Phantasmagoria — Ewigkeit in Wiedergeburt

@Karyra
@Luma
@Accelerator

Memoria's Memento Cafe



"Take a bite and see!" The waitress urged Melora with a friendly smile.

It didn't take the group of four three long to start eating their cake before it hit them, hard. A sudden wave of tiredness as they shifted in-and-out of a daydream. Aware they were still in the cafe, aware of their surroundings, in control of their body. Yet, the cafe was irrelevant. Every now and then they could swear they took another bite of the delicious cake. Another sip of their milk and hot chocolate.

But it was all irrelevant, because at the same time they found themselves in a very lucid adventure...



"AAaaooooaaaaooooOOO!" Aurora could hear a 'wake-up' call as she opened her eyes towards an aurora in the sky. A pitch-black, beautiful, heaven that had colors of all forms and shapes dance in an orderly chaos. Their luminous shine reflecting across the various floating crystal formations to further enhance their play.

She was Aurora Avril. Interdimensional space-traveler of Skywhale 'Runie', a once little pet whale that the girl had bought for lots of money from the Skywhale market. A LOT. Of money. So much, in fact, that Aurora was set for live. Adventuring simply for the sake for adventure, or maybe she had a more concrete goal in mind? Only the girls themselves knew.

Yet, Aurora and Runie weren't alone. For Melora could feel something soft nudging her cheek. "Aaaooo..." She could hear a high-pitched chibi voice beside her. A fluffy little creature in the form of a miniature whale. Just with lots of comfortable, white, fur. "Aaaoooo?" It made another noise, as a few other sky-whale babies looked curiously at her from further away. Not much bigger than a hugable teddy-bear.

It was truly a wondrous gift of Runie, being of the race 'Fluffus Whaleus', having given birth to not just a one, two, but an entire bunch of young sky-whales! Very smoll today, just to grew to extreme sizes in a week! Ah, how quick they grew...

Nonetheless, the two girls found themselves sitting on some comfy-chairs, not unlike the cafe they were just mere moments ago(?), surrounded by more empty tables, chairs, and parasols together with a bunch of cabinets storing various cakes. All of the cakes. So much sweets, in fact, that counting them was a plan failed for failure before they even tried. It was, after all, Aurora who bought the sky-whale. But Melora's idea to create a traveling cafe on it! It was just quiet as it lacked customers..

Not too far away either was also a girl sitting in the treetops of a mandatory sky-whale deep, dark, forest close-by. Somewhat slumbering just like the other two girls until she could feel something licking her face. A snow-white ferret was trying to wake Celestia (in the dream?) up!

What the three were doing exactly? Only few could tell...



Meanwhile in the cafe...

Time was passing at the speed of one second per second as Rune was staring down the waitress who, in turn, hummed a near silent, happy melody!
 
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I failed.
I wasn't able to do what I promised to do.
Instead I am only filled with regret.


Sorrowful words surrounded Seia. She was enveloped in a darkness that numbed all of her senses, save for that of sound.

I promised that I would set things right.
But, in the end I ended up relying on them to do what I could not.
I could not keep my promise, and there is no longer any way for me atone for it.


Seia... had no control here. From the 'dreams' that she had from the vestiges of magic from her mother's ribbon she could understand that. Also, the fact that the magic of the ribbon was not able to stop this 'invasion' of her mind meant that the magic of the sword she just touched must've been immensely powerful.

Was she trapped here?
Her mind seemed to be latched into this inky abyss of self loathing that was echoing in it's darkness. The first action someone would instinctual take would be to struggle. But, intuitively the praetorian felt like that was not the correct course of action. Being 'accepted' by these swords was not something that was easy. So, it stood to reason that acting purely on instinct and trying to struggle here was incorrect.

With what mental fortitude she could muster, Seia thought.

It was apparent that there was some sort of feeling that was echoing in this realm. A... sentiment that was not necessarily trapped in this sword. But rather it felt like the sword was built to house that sentiment.

