops for a moment before speaking
"She is. Her physical condition is fine… better than fine, even. Perfect. As for her mental condition, we will know when she wakes up. Lady Nephis is currently sleeping."
Someone pipes up without any pause
"Sleeping? Do you mean that she is back in the Dream Realm?!"
The healer debates with herself then speaks
"No. Lady Nephis seems to have… Ascended. So, she is simply asleep."
I knew it! I knew that out of everyone alive, she could. Not because of anything other then her being stubborn, far more stubborn then anyone else. All hell breaks loose around us.
Soon effie and sunny go to get food. I sit with kai and cassie.
"You're stressed"
Its simply the truth. The two are stressed, cassie even more so.
"Yeah i.... I guess i am. This is quite sudden after all"
Her voice is softer then normal far more so.
"Its overwhelming too isnt it"
I look at kai. I sigh
"How about we talk about something else. Maybe once you talk about something else you'll be able to think clearer"
Cassie nods thinks for a bit then speaks
"For some reason.... I can't put a mark on you"
I blink a few times
"Hm? Why?"
She shrugs
"I'm not sure, I think its for the same reason you almost never appear in my visions"
I shrug
"that is really weird how about you kai?"
He sighs softly
"I uh... you know how I quit singing"
I nod its sad, I knew he did like doing it even if he didn't like some parts
"Well sometimes I do regret it but... it feels different now"
I pat him on the shoulder
"Giving up something you love may be hard but it will get better over time"
Soon we are let into the room i sit with my eyes closed with my runes pulled up. I send a message to doll
[Is everything ready?]
It takes a minute for them to reply
[It is. When she wakes up she will need some time. So I have no doubt she will stay with us. In the meantime ill go with the fire keepers. You stay with her]
I open my eyes looking at everyone's tense expressions then I close them again.
[Makes sense, wouldn't want to freak her out]
Sunny went into the shadows, no doubt with that horse of his.
Soon when she wakes up she's taken away. I let everyone else get their words in. They all seem so much closer to her then I am. Soon I slip away being replaced with doll. I of course do tell at least effie about it. But still. I go to the other guest room and I started preparing everything. I rush around the house cleaning everything up. I'm not quite done with the house repairs but I'm mostly done.
"Oh such short notice! Goodness now I understand what Kai felt!"
I talk to myself as I sweep in a way that's feels almost obsessed. I of course keep an eye on the messages doll is sending me. Simple updates on the situation. After some time the others get to the house i may or may not look crazy.
"Welcome to my humble abode, I guess. It, uh… has designer lamps and a state-of-the-art refrigerator. Among other things…"
I walk over
"It has a art room! Although it is my art room"
I stare at my communicator. I had 'gone to the bathroom' he keeps calling me. I stare at the block button. He... wasn't it.... did he ever even care about me at all? Caster must have been one good actor, or maybe I was stupid. I press the button. He can... find his way without me. I doubt he needed me in the first place. Its fine its all fine. I can deal with it, on my own of course. I walk out keeping it down. Kai was the one speaking
"I only found out after the movie premiere. I actually thought he had a crush on you. I guess not"
I sigh. Must be about him.
I lean back after finishing my food "So, what do you think about the mess we're in?" She puts the fork down looking at the plate with quite a bit of sadness, must be the best thing she's eaten since that winter solstice.
"That Mordret… the Rank of his Aspect is the same as ours?"
I scoff
"Yeah he does. And to put it mildly the guy does not care much for morals"
Sunny glances over and adds a few things
"He is also slightly older then even ■■■■ and more powerful than us, and possesses more knowledge than anyone in the waking world should have. Other than that, he is… actually, I don't know what he is, I just feel that something is very wrong with that guy. Regardless, he is dead set on destroying Clan Valor. It is just hard to tell how he is going to go about accomplishing that goal."
Was he calling me old? I'm only 25.
"He is going to search for allies."
I wave my hand
"Is that not clear. Its a great clan, divine aspect or not you don't wipe one out without allies"
He wouldn't be so bold as to ask us for help, plus we simply are not strong enough
"So… do you think that we should expect to find the bastard on our doorstep one day? The enemy of my enemy, and all that."
She seems unsure when she speaks
"No… I doubt it."
He better not, it made a promise and I don't make those lightly. Cassie turns her head towards us
"The Fire Keepers have reached the Immortal Flame manor. They are putting on a show to make it seem like there are all kinds of activity going on inside. Hopefully, that is going to make most people think that you are there with them. You should not be bothered by anyone here, for a while."
