As the shade cuts me off
Not letting go of it's prey
I suddenly have a brief second vision
Of the one who looks like me
Commanding the shade
Face to face it hisses again
“So, you know my friend.” Isay confidently
“That makes capturing you all themore imperative.”
The Shade looks confused at the soundof that narrative
Looking at Leo, I cast a protectionspell
Then prepare to put my plan into action
“Hey, Red!” I yell
“I heard your brother was acoward!”
“You little...!!!”
The O.D. immediately unleashes a fireshower
It illuminates the street putting theShade in a panic
“You idiot!” Jack callsunder an umbrella of ice
“You're gonna get us killed withyour antics!”
The shade in a state of chaoticconfusion
Realizing quick the fire's no illusion
It lets out a howl and then vanishesfast
No sign of it lingers, save formemories past
I'll have to capture it later
No chance we've seen the last
I see Jack just itching to sass
Now it's just us and this angry O.D.
As locking eyes with her
She loses her sense of gravity
Tumbling to her butt
She calls, “What the hell dd youdo?”
With a smile I reply “I simplyunbalanced you.
Now, let's have a chat.
You're an O.D. right?
For a proclaimed protector you sure cutit tight.
See that kid over there?
His father was murdered by one of yourcolleagues,
Then a shade tried to abduct him.
So, answer me please?
What vendetta is so important
That you'd let that kid bleed?
Depending on your answer,
I may let you live.
Perhaps I'll take your memories.
So, what do you have to give?”
Now face to face with her
I feel her breath
As our eyes meet
She panics in heft
“You're a Seer.”
She swallows hard
“Why are you with her?
Why go this far?
You realize attacking an O.D.
Is a greatly punishable offense.
Are you overly arrogant or just thatdense?”
“Answer my question.”My tone cold
“Then maybe I'll answer yours.
What's so important that you'dsacrifice that kid?
Why so fixated on Jack to do what youdid?”
“Nathan!” Jack calls “Theboy!”
As I turn to look, the last that I see
Is the boy being swallowed by darkness
Being taken away from me
“Noooo!!!” I yell
But even my eyes can do nothing
As instantly he's gone
As the crickets sing
I let out a howl of rage and pain
As a shadowy mana blast emits
My promise in vain
“Nathan...” I hear Jackbegin to groan
As both she and the O.D. Collapseunconscious
In front of my ancestral home
Panic ensuing
What can be done?
As despair envelopes me
As doubt succumbs
Trial17: Into dreams
Paralyzed in a panic
What do I do?
Paralyzed in a panic
No idea - No clue
They lay lifeless
A black haze engulfing them
A smokey black flame trapping my friend
If this is it...
If this is where it ends...
Heaven forgive me
For the fool I've been
My emotions have been a tangled mess
To think that she could...
Please let this be a test...
Don't you dare die on me Jack
I need to think
Every spell can be broken
Suddenly the wind blows
It's words etched not spoken
Into dreams you must delve
Into the past – A subconscioushell
Trapped in slumber they remain
A second sleep to cause great pain
If they are to ever wake
A journey of truths you must make
Trapped in their regrets
They shall be
Until you can set them free
Sight beyond sight
A gift certain
Focus your power
Look behind the curtain
To save not one, but three
You must take a chance
Into dreams you must dance
Secrets revealed
Alliances made
Yet a price must be paid
Truths sealed
You may not like what you see
Yes or no?
What will it be?
Go into theirdreams?
But how does thatwork?
Gazing at thesmokey darkness
Silhouettes beginto form
Conflicting images
Tattered and torn
Could it be?
The smoke shiftingshort
It's their deepestpains
Their greatesthurts
Staring hard,trying to discern
Without evenmeaning to
My thoughtsaffirmed
No longer smoke
But memories -Clear
Echoing, muffledand hard to hear
As if I'm in anabstract pastel painting
The weight bearingdown
My strengthweighing
This is a place Ishouldn't be
Yet I am
As pain cleaves
I hear the shoutingof a young male voice
“No!”It calls
As a femaleexclaims “No choice!”
I follow the soundsthrough the swirling colors
Breaking throughthe fog
I see someone introuble
An older teen boyon cracking ice
A snowy range
The after of abloody fight
The boy's a soldierof a forgotten age
A knight in armor
The survivor of theday
Then I notice Jack
Reaching out herhand
“I won't doit! I can't!” The knight defiant
Against her tryingto help
“If I let youhelp me!” He continues to exclaim
“All yourdreams will be in vain!”
“I don'tcare!” Jack yells back
“Take myhand!”
Suddenly, the scenefades to black
Then swiftly shiftsto a scene coarse
A wedding betweenJack and the knight
Snapshots of ajoyous day and a joyous life
Fast forward fortysome odd years
Jack's face full ofrage and fear
The knight, her lover – Lay slainon the ground
Off in the distance a burning town
Another transition, Jack calling down ablizzard
Vengeance and hatred as she blocks thegate
An enemy army stands before her in fear
As they're frozen solid
She sheds a tear
One final scene as she's branded acriminal
Her cold expression overt andsubliminal
Now the colors swirl into a twisterfierce
Inside is Jack cowering in fear
As if she's reliving her darkest days
Hurting from the rage and the hate
She lets out a scream
Sobbing loud
No sign of her calming down
Her icy magic flowing from within
Blocking any entry with her past sins
The ice taking the shape of theprevious scenes
Shattering and reforming with everyscream
“Jack!” I call attemptingto enter the vortex
But it's just no use
The colors almost an impenetrablefortress
“Jack! You've got to snap out ofit!
You've got to wake up!”
My words can't reach her
Every one is snuffed
Again I try to break through thecolored wall
Every time in pain I fall
The coursing colors, every attempt theysheer and shred
If I force it I'll wind up dead
Seeing her like this my heart aches
As I remember my surrogate mother
On the birthday she gave me an icecream cake
The times she starved herself
So that I could eat
All the training we did
The times I got beat
The times she encouraged me
So loving and strong
Memory after memory
Finally I scream “MOM!!!”
The strength of my emotions
Make my mana pulse
As a shock wave of power breaks throughwith force
It tears a void into the twister ofcolor
As I rush in
Wrapping my arms around my teacher andmother
Then I look her straight in the eyes
And at the sight of her cries
I wish fully that my eyes could healher
With that thought, it becomes everrealer
I feel my eyes begin to throb
As the pulsating manna does it's job
“Nate.” She smiles touchingmy cheek
Then instantly I'm knocked out of thedream
Back in reality I
