Welcome to Gaia! ::

In 2012 the world was suppose to end. Ancient Aztecs had predicted it, world wide society had guaranteed it and fanatics prepared for it. One of the signs of the coming doom had been the appearance of never before seen constellations as our planet aligned with the axis of our galaxy. Most of the world was unable to see this magnificent sight near the end of a bitter cold and abnormally stormy winter, but for the few that managed it, the sight was one for the ages.

Like a black ribbon that divided the stars, the sky was separated by a thick band of nothingness. However what the astrologists could not predict was what came through that darkness. Instead of some new string of stars to study and learn, viewers were treated to an astrological event of another sort. A string of comets came through that band that stretched between the arms of the milky way, leaving shimmering trails of light in their wake. Many of these passed so close to earth that their trails striped the sky, tinting it shades of blue and green as they skimmed the outer atmosphere.

The end had not come, at least not in the abrupt and spectacular way that many had expected. The next year began as all those before it had, with much celebrations and rejoice to see a new start at life. But for many, the beginning was to be a bit more unpredictable than the normal hustle and bustle of life in a modern world.

All over the world, a certain illness began to plague the youth. It always hit those not fully grown, although it was not age specific. The symptoms were varied, often volatile and untreatable. In almost all cases, the youths began to have physical or psychological changes after a few days.

Hospitals attempted to isolate the contaminate, ruling out everything from poisons to normally occurring viruses. The only common link between all the patients tested was an elevated level of an unidentified compound. After further analysis it was concluded that it was some sort of radioactive material, although how it could be contaminating completely different regions of the world was still a mystery. The only theory that had any clout, but no proof were the comets.

At first local authorities and medical facilities tried to handle or contain the infected, hoping to stop it from spreading to the rest of the population. But as thousands of children were put in quarantine, more cases were reported. The illness did not spread to everyone, although everyone began to show elevated levels of the unknown material. The few quarantine's that had been deemed contained were disbanded and the children sent home.

It was only a few weeks later that fear over road sensibility as children began to show attributes deemed unnatural. From gaining appendages like tails or wings to frying circuitry with a single touch, those who had been ill now seemed to have evolved in various ways. Adults that had gone to their aid and offered assistance soon turned their backs or cried out in anger at the innocents that now had powers they had no control over.

From there it only took a single act of violence to send the precarious balance over the edge. A child in England had accidentally caught a building on fire, killing everyone in the complex. When fire crews arrived to put out the blaze, the child walked out of the walls of flame, completely unharmed.

Reports around the globe showed children either committing heinous acts, or paying for crimes they could not stop. The media stormed over a boy who was put to death in Korea for causing typhoons every time he cried. It became increasingly evident that something must be done to help these children, or the world was likely to fall under their destruction.

Countries all around the world started having similar problems. It was decided, in various ways and under many different guises, to place these children in a safe and contained space where they would not be a danger to the rest of the populace. By this time there were several thousand cases. The infected soon became known as the Hex.

Thus North America put its hard earned tax money into the creation of a place to contain its share of the Hex. Using a recently renovated country style boarding school, the facility had all the amenities to accompany the twenty four hundred children already mandated to fill its halls. The owner of the land had generously offered the use of his historic property in light of the country's current need.

Spanning over ten acres that are mostly wooded, it contained several buildings and a man made lake. It's most promising feature was that it had mixture of natural and man made boundaries. Where the owner had not provided high stone walls the cliff studded feet of a mountain provided sufficient closure and kept the place in easy solitude.

It took almost no effort at all to get the place stocked and supplied to handle this resettlement. Some worried that the movement had a holocaust motif to it, but the U.S. government assured all parties concerned, especially wary parents, that the place would be ample protection for and from their kids. That they would be treated well, their rights not stripped away. Promises were made that the kids could return once they were made well again. In fact there was a research team to be on site from the moment the doors opened.