After a little she sighs
"But that is not going to last long. Maybe a week… the rest of us should not linger, as well. It would be strange if Kai, ■■■■, Effie, and I are not seen at the manor. We will leave shortly and join the Fire Keepers."
Effie looks at her plate then says in a tone thats like a child who got told something they did not like
"I live here as well, you know!"
Cassie turns her head a deadpan expression on it clearly taking no shit
"Not for the next week, you don't."
I decide to go into the dream realm for a bit. I appear on the ivory island. I walk over to the edge and I sit down. I watch the world below. I think it stare out for a while because singer summons herself and sits next to me. She rubs circles on my back gently, like a mother would i think
"I know letting go is hard"
I look at those words
"I can let go. Its.... just that.... what if that little voice in my head is right and he never cared about me at all."
She shakes her head
"He did. Its just that, in the end he had a mission given to him."
I look away.
"How old even was he? When he was given the job to kill someone"
I finally go back to the real world sunny's apparently out doing something or the other. I never know with that guy. Neph is in his clothes, okay I guess. They would make a.... cute couple. They're both a little crazy in my opinion, two peas in a pod. The door opens and I sense the child is here.
"....Hey."
I look up from my house repair plans.
"Oh hey, its sunny's student, R something. Gave her a sword one time"
Neph nods
"Yeah seems like you."
Yeah I did just drop swords that one time..... I didn't tell anyone I was going to do that.
"You're… you're… you're…"
I look at the child
"You're Changing Star!"
We end up watching the movie. As it starts
"Are you crazy?!"
Its still a little weird they made the movie her be in.... that. Wasn't she a teenager during this?
"Uh… come to think of it, the actress they chose does not look like you at all. You are much prettier!"
She looks down at the child
"Thank you."
She almost glares at movie sunny.
"They got.... him to play sunny?"
I snicker
"Could be worse, they planned on making a child play him in the original"
Her head snaps towards me
"huh?"
I try really hard not to laugh
"What kind of idiot would mistake sunny as a child?"
I burst out laughing knowing how the child met sunny that first day.
As the movie plays some parts really do not make neph happy, the tree being the main part. I get really happy when I appear, a shame they dont show the actors face.
"Oh is that so? How.... truly interesting"
Neph gets greatly confused and the child covers her face deeply embarrassed
"Oh my god i act like- pfft haha!"
I point at the actor playing me
"Why are you like that?"
I snicker
"Oh you know how my reputation was, all spooky, just wait it gets worse"
oh I can't wait until the love corner starts. It will be so funny.
I notice neph get more and more on edge with every moment of the love corner. Then the fight happens and I notice a slight but noticeable dark look pass over her face
"....It wasn't like that."
The child looks between us
"Hah.... yeah he doesn't seem like the type to cry....?"
I shrug
"I guess so."
Soon some more of that love corner happens and I think neph just snaps as the entertainment system starts to melt. I starr at it
"I bought that"
The child pats me on the back
"Its sacrifice was fully in vain"
I turn my head slowly
"Oh so not just do you look like that opossum made human but you also act like him too"
She gets a puzzled expression
"Oh and your slow too, goodness is there two of them"
She then gets a outraged expression
"I do not act like sunless!"
The two help me pick up the mess made by watching the movie. Didn't even get to the funny parts. I'll send her a clip compilation of just the heat seeker character, its just too funny.
I keep on with my very important mission. That of making stuff, with Antarctica coming up i have so much to make! The main thing being warm clothes, very warm and very durable clothes.
I will not be caught dead in just memory armor! No no no! I don't like the extra weight but like those fools I value my armors so I desummon them. Its actually mostly what I've been planning. I am a.... very resourceful person after all. I had been saving almost everything I got from everything I killed. If I didn't have time because of the crushing, I'd shove them in my bag and leave. I even still have some stuff from the forgotten shores.
Apparently I went into some kind of crafting based madness as I made and made and made for more then week straight. I feel two hands grip my shoulders tightly.
"■■■■"
I slowly look back at kai who has a very serious expression
"You and I are getting you all new clothes"
I try to crack a smile but I doubt its a even slightly real one
"Do i have a choice?"
He almost scowls
"No."