Yes.
If Seia could guess here, if she could answer to that sentiment correctly then maybe the sword would accept her.

Though of course, that begged the question: how would she even communicate with a sword? 'Thinking,' probably?


"M...My true name is Seia Boreal. Sword of Hazakura, hear me. I wish to form a contract to bind you to my side. Tell me... what do you desire of me?"


Seia paused. A reply came slowly.

You're not the one.
You aren't the one I'm looking for.


Seia felt her mind become... restricted. A tense feeling not unlike being suffocated. In this moment of rising anxiety... Seia saw the arms and hands that were gripping around her corpeal form.

The 'sword' manifested itself into the form of a peculiarly short girl with black hair and oddly shaped eyebrows.

Seia saw as the manifestation of Hazakura pressed it's choking hands harder.

Begone.
Not you.
Not anyone else.
You have nothing to offer me.


...

Even as the manifestation of Hazakura pressed harder, Seia did not panic.

..

Even as time passed onward Seia remained resolute.

.

This illusion of being choked. It wasn't real.
This cage of the mind did not produce any fear in the Praetorian.



"I won't... reject you. Hazakura."
"...My wish. Would you not hear of it?"

"I wish to find my mother. I wish to thank her for the life she gave me."
"...and the only chance I have for that is to become a splendid witch!"

"I don't want to disappoint her either!!!"


'Hazakura' let go of Seia's neck.
Immediately Seia was pierced with a thousand blades.

The praetorian experienced the simulated hell of her body failing her due to the punctures, but nonetheless unable to die. Liquid draining her body dry. Her heart struggling... lurching to fight on in a helplessly fatal situation. Her organs and parts of her body seeming to scream at her that they're dying with complete lucidity.

But, Seia's mind endured.
None of this was real.

"...I won't reject you."


Seia repeated.

"Hazakura. I wish to form a contract."
"Tell me your wish."



I wish for master to reunite with the one whom traveled with them.


"Who is that?"


The phantasm whom is sealed in the stone for the good of Rizen.
My master forged me in the hopes that they would find each other again.

But, Master fell in battle.
Thus, Master can never meet that person again.
 
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"Woooaaa... neat!" Aurora gawked as her eyes suddenly expanded into a whole new world.

She ran, and jumped, and even danced a little jig there on top of her giant skywhale. It was just how she’d imagined riding a skywhale to feel. Exactly how she imagined it, actually. Go figure.

"How’d they do all this? I mean... um... Runie! We’ve nearly made it to the drakelord’s stronghold! Keep it up!"

"AoooaaaooOOOooaAAaaoOOooo!"

"Don’t worry, I’ll buy you a treat when we get home, silly. Right now, we’ve got dragon hunting to do!"

No sooner had she spoken then a giant fireball sudden shot right for her from the distance: a giant flame dragon hovering there menacingly. Aurora gripped a giant staff and bat the thing away with a home run swing.

"Get away from my whale, you vile thing! Melora! I’ll take it out, you protect the cafe!" Aurora declared, hopping on a smolwhale and riding off to lay the smack down on the dargon.

@Karyra
@Accelerator
@Skyswimsky

...Meanwhile...

Rune stared down the waitress, then Aurora, then her friends, and cycled through them a few times. She thumped Aurora on the forehead gently, seeming to have no effect. A shrug seemed to indicate some sort of ‘empty as usual’ joke.
 
She was Melora. Cafe owner on Runie the Skywhale. She had always known Aurora to be a lucky witch, capable of finding gold in a desert. The cafe, The Painted Teapot, was currently empty and Melora was napping on the deck, happily having passed out after reading the latest in her favorite series about teenage witches.

She was awoken but had not opened her eyes. Instead she simply reached out and pulled the fluffy little whale close, pulling it into a big soft hug.

"Aurora... don't forget to grab some tea as you go out." Melora seemed to be enjoying the whole experience. Five minutes of peace and... dragon slaying apparently.

"Oh, and maybe I'll just make Judgement stay behind as protection," Melora said, releasing the fluffy little whale. The golem appeared suddenly, causing Melora to leap to her feet suddenly. The golem gave a little smile that almost soothed Melora's racing heartbeat. "Ah, yes. Judgement, please defend Runie and the cafe while we... uh... storm the Drakelord's stronghold."

@Luma
 
@Karyra
@Luma
@Accelerator

The Drakelords Stronghold



The fire laying dargon was no challenge for the positive-reinforcing dream the group experienced. Easily falling to the might of Aurora and Melora and their fluffy travel companions.

"Raaaaaawwwwrrrr!" Yet, there was a second dragon coming from behind, ready to snatch Aurora any second as suddenly....

"AaaaaaooooOoaaAaaaOoOoAaaaa!"

A big water jet-stream, coming from Runie, quickly took care of it! Two down, many to go. However...

"ACHOOO!" The sky itself quivered as the mightiest of all dargondrakes(?) sat across the top of this the world and sneezed, potentially spelling doom for everybody around. On top of a large, fancy, rainbow-crystal pillar, he was. In his half melted crystal throne. Mustache. Top hat. Monocle. Cape. A dargon so majestic and vile at once that weak-willed witches couldn't help but be mesmerized.

"You dare interrupt my tea time!?" They could hear his voice as he took a sip of magma from a large crystal bow. "Ahahahaha! Silly fools, I will teach you a.... life-ending.... lesson that won't forget! Rawr."

The mustache, top-hat, and monocle wearing dragon... thing with a cape mocked them. Daring them to come closer and enter its domain!


Meanwhile in the cafe...

The waitress seemed to fidget a bit as she clearly worked some sort of magic, her face slightly distressed for a moment before expressing at least some sort of resolve. "Don't worry , Tinia. Just remember what you've been told. Action scenes are SO easy! Just combine the average villain with the customers wishes and voila! Witches don't like losing, anyway..."
 
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Melora was darting back and forth, kicking away the dragons with glee. A soft red glow around her indicated that she had activated Strength, and was using it to her heart's content. She didn't feel the ticking down or the presence of something feral in the back of her head. She leapt to and fro, laughing madly the whole time.

"This is great!"
Melora laughed, free from the memories of hardship and trauma of a scant few hours ago.

Soon, the big boss showed up, and Melora pointed at him and replied, "oh, we'll do more than interrupt your teatime, sir."

Melora leapt towards the dragon, aiming a huge kick right at the mustache. That should smart, considering it was sitting right there on his big, fat nose.

"Time to follow up, Aurora! Better be good or no hot chocolate for you when we're done!"


@Skyswimsky @Luma
 
Seia...
Felt herself being engulfed in darkness.

Feelings that wrote the tale of a never ending escape that was always doomed to fail.
For a moment it felt like she was starting to lose herself, as her consciousness was suddenly flooded with these strange and foreign thoughts and sentiments.

It was the feelings of the blade, Hazakura's, spirit.

Within the realm of mind, Seia closed her 'eyes.'
Accept things as they are...

If she could herself together through this then maybe, just maybe, she could become a truly splendid witch...



Just how long was she going to watch this farce?
The chaos being caused by two witches wreaking absolute havoc over the gentlemanly dragons was in bad taste for anyone sympathetic to the surly and scaly entities.

What had brought them to this situation? She wasn't quite sure exactly.
However, one thing was certain, it seemed like she needed to protect the one wearing the top hat. Yes... the world was instructing her to play her part... as a foe.


@Karyra
Melora's kick struck with great force. So much so that exaggerated white clouds were brought up in it's wake.

The proud voice of the monacle'd dragon whimpered at receiving such a strike. The proverbial thorn being stuck into the dragon.


@Luma
However, the smoke made it difficult for a follow up attack. A blind attack by Aurora was not wise. Even though the fancy top hat dragon was an easy enough target, one accidental strike into it's reflective monacle would send the magical force right back at her!

The witches did not need to wait long for the smoke to clear however. The obscuring vista was banished by a gust of wind. The clearing of the smoke revealed the monacled dragon now sporting an appropriately placed band-aid... and before him as a girl with a brilliant white cape, red hair with complimentary roses adorned in a complex pattern as trinkets. She had just drawn out her bladed wand that she used to banish the smoke through a single powerful swing.

Most striking about the new arrival was her mask with a single cartoonish, yet pericing eye painted on it's angled facade.

It was their comrade. Seia - and she was still under the influence and enslavement of the Gorgon's Mask that was put on her. Even now, the girls could see the imaginary leash that went from her to the monacled dragon. So... this was where their friend had ended up, even after looking for her high and low. Her will and skills were being put to use like a puppet - now to use as being the monacled dragon's last ditch line of defense.

Efforts to call out to her were fruitless. The mask blocked all senses until it was removed... by someone else.

Instead of greeting Aurora and Melora normally, Seia took a rose from her hair. She threw it up, and slashed it in half. Letting the two halves of the buds fall pitifully to the ground.

In an instant, two Rose-Raptors rose from the ground - preening their vibrant wings as they did so. Their sharp beaks and talons, and flowing colorful tails were a sight to behold.

Yes, that was Seia's magic. It involved manbipulating the buds she put into her hair to do amazing things. However, under the control of the mask she was being forced to use it for the things she never wanted to use it for - hurting others. They had to stop her this time!


Melora remembered the easygoing days of training and sparring together, dreaming of adventures with naiive imagination...

Aurora remembered the quiet moments enjoying sweets in the rose garden where she practiced her magic and love of growing things...

Being controlled by a mask was a fate no one should've been left to!


These gorgeous looking animals were sent fourth to scratch Aurora and Melora to oblivion. Their shrieks were like that of crowing roosters. Like swift arrows, the birds rose high into the sky only to dive down onto Aurora and Melora with claws bare.
 
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"Seia?!" Aurora exclaimed in shock. "You’re here too...? I mean um... Seia!! You have to fight it!"

The smaller whale she was riding swerved violently to evade a dive-bombing rose bird. Whipping out a shortsword, Aurora took a quick slash at it, but missed completely.

"Remember how we were going to become adventurers together!? The time we totally messed up organizing the library when I slipped and dropped all the— oh, wow, it even does memories... —all the records! Come on, Seia! You can do it!"

Swirling around, Aurora adjusted herself and flung off the tiny skywhale with a flick of its tail, hurling up and taking out one of the rose birds with a lightning-quick slash. The skywhale looped back around to catch her from her fall just in time to evade the other.

@Ehb
@Skyswimsky
 
Melora landed with a small backflip, gracefully rebounding from her kick. Hmm, it seemed that Strength wouldn't be enough to take down the dragon, so she quickly switched it out for Magician. The felt the magic crackle at her fingertips, and waited for the next move from the dragon.

Once Aurora-

Seia appeared in a mask.

...

What.

Aurora called out to Mask-Seia... but Melora had to suppress her glee. This was fantastic! It was time for a little revenge for that slap from before. Thanks, fantasy cafe thing.

With a few swift hand motions, flames appeared at her fingertips. First, take down those two rose-raptors then deal with brainwashed Seia. Melora reached out with her hand to grab at the remaining rose raptor, and a giant flaming hand copied the motion, closing around the rose raptor and crushing it back into petals.

"Foul dragon! You shall return out friend to us. Or you will pay."
Ice began to form around Melora, large icy spikes that looked similar to a spell she had used on the mission earlier.

This time, she couldn't miss.

@Ehb @Luma @Skyswimsky
 



 INTERMISSION

"You filthy scoundrel!" The dragon roared angrily upon the continuous onslaught of the duo. "I've grown this mustache for eons!" And now it was partially ripped off! "I'll show you, with this last half of my glorious mustache..." The Drakelord whispering in a menacing voice as Seia made her entrance.

Growl

"Behold, my near-ultimate warrior! Did you know that above every mask, IS ANOTHER MASK!?" With these words, the now more defensive dragon engulfed Seia in a black-smoke breath coming from its nostrils. The last few bits of the once glorious mustache hair mixed into and latching onto Seia.

As the smoke lifted, the Witch Knight was still floating(?) there. "BEHOLD! MY NOW-ULTIMATE WARRIOR! The noble blessing of the Sod! BARONESS VON SEIA." On top of her gorgon mask was now attached, a badly done fake-mustache, monocle, top hat AND yet-another-sword-cane! With the exception of the weapon the rest looked like it was bought from some cheap 'comedy disguise' shop.

"Now, my child, go forth and and show these fools to not interrupt tea-time."

With his mustache now gone, and the last of his powers gifted to Seia, the Drakelord now simply watched...



Meanwhile at the cafe...

"Ablublublublu...." The waitress eyes were pure spirals as she tried to keep her magic intact. The group of three slowly eating the cake as they continued with their 'journey'. "Waaaaahhhhyyy is this so difficult!?" Shaking her head, she tried her best to keep it going. "But... they seem to enjoy themselves..." She now looked at Aurora, as if the 'wrongness' of this experience was all her fault!

 
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@Luma

Seia felt affected by the girls' words. No... it wasn't just any girl though. She remembered who this voice was. But, the mask wasn't letting her see it. Yes, this mask. It was in the way! She had to get it off!

At that moment, Seia began to reach up to her face.

However, the puppet's moment of self-realization was interrupted as she felt the magic that connected her to the Rose Raptors become severed. A dying magical shriek of pain affirming their destruction in the halls of her mind. Thusly, she was again introduced to the actual foes that were standing before her - they had to be destroyed.

As Seia prepared herself to leap forward into the fray, her body was engulfed by the mustache'd hairs.

In moments, she felt it. A surge of power and strength. A 'hat' adorning her head, and another weapon in her free hand. But most important was was the gentle fluttering sensation of a mustache that was attached to her mask. She couldn't actually feel it, but she most certainly knew on a spiritual level that the mustache was there.

Melora missed her chance.

Before she was able to react, Seia immediately put her newfound powers to use. Her hair and mustache formed like as an armor around her. The sinews mimicing that of a sewed peice of fabric yet incredibly tough. The minor maelstrom conjured by this invocation saw a solid teacup smash like brittle glass against this new defense.

This red and black armor covered all of Seia... in yet the now mustach'd Gorgon's Mask Stuck out like an obvious weak point.

The spectacle did not end there though.

The ground shook, and the earth cracked. It was not only Seia's newfound abilities over 'Mustache' that was gained, but an amplification of her other powers as well. Under her feet, thorns erupt. Like an elevator, she is elevated higher and higher into the sky until a flowering yet grotesquely magical looking tower brought Seia high above ground level, and Melora.

Standing far and high above, Melora felt beckoned to challenge this obstacle.


@Karyra

Melora felt a tinge of a fake memory being conjured into this scenario.
Because of it, this situation presented to her had an air of nostalgia.

A single definitive charge into one another to decide everything.

Seia took a step to the edge. Looking down on Melora. It was almost beckoning her towards this climax.

Too add to the urgency... the tower of thorns let out tendrils that launched into the air. Inexplicably, they wrapped themselves around the sky whale. Doing so hungrily. They began to fight against the whale's ability to fly by drawing it towards the tower. As if it would sprout a mouth to devour it whole once it got close enough.

Worse yet, Aurora's let was caught in one of the many vines now wrapped around the whale. She and the whale were in danger of possibly being eaten by the carnivorous mustache plant.

The armored and masked Seia remained stoic even at this possibility of hurting them. Under the influence of the mask, there was no doubt to the things that the mask and master told her to do.

Scale the tower and defeat her and all will be well.

Urgency came over them. The urgency to make a decisive move to end this.



It was then, they saw Seia take that step. She was not going to wait! With blades both bared at Melora Seia was diving straight forward down and fast!

Melora had to meet her fall and end this now. Melora would be destroyed if she let Seia commit to the full effect of this falling strike!

@Skyswimsky
 
Melora prepared to launch her assault of ice, but the addition of the mustache hair blocked and shattered them. All she could do was watch Seia rise higher and higher on the thorny tower. The wind blew her short hair dramatically in the breeze. She felt like one of the PPG characters, waiting for a moment to strike.

The call from Seia was too great to answer.

Ah yes, they had once been rivals in a dojo, always coming to a draw.Now it would be the true clash. Who was better and why didn't matter. Now it was just a matter of brute force.

Watching Seia dive down, Melora created seven flaming swords, holding one in her hand, she leapt. Melora felt the pull and was going to answer with fire.

"Seia! Today I crush you!"


Melora let the swords move on their own around her, more magical contructs than actual swords. They cut into the tower with blistering speed while Melora threw the one in front of her to create a barrier of flame between her and Seia. With her other hand she grasped another sword and aimed it straight at the mask.

As the two passed each other, it was a climatic moment. In this frozen second... niether was a winner nor was there a loser. But soon the truth would be revealed. Who would fall and who would rise?

@Luma @Skyswimsky @Ehb
 
Melora launches fire at Seia as she fell. Again, Seia turned to her magic. Pulling out a rose from her hair she throws it like a knife down towards Melora. On it's own, the flower blooms in a flash of light, and a scattering of razor sharp petals barrage their way down into Melora's attack. This range clash sends sparks flying. However, in the end, these two ranged opening moves merely cancel each other out.

Indeed, the final strike would decide it!

Impact.
A flash of light and and explosion, The flames sear the side of the tower and erupt a buff of dust. What was the outcome of the clash between these two?

At the foot of the tower was both Melora and Seia. Standing opposite of one another. Around them, bits of thorn and sinewy vines were crashing and impacting the ground around them. Melora is in tatters, barely standing up. While Seia returns her determined gaze with the stony expression of her mask.

Melora had cuts all over her, the impact had taken a toll on her. Between the barrage of petals and the force of Seia's falling strike, the power she was struck with was immense.

In yet, Seia stood opposite of Melora looking nearly flawless.


But suddenly, Seia's composure collapses as she collapses onto her knees. The mask, with burned stumps of mustache clatters powerlessly onto the ground. The impact of Melora's strike was so powerful that, despite the mask and mustache's power being diverted to it's own salvation, the sigils that made it function were irreparably scarred.

In other words, the mask had been destroyed, freeing Seia from the spell that she had entrapped her. The sinews of hair surrounding Seia began to dissipate harmlessly. The rancid tower of thorns and the vines that were gripped to the Aurora and her whale were rising to the sky - dissipating in bright and shining lights.

A sincere sigh of relief.


"Not yet."


Melora's moment of rest is roused by hearing Seia's voice.
For a moment, she feels an uncanny at this voice of Seia's. It was lacking any of the stern undertones that the real Seia had. Still, it was best to not start questioning the fantasy after something so glorious.

"I won't accept an outcome decided by that mask. Melora! I'm going to beat you with my own strength! Fair and square!"


The redeemed Seia raises herself to her feet with her bladed wand. Feeling a second wind... no, a burning fighting spirit within her being roused - Melora rises herself upright.


Melora notes Seia's stance as she holds her bladed wand low. She shifts the position of her feet slightly, as if preparing to launch herself back. Melora knew what attack that Seia was about to throw at her. A step back, and then a powerful step forward that would add the force of that moment into her strike to break through anything.

Just like all of those times in the Dojo. Melora felt herself taken back to those wooden floors. It was funny that it was only know that she realized what she was doing wrong all this time. All the growth she had in this adventure would decide this truly final outcome. It would set everything right.

"...Here I come! Melora!"






Seia slid on her back a good distance as pieces of her bladed wand scattered around across the floor. She was soundly defeated.

With a bump on her cheek, Seia looked up skyward.

"I lost." She said closing her eyes. Finally letting the exhaustion of all the years under the control of the mask get to her. "You finally got me, Melora. But... I'm fine. I wanted to have one last match to decide it no matter what. All those years under that mask made me neglect my training."

Seia smiled peacefully as she looked up into the sky, as the shimmering lights disappeared, she was finally ably to see the while that had Aurora riding on it.

"So it was Aurora calling out to me then. A flying whale too? Cute...!"


Seia paused. Wanting to get up... but she didn't have the strength to do so on her own anymore. In fact, all of her strength seemed to be leaving her - as she was no longer being powered by the mask. At this same time, her body itself was failing.

"I think I'd like to take a nap here. Thank you two for saving me..."


@Skyswimsky @Karyra @Luma
 
Melora felt the cuts now. Stinging pain twitching and itching all over. Tired and hurt, she could barely stand. However, she grasped at long last what she needed to do. Melora just needed to have faith that she'd managed to do it...

As the mask split, Melora felt like they weren't done. Not yet. The mask was shattered, falling to the ground in pieces, but they weren't done. She hadn't really grasped that glimpse fully yet. Melora formed electric swords this time, one for each hand. A shift back, and Melora knew in that instant. This was how she'd defeat Seia.

Seia flew forward, but her momentum was her undoing. Melora released her blades, letting them hover in the air as Melora ducked, punching Seia in the stomach to cause the bladed girl to flip onto her back when she landed. Her electric blades cut through the wand-blade on their own, acting independently.

That was right, Melora thought. Here I can trust my magic to guard my back.

As quickly as she could limp over to Seia, Melora weakly attempted a healing spell. But she was tired and barely standing.

"You better wake up too, because I know I didn't work so hard to free you to never let you taste my cakes at my sky whale cafe, Seia."

@Ehb @Luma @Skyswimsky
 



 INTERMISSION

"RAAAAAAAAAR! I CURSE YOU! Do you hear me? A thousand curses upon you!" As Seia's mask(s) broke, the one that the gentlemanly Drakelord had put all his power into, he broke too. Flailing around vividly as the sound of a balloon deflating could be heard! His deep roar slowly sounding more and more like a chipmunk as he cursed and damned the Witches with words that they did not even realize exist. And then, as his tinier and tinier becoming figure was barely visible, a plop, and it seemed over. The dark and thundery floating crystal dimension was, as if on time, greeted by a few rays of sun, vegetation seemed to overgrow the rainbow-dancing crystals, and even birds could be heard as...



Aurora, Melora, and Celestia found themselves slowly regaining their sense of reality, the experience of just now still vividly in their memories as the cake and drink in front of them had already been consumed. They felt as if they had just awoken from a nice afternoon nap... and sated on top!

"Aaahhhh I'm so so sorry!" Their waitress made a deep bow as she apologized. "It went kind off... wrong. I'm not making any excuses but... I hope you still had some fun, and, uh.... I suppose the food's on the house! Next time I'll promise you a great experience. Imsosorry." The poor girl didn't even dare to lift her upper body up again...

Nonetheless, their small dreamscape seemed to be over, and slowly but surely they would be reminded of grim reality again...
What was Seia even doing there anyway? Was she real? Just a part of their imagination? Or something else entirely? Maybe the Praetorian knew more...

 
Seia found herself staring at the ceiling. Not too long after she was greeted with the surprised voice of her mentor, their voice full of relief that she had managed to wake up. Last she remembered, she had... taken a hold of the blade. And after that there was a conflict of sorts? She had to fight... something?

The details were all just muddy.

As she sat up, she realized she was actually in her own dormitory. Not in the armory. The more she returned to awareness, the more she remembered. She felt a small wave of disappointment in herself. Did she fail? Yes. She was in her room. She could've been out for goodness knows how long. Her mentor immediately mentions that she had been out of commission for about a day or two.

She failed. Her mentor put their faith in her capacity to do this, but it seemed like it was not enough.
Now Seia had to deal with the shame of that fact - and out of duty - apologize for the wasted opportunity.

How frustrating. Seia felt herself tense up at her own self loathing. She'd been doing so well as a witch up until now.
in yet...!

She gripped her palms into the bedsheets.


But on her right hand, something peculiar. It wasn't fabric of the top of her bed - rather... it was the hilt of Hazakura. The strange blade was laying at her side. Yes. She had never let go of it. Not even while unconscious. And, the fact that she had managed to return awake with blade in hand meant that she was able to get the weapon to accept her.


Through the door the Armoury master arrived. Congratulating Seia.
The easy part was now over. They related. But now comes the hard part.

In their hands, they presented Seia with a Hammer, and a golden Nail.
For this part... bonding the weapon to her body, forever. With this, even if her weapon would fall, it would always return to her at her command.
This incredibly painful sounding ritual however, was going to have to do that on her own - of her own fruition.

"...How long will it take to heal?"

With a magic healing formation? Maybe a couple of hours apparently. But, having it in the hand was something she would have to get used to on her own.

"So... I can still perform in the next mission?"

Affirmative.
Seia took the hammer, and the nail.

There was no uncertainty when she had come this far.
Whatever tools she needed. She'd make use of them. Even if it had to hurt.
 
Melora smiled as the scene slowly faded back into reality. Her cake was gone, but the lingering feeling of adventure was real.

"Don't apologize, it was terrific! Did you apply the..."
Melora started rambling and asking numerous questions about magic and the like in order to form the experience. However, she reigned herself in just as quickly as she had started. "Though, ahem, I figure that was an enjoyable experience regardless."

She finished talking with Aurora and -kind of- Rune, paying for the trip and saying that they should meet up tomorrow for deciding another mission. Today had been tough, but thankfully, she'd suggested this side trip. It took the worst of it off their minds. For now.



Melora stood in front of the board, reading the missions, when the word 'opera' caught her eye.

She took it and started to wait for the others to arrive. They'd want to know about this job, at least. Hopefully, those Iron people weren't going to be an issue again... but now they knew. Kill on sight.

Still... it might be another hard mission. Emotionally, at least. Hopefully Aurora could stay quiet for a bit... if only for the mission's sake.

@Luma @Ehb @Accelerator @Villamvihar
 
Today was the day. Another mission. Despite what had happened the other day, one of the squad members were considerate enough to let Seia be in the know.

Seia nursed her left hand as she walked to the meeting place. The bandaged wrapped hand was - for all intents and purposes - fully healed now. But the odd feeling of the nail being in there was still something she was not used to. The the most difficult part of it for Seia was seeing it there. It bothered her enough that she wanted to have it under wraps for the time being.

In any case though, there was still missions to be done. Even with what remained of the tatters of her team, her duties as a question witch remained. Whatever sorts of misgivings she had about the people in her party... well there wasn't much that could be done about it. In the grand scheme of things, the only way for her to really get a new team was if the members of this one either gave up or died.

The praetorian spotted Melora inspecting a mission off of the board. Of course she was the first one there. Eager to start the next mission. Even more so than Seia even.

Finally getting close enough for Melora to notice, the two exchanged momentary gazes. Seia's lack of weapon and bandaged hand was immediately noticeable. For Seia though, the exchange from the last mission was still terribly pungent.


"...All you had to do was nothing and wait for Parou. All of this could've been avoided if you just did that. In any case, that's all there is to discuss about what went wrong on this mission is it not? I don't see how any of that counts as classified information."

"I already told you. There's nothing you can say to me that I haven't already told myself."



Seia flipped her hair as she disengaged herself from Melora. Knowing one's problems would be the first step to improvement certainly. But as the old saying goes, there was ultimately only one real cure for foolishness. In any case, If they started talking now it wasn't going to be very productive.
Maybe it would be for the best if you follow after Parou this mission, Melora. She thought to herself. Her cloak darkened a little.
The praetorian chooses to look over the mission board herself. There was an unsaid understanding that she'd be doing this while waiting for the others to arrive.

@Karyra @Skyswimsky @Luma @Villamvihar @Accelerator