By June of 2013 a mandate went into effect, requiring all children effected by the Hex to report to a medical or authority station to be transported to the new resettlement location. Some went willingly, others forced by family too frightened to keep them. Some tried to run, but after word got out that some officers shot a teen for running, resistance was quickly quelled. In less than two weeks, the school newly christened "Hex's school for the gifted" was filled to capacity.

Faculty was broken into three sections. The first were the guards, who wandered the area and the walls to make sure that no one gets in or out without clearance. Their orders are to shoot first ask questions later. The second were the researchers, doctors and nurses on call at all hours to make sure the overall health of the adolescence stayed stable. They were the ones also looking for a way to reverse the effects of the illness and consequently its resulting mutations. And finally is the third and final group, the teachers. Professors who volunteered to help the children in their studies. This also contains the psychologists who are there to document their mental stasis.

The process of entry was a series of simple tests. Each child went through a screening, which categorized their stage of Hex manifestation. The categories were deviated by letter and number. The letter determined the power type, like a Hex periodic table. The number was a rating from one to ten, depending on the severity of the mutation. Higher numbered cases were put in special containment areas. This was to protect the outside populace as well as the less volatile cases from the erratic and dangerous effects.

Every Hex case was said to be given a base reading and the medical staff was to watch the levels in the event of increased activity. The more a child acted out with their powers, the higher their count went and the closer they got to being isolated. However none of the cases had opportunities to bring their number down. It was almost like the government was trying to find an excuse to shove the Hex under the proverbial rug.

This is the story of a group of kids, trying to survive in a place they don't expect to see the outside of. Estranged from family and uninfected friends, they forge a new bond.

While the world outside is fearing them, these children suffer in isolation. Some try to protect, some try to cure, others want to destroy. That is something that could be said on either side of the fence. It's hard enough going through life and trying to make sense of the changes in your body. Harder still when those changes are not normally supposed to happen.

(I'm leaving the full intros of the characters to you. That gives you about four pages of rp to play with. I'm going to jump in when Ace is taking Nemo back to his dorm and we get our first glimpse of Palian. ^'^ Have fun! Ur on a roll! XD And don't be afraid to quote some of the dialogue!)



The sun was beginning to dip behind the western edge of the mountain peek, causing golden rays of light to pierce through the deeper magenta and cooling blue of the cloud dotted sky. The trees swayed under a gentle breeze, their bows heavy with golden leaves. Winter was not far off, but the last dregs of summer could still be seen in the migrating flocks overhead and the still green peaks of the mountain.

Nemo decided, after he admired the striking shapes and colors of the heavens, he should probably head back to his room. There were very strict curfews in this place. Unless you have specific and pre-approved reasons, students had to be indoors by sunset. After that it was said that the guards were more lethal when making their rounds. So far, no one had tested them on this warning.

With his bag filled with candy wrappers and an empty coffee cup, Nemo walked as quickly as his exhausted legs would carry him. He had consumed as much caffeine and sugar coated things as his stomach could handle, hoping to stave off sleep for as long as possible. Yet even though he had done all he could to prepare for another sleepless night, he wondered if he had the stamina to even make it to his room.

It had been five days since he last slept, a stint that was impressive by some standards, but always seemed to be a source of vexation for him. The boy's eyelids had deeply bruised because of this, which made his gray eyes all the more startling for their lack of color. He had always been a bit of a night owl, but even he had to grudgingly admit that this was getting a bit ridiculous.

Evenings were always the hardest for him. Humans are naturally diurnal creatures, so this self induced insomnia was really messing with his internal clock. It didn't help that most place were closed, or completely empty. Even if he wanted to waste time in the common room, there was no one to talk to, or even share the space with. He didn't really like bigger rooms with no one to share them with. It made the room heavy with its silence.

And there was always something about the night that allured him. The stars, the moon and if he was at home, the northern lights. It was one of the few things that made him wish he was not here. They were too far south to see the lights and Nemo grew up with those ribbons of light floating overhead. He remembered fondly calling them night rainbows as a little kid. It was always so peaceful in comparison to the day. But there was no peace for him, be it day or night.

"Come on, you can't give up yet," he grumbled to himself. He couldn't sleep. Not yet. Just a little further. As his feet pulled him along his eyes drooped closed. He stumbled, which made his eyes shoot open in alarm. After a few reassuring breaths, However it only took him a handful of steps before his eyes started to close again.

In the few seconds that he wasn't paying attention, Ace stepped up beside him. The taller boy walked a few paces, watching the boy stumble with a chiding expression on his face. He had been wandering the campus, chatting with students and teachers, even getting a few laughs from some of the guards.

He waited until Nemo stumbled again before he grabbed the smaller boy and hoisted him over his shoulder in a firemen's carry. It didn't matter to him that the boy had expressed his need for solitude. To Ace, everyone needed friends. Seeing this boy who fought to keep everyone at arms length only made him want to work harder to become on of the few to get through to him.

Nemo tensed a few seconds later, realizing that he was no longer moving of his own power. Ace didn't stop or offer to put him down. Instead he broadened his pace so that Nemo didn't bounce about so much.

"You really shouldn't sleep outside," he said lightly. "That's how your stuff gets stolen. Trust me, my stuff doesn't get stolen because I can find whoever did it but you can't so I am going to put you in your dorm ok?"

Nemo didn't answer right away. He was too surprised that he was being carried. It was like one moment he was walking and then he blinked and he was suddenly looking at the pavement. Some part of him worried, because he didn't normally miss little bits of time like that. He even had a dulled thought that there was a reason he didn't want to sleep. A spike of fear that made him shiver. But his worry was drowning under the heavier pull of sleep. Now that his body wasn't fighting to move or stay level, it had relaxed and was trying to drag his conscious mind with it.

"Please, you must stay away," he whispered as his head sagged against the other boys back. After a long and hard road, Nemo finally lost his battle. Sleep quickly dragged him under again, and his body went limp in Ace's arms. His last thought had been that he didn't remember telling Ace where his dorm was. Ace, in turn, quickly realized Nemo had fallen asleep. With a whistle fresh on his lips, the time weaver strolled on without a care in the world.

The air around Ace then began to have a charged feel to it. He tried to ignore it, but the sensation of bugs crawling on his skin made him want to speed up and end his good deed for the day.

Then from one step to the next the time weaver realized that he wasn't alone. To his left he saw the silhouette of a man dressed all in white. He was solid, but fuzzy and unfocused around the edges, like when a channel doesn't quite come through on an old tv with bunny ears.

Lifeless eyes watched him as one ghostly hand rested on the chest of the unconscious boy in his arms. It was then that Ace stopped walking, curious as to whether this was some illusion or if this was another student about to introduce himself. The Hex, he was quickly noticing, were a reclusive bunch. Not that he could really blame them. Not with everyone bent on curing them, or killing them.

"Well hi there," he greeted, not wanting to be rude. Manners would never steer you wrong, at least that was what his family had raised him to believe. And although Ace was lazy in most all things, manners were one of the few things he did not skimp out on.

The young man stood silently for a moment, a look of contemplation on his face. He was slightly taller than Ace, but not so much that he had to look up to meet his startling blue eyes. They were like looking into a pool of deep frozen water. His hair matched the unnatural white of Nemo's and they seemed to have a similar facial structure, which made him wonder if they were somehow related.

The figure continued to look at Ace. After what felt like forever, or at least long enough for Ace to notice his muscles were beginning to protest carrying the boy, the figure let his mouth gape open as if he wanted to speak, but no sound came out. Then as if the distance the sound had to travel was far greater than the few inches it was, an echoing sound like a thousand screams bombarded Aces' ears. It seemed to echo from all around, but at the same time seemed only to be heard by the time weaver.

The sound was so loud and so surprising that it caused Ace to almost drop Nemo. At the last second he caught himself and re-positioned the boy more securely in his arms.

"What the hell?" he exclaimed as the sound subsided and he could hear again. His body felt like he had touched a live wire, all sizzling energy and tingles of adrenaline. Something told him maybe this thing wasn't a student after all.

Not daring to try communicating with it again, he turned away and bolted as fast as he could towards the nearest building. He knew he couldn't go fetch one of the guards. They were as likely to shoot him and the kid as the thing that would probably be following them. The only thing he could think to do was to get them to Nemo's room and hope the figure did not follow.

As he passed open doorways and windows with no shades, Ace became increasingly fearful. For at each moment he saw the figure standing, looking like he was trying to say something to him, or reach out and touch his arm as he passed. And each time he opened his mouth, that tirade of agonized screams filled the air after a few seconds delay.

He passed a few deserted buildings, but there was no one in sight. Well, if you didn't count the thing that followed him at every turn. Then as he rounded the corner of the main dorm hall, he came face to face with the figure. Empty eye sockets bore down on him as screams from an abnormally wide mouth filled the air making the force of it knock him to the ground.

"Screw this man," Ace shouted in response. Letting Nemo sag off his shoulders into the soft grass, the time weaver stood to face the figure, his shoulders squared off with confidence. Nemo murmured softly in his sleep, but did not wake. Ace felt bad for the kid so he wasn't about to wake him to fight this guy off.

"Let's dance." Making a complex hand gesture, he stopped time for a few seconds. He took a moment to look around him, how the grass stayed bent under a stilled wind, Nemo's chest risen in mid breath and a bird frozen a few inches off the branch it had launched off of in flight. Ever since he woke from the illness, he was able to stop or stall time. And even though he practiced it routinely to the point that he could walk in and out of the time stream seamlessly, the awe had yet to wain.

The figure that had followed him in his rush now stood still before him. His eyes were still just empty shadows, as if the eyeballs were hidden in a mask of shadow too deep to penetrate. Ace moved up to him and threw a handful of punches into his stomach and across his face before tossing him over his shoulder. When he let go, the unknown entity floated in the air, as if he was in suspended animation.

"That should distract you til I can get me and the kid out of sight," Ace said derisively. His confident smile faltered, however, when he saw that the figure righted himself and faced his opponent. The being looked slightly surprised, but that quickly morphed into one of a most fearful anticipation. Color drained from the time weaver's face and he gulped down a breath that seemed to not want to leave him.

"That's not suppose to happen," he admitted to no one in particular as he turned to collect Nemo. As he knelt to pick up the boy, he released the power that put him between the time stream. He suddenly felt the light breeze as it resumed its course. It was always an interesting sensation to feel time resume. He never quite appreciated the difference til he had this power. Then again he never thought about what it would have been like before he had control over it.

While Ace ran from the unknown entity, Fyte and tsukiko were making their way to the cafeteria. They chatted about their classes, or what their homes had been like. Anything to keep their minds from the reality of their imprisonment. At least for now they could pretend they were in a happy place, preparing for when they could venture into the world as educated adults.

As they were walking up the steps to the main entrance leading to the cafeteria, Fyte stopped and looked behind her. Her ebony hair flowed in the unnatural wind that always seemed to follow her. It whispered and whisked along her skin, but she ignored it in favor of the sound that carried on its silken waves.

"Did you hear that Tsukiko?" she asked as she tilted her ears to better decipher the feint sound. It was an odd sound, but she knew it was something she should know. Something that the back of her brain knew, but the front could not process.

"Yea. What was that?" Tsukiko wondered as she took a few steps away from the door. As if to answer, a sudden barrage of agonizing screams rent the air around them. Both girls covered their ears and tried to search with their eyes for the source of the sound, but there was no reasonable source to be found.

Despite their attempts to block the sound, its haunting echoes still resounded in their minds after the noise ceased. It made both girls shiver. Without having to share a word, the girls decided they wee going to investigate. For all they knew, someone was needing help.

Before they headed off into the shadowy beyond of the campus grounds, Tsukiko showed Fyte a little trick she had learned after the sickness had given her control of water. It took some concentration and a little effort, but after a couples tries, she cheered in triumph as she held up a handful of self contained little water balls. They were about the size of small marbles.

"I condensed them from the air. They have the density of water at several hundred feet below sea level," she explained cheerfully as she handed a couple to her friend. "Perfect ear plugs that will muffle the sound we heard, but won't make us completely deaf."

Fyte took the gift, a smile on her face. She couldn't help taking one between her fingers and squeezing it gently. It felt like cold gel, bending and then reforming when she loosened her grip.

"So cool," she admitted as she followed her friends example and pressed them into her ears like little ear buds. They conformed to the shape of her ears perfectly, without getting into her inner ear. After a few seconds the water warmed a bit so they were practically unnoticeable.

A steady dripping echoed along the hallway, pitching its own sound back and forth along the stone walls. The flickering torch lights were like mounted beacons that fended off the encroaching darkness. Shadows flickered and bounced as a ghostly breeze shifted the otherwise still air.

It was quiet. The dream demon liked it like this after a few hours in the waking world. Though he grew to love the short trips he managed, in the end his home was the boundless expanses of nothing that had the potential to become anything Nemo could ever imagine. Being the sole inhabitant may seem lonesome, but he thought of it more like peaceful solitude.

Stretched out on the dingy floor, his white coat laying crumpled in a pile beside him, the figure lay contented to listen to the steady dripping of the water. One of the torches hung in the corner of the barred off space, emanating a false sense of warmth. Hands folded beneath his head, he let his eyes droop closed and relaxed his body.

A slight ache made his jaw twitch. That boy from earlier had thrown quite a punch, but it was no matter. The only thing that made it even note worthy in his mind was that the boy had managed to hit him at all. It was unprecedented, at least in his short few months of conscious existence. He yawned to loosen the muscle then scratched his stomach idly, ruffling the slim black shirt he wore.

Then a sound, unlike anything he heard before reached him. A voice, a very familiar voice. His eye opened just a fraction, letting the darkness beyond light up slightly with the barest flutter of his long lashes. Straight ahead of him, looking about at her wits end was Tsukiko. Eyes widening in surprise, he turned his head towards her and whistled.

Tsukiko continued walking down the dark hallway, oblivious to the cell only a few yards away. With every step a jingle from her bells or a ruffling noise from her dress would get lost in the empty void only to reach his trained ears a few seconds later. It was like the dynamics of space and sound travel were warped. Everything took longer to be seen or heard here.

Meanwhile Tsukiko struggled not to lose her cool. She was about ready to punch a wall to see if that could create an exit, because she was still worried about her friend, and if she was okay along with the boy named Nemo. So she walked on, looking for any sign of anything other than the formlessness that surrounded her. Another sigh escaped her lips as she silently regretted letting go of the wall. At least it gave her a sense that she was making progress. For all she knew the room constantly shifted so that she would stay in the middle, hopelessly trapped in the void.

The darkness suddenly became oppressive in a way she had not expected. It was unlike any place she had ever visited in her sleep. Almost like she was in a physically substantial space rather than something only created in her mind. She wondered if she thought hard enough, would a lamp appear to light her way? It was her dream after all, so it made sense that she should be able to control it. But something about that thought confused her, like hearing a word mispronounced. She knew it was wrong, but she couldn't figure out why or how to fix it.

The brown haired girl was snapped out of her thoughts when she registered the airy whistle ahead of her. It rather startled her after having gotten used to the steady silence. The noise came from ahead of her, illuminated by one lone torch that burned over a thickly bricked and heavily barred cell. Inside sprawled the creature from earlier. They looked equally surprised at one another, both thinking that this must be come trick of the mind. Some glitch in the dreamscape. Tsukiko hurried closer to where the boy was, her dress bouncing with each step.

'Maybe he might know something about where I am,' she thought as she passed like a comet through the night sky. The ribbons fluttered in her wake like a glittering tail.

When she finally could get no closer, she sat on her knees in front of the boy with the bars spaced between them. As her dress settled around her, the bells in her hair twinkled in the light and let off their own gentle ring. She never understood why she always wore this dress, or why the bells jingled in her hair, but she was comforted by their appearance in this otherwise unrecognizable place.

At first she just looked at him. The most noticeable feature was the thick shackle that dangled from his otherwise bare neck, linked by heavy chains to the center of the cell. His white trench coat lay beside him, leaving a simple black half sleeved shirt to cover his broad shoulders and the same white pants and matching shoes she had seen him in only a few moments before. His white hair was streaked with flecks of yellow from the light behind him, and the eye she could see under that wild mane was the palest blue. The bone structure of his face was defined, but gentle, as if caught between being effeminate or masculine.

Having looked at him as long as was polite, Tsukiko turned her gaze elsewhere lest he think she was gawking. She really didn't know what to say or ask of him, so she took a moment to absorb her surroundings. At least what the torch now allowed her to see of it anyways.

The stone walls looked old and rough, even damp in parts. Each of the bars were different thicknesses and made of what could have been iron, but she had no real way of knowing, but it gave it an old school craftsmanship feel. Yet despite the medieval dungeon-esque motif, the guy within its confines looked as at home as if it were his own bedroom. Something about that realization made her shiver, despite her outwardly passive appearance.

"I'm guessing you know where we are?" Tsukiko then sighed, remembering the boy couldn't speak. Tsukiko wanted nothing more than to be back home, snuggled in her bed and dreaming about something less disturbing than what sat in front of her. Especially when she noticed that certain something was staring so pointedly at her.

"I do," he said softly. The sound of his reply was so surprising to her that Tsukiko couldn't help the high pitched yelp that only girls seem to be able to do. Though his answer was short, his voice resonated a nice deep timber. She wondered if it was what his voice would sound like in her world if he didn't have those screams to drown it out. Just thinking about that collective sound of agony made her shiver and try to rid it from her thoughts. Some things become stronger just by thinking about them, or so her grandmother had often told her. She listened to that age old advice and focused on the being before her.

Turning over so that he lay on his side, he faced Tsukiko while keeping an eye on the bars that had warped to accommodate the girl as she pressed so close she was almost touching them. With an irritated jerk of his head the bars leapt out of the way and resettled themselves behind the girl. He may not be able to leave his prison, but that didn't stop him from being able to allow others within it.

Satisfied that they were as they should be once more, he shifted that piercing gaze to the girl who sat before him. Her clothes were different and a soft jingle met his ears every time she moved, which clashed deviantly with the shackle around his neck that clanked heavily with every motion he made.

Tsukiko tried to stay focused on the now after hearing that most unexpected reply. It helped to remember she had no home left. Hex's School for the Gifted was her home now. None of the rest mattered. At least not compared to the opportunity currently presented. Tsukiko wanted to see if she could get some answers to the millions of questions she had.

"But I'm wondering how the little witch managed to wander into the demons lair," he asked with a smirk tugging on his lips. The water bender jumped when the creature spoke, not expecting him to engage in conversation. She thanked her luck that it was only a dream, because if someone had startled her like that while she was awake, they probably would have been drenched in water.

If he was like most guys, she would have expected single word answers that she had to pull from him like rotted teeth. That he responded to her like this made her wonder if he was just as eager to learn about her as she was to learn about him.

Gently he snagged one of her long locks and pulled it towards him, feeling the softness between his fingers. Tsukiko opened her eyes when he grabbed that single lock of hair. Her hair was long, easily to her waist, though she usually kept it tightly tucked back in some form or other. However, his attentions still pulled slightly and her scalp was sensitive.

"So my hair interests you, huh?" Tsukiko asked trying to tilt her head out of habit only to have it pull again. Not wanting him to pull any of it out by accident, she move closer to it would have more slack to stretch with. Cocking her head in confusion, she thought again on his words, cryptic as they were. Nodding in silent acknowledgment, the figure let her hair loose from his fingers and settled back onto the cold stone floor.

"So you can talk," she reiterated softly as she looked at him through the curtain of her hair. Taking note to the shackle around his neck, Tsukiko lifted her hand and brushed her fingers against it lightly. It was the same kind of thick rough metal as the bars of his cell.

He noticed how she reached out to feel his bindings, a look of sadness sobering her otherwise curious gaze. It shamed him a little to let her see this weakness in him, but could do nothing to change it now. His time would come. He would stop at nothing to stand in the waking world without worrying about being sling-shotted back into this place just when things had gotten interesting. One day, he kept reminding himself.

"I wish I knew," she admitted meekly as her eyes avoided contact with his. "But I can guess why."

"Maybe if you could please tell me where the demons lair is," she finally prompted when the man before her showed no signs of releasing the information. She took back her earlier thought of him not being like guys. Whatever he was, he was still a man.

"Then I can figure out why I'm here," she finished, hoping it would encourage him to speak again. Tsukiko watched the creature again, hoping for some sign or reaction only to see him smirking. She was definitely going to have to maintain her patience if she wanted her answers. Question was, who would give in first? So she sat in silence, waiting for this person to talk. Trouble was, he looked entirely too pleased and amused to even need to speak.

"Is this your home?" she asked at last, placing her arms around herself to fend off the unexpected draft of chilly air . 'Ok, so maybe staying silent wasn't the right strategy,' she thought. 'Let's try the keep asking questions until he gets so flustered that he has to answer at least one tactic.'

"Maybe you could tell me your name. Or do you even have one? Then again you might be able to tell me how I got to the unconscious state I'm in now, rather than have me play detective. The last thing I remember was placing my hand over your eye."

Tsukiko knew that she was rambling a bit, but a small shred of fear wormed its way passed the impartial state that sleeping can sometimes cause. If she wasn't careful, her panic could cause the dream to go sour. And she did not like having nightmares. Best thing to do was to stay calm and be rational. Not an easy thing to do, given the situation.

Tsukiko put a strand of hair behind her ear when she went out of her thoughts. She didn't know what she was doing here so she didn't know what to do. Her body would eventually wake up, and she would leave. That much at least was obvious, once she thought about it. So now that she had a few answers down, she wanted to hear at least one from him. Instead she sat in exasperation as he closed his eyes and remained silent.

"So maybe you could tell me something since I really have nothing to say. That's how conversations work you know. A little back and forth, some give and take."

As Tsukiko spoke she played with the ribbons tied around her neck nervously. For someone who at first seemed so eager to talk, she was beginning to think that his ability to communicate was limited. It was a sad thought, but it was either that, or he was really just yanking her chain. No pun intended.

"Palian. My name is Palian," he said abruptly. "And you are within the limitless boundaries of my prison. Nemo's subconscious mind."

"Palian what a nice name," Tsukiko said softly. It was unusual, but who was she to pick at unique names in a place like this? Besides, there were more interesting details to attain, especially when he mentioned that last part.

Opening his eye, he locked gazes with her while touching his bandaged face, all traces of amusement gone from his visage. The look made what warmth she had leave in an icy rush. The question she had wanted to ask died on her lips.

"We are being punished for my near transgression."

"Punished? We haven't done anything wrong," Tsukiko retorted resolutely as she stared at the creature named Palian. She folded her arms over her chest, clearly upset. And from her view of the situation she had a right to be. Tsukiko couldn't see how either of them had done anything against any laws or moral codes. No one had been hurt and they had managed to keep their powers from reeking too much havoc on the campus. So what was the problem? Letting her eyes narrow in suspicion, she glared at the creature who resumed his relaxed posturing. But after watching him, she realized that he was agitated in some way. She just didn't know why.

"Tell me why Nemo keep you locked up in this dungeon," she demanded in a low voice. "What have you done that scares him so badly."

Tsukiko then took a deep breath to calm herself. She hadn't noticed the volume of her voice had turned up several notches until the flames of the torches flickered and almost went out entirely. The water bender was mad, really mad. She didn't even truly understand why. It wasn't like her to get so worked up without the reason being really obvious. Maybe it was fueled by the disorientating feel of the place, but the fear of being in total darkness with this thing qwelled that anger enough for her to regain her composure.

Once again she had more questions then answers. Maybe, she thought, if she reminded him of her offer then he might offer more information in return. Like pooling resources. Of course, there was the off chance that he changed his mind and refuses her all together. The compassion in her hoped that she could be of some use to both boys.

"I'm still going to help you get free Palian." Tsukiko placed her hand back over his shackle. Her delicate fingers just managed to span the width of the metal, making her wonder just how uncomfortable this accessory must be.

"Isn't there anyway I can help you as of now?" she asked locking gazes with the boy who in turn studied her face with renewed interest. Tsukiko didn't know why she wished to help the boy, but she didn't really mind either.

"No one deserves being locked up, no matter what past they have." The water bender was still upset about what was going on. How could anyone be punished for this?

Then again she didn't know the whole story. Tsukiko just remembered how it felt to be locked up in her childhood hometown. Nowhere to go and no one to help her to reach beyond the confines of her societal limitations. She hated being a bird in a cage with locked doors and no light, even just metaphorically. When she had finally broken free, she promised to always help anyone brake free of their own cages. No matter what. Part of that pledge was to make up for the things she had done wrong in her life, but the rest was because she just couldn't handle the thought of people being so cruel to one another. She would much rather help people then harm them and couldn't understand how some people managed to validate such actions.

A quirk of his lips was the only sign that he heard her compliment his name. This girl was amusing, that he could not deny. It was new to him, but he couldn't fight the pleasure he gleaned from her fretting over the situation. It was sweet really, if only too innocent.

And it was equally entertaining to see the emotions that ran across her face. Most of it he did not understand, but it was interesting to know that such expressions were possible. He could identify the look of sorrow, anger, determination and passion. But like describing color to the blind, Palian did not know what it was to feel these things.

"I'm sorry for getting angry its just....I know how it feels to be locked up. Trapped, and alone." Tsukiko apologized as she refocused on the boy watching her so intently. She was mostly calm now, her eyes no longer fogged over with ghosts from the past. She felt bad for screaming and most likely over reacting to the situation, but she didn't know how to act or feel about it so she was just tried to reign in her thoughts and keep calm about it all. When all else fails, stay focused on the facts. Problems always get solved faster with clear heads and calm hearts.

"There are rules, always rules," he said finally in a low timbered drawl. He didn't like her reminding him of his imprisonment, so decided that if he explained a little, she would be satisfied enough to not mention it further. Assistance he could accept if it meant getting out of this place more often, but he wasn't about to grovel to someone who pitied him. He would not trade one master for another, no matter how steep the debt.

"Rule number one is that I am not permitted to view the world with this eye," he said as he held up one finger. He rubbed the bandage with his other hand, feeling the soft cotton of it with his palm. It itched to be uncovered, his eye, but he dare not in case it caused more trouble.

"Rule number two is that I cannot exist without Nemo, hence my prerogative," he continued to explain as he held up a second finger. His free hand went from his eye down to the band around his neck, caressing the metal with a look of longing.

"The shackle is a physical representation of