I sit in the seat next to kai. He was not very nice. Doll shoots me a almost apologetic look, yeah real nice. Kai dragged me from store to store getting more and more clothes. In the end he got me a nightclub look. Doll is putting all of the clothes i got into my room. A real god damn shame. A real one i will be out of here once this whole valor thing is done. Everyone else gets in and I lay my head down. Effie shakes my shoulder a bit
"You good"
"Ahhhh"
She laughs
"Yeah their good."
Kai had tried to take my headphones from me. He almost lost a hand for that sin. I watch as people get all touchy. Weirdos. You know with how dark and loud this place is it would be really easy to assault someone.
Almost anyone with even basic stealth skills could go around getting all unwantedly touchy. I walk over sitting at the table with my face to it miserable. I already don't like loud noises and now I'm in a place like this, maybe I should have just accepted and went to Antarctica.
As kai and sunny talk about honey. Kai gets it laughably wrong, I'm pretty sure honey is the sugar bees take from flowers that becomes honey but I'm not in the mood to say anything about it. Yap yap yap. Everyone is talking so much. I however keep my eyes out. This place is very good to stab someone to death, or be a creep and get touchy. I will not be having no hands on me. Effie elbows me
"what you thinking about dork?"
I glance up
"The toucher"
Apparently these fools find it funny as they all start laughing. Having some creep get handsy is no laughing matter.
Me and doll work and work turning everything we have into stuff. Its almost insane the rate we make fancy new stuff. Work work work, thats all I've been doing. Apparently though soon there's going to be some fancy party with a bunch of rich legacies. I don't care and would not go if it wasn't when valor will do their negotiations. How boring and annoying, and knowing prince that corny bastard will appear, even if not to crash it.
I drag myself from my art room. Doll starts packing my things up. I go into my room getting into some annoying and overly fancy outfit for the ball or whatever. I summon my cloak and the helm. Got to have that iconic look after all. Doll helps me put the little gem pieces on the antlers.
They also do some simple makeup on me. I had taken a interest a while ago, i hadn't been very focused on practicing it but it does look cool. I get into the fancy PTV with my helm in my lap. As the PTV moves i cant help but notice the tension.
"So you can like.... look deeper at memories right?"
Sunny gets confused and he nods
"Yeah I can?"
I hold up my helm
"Mind taking a glance"
He shrugs
"Not really. It has 4 enchantments, one to mimic voices, one to let out a mind attack, one to allow mind to mind communication, the last to augment another memory. Happy now?"
I nod
"Yup"
telepathic communication? That seems really useful.
We finally get to the valor compound. I exit the PTV putting the helm on. I feel many eyes on us. We enter becoming the center of everyone's eyes.
"Lady Changing Star of the Immortal Flame clan! Ascended Song of the Fallen! Ascended Heat Seeker! Ascended Raised by Wolves! Ascended Nightingale! Ascended Sunless!"
Oh dear seems we are.... very important guests. I almost want to shrink into myself at so many eyes. At least my face is mostly hidden.
Tons of people come up to us, even the gray song sister. I don't remember her name but we do briefly laugh at the movie. Why would we not. A super powerful valor saint or whatever appears. He talks for a while, it annoys me but I have a helm on so mostly it doesn't show.
When he stops talking people do a dance that seems rather complex. I'm not doing it. Hell no. Sunny comes back to the bathroom and goes to dance with neph. I keep a overly expensive wine glass, it has no wine or anything of the like, just some juice. I do not drink. Thats when I notice the temperature change.
"Bastard."
My reflection on it changes offering a annoying looking smile
"Oh, i was not aware of this"
I try not to roll my eyes
"Yes yes. I'll say this, or think this... focus. I fully understand why you took the actions you did and they are reasonable if very morbid and more then a little hateful. But quite frankly I still dislike you"
He tilts my reflections head
"Oh you do not hate me"
looking is annoying me so I don't look at it.
"No. I've only so far hated one guy and he's long dead, Gunlaug"
Neph and sunny are dancing probably speaking to eachother
"Oh, isn't that the tyrant bright lord? So thats the kind of people you hate. Hmm well it seems I will not be part of that short list for some time"
God he talks a lot
"Yeah. Now go kill yourself or something. Your warming up my juice"
"oh but of course... juice? Okay."
Then he's gone. How annoying that guy pisses me off so much. Why are sunny and neph running off, what are they going to kiss? Or more likely have some kind of falling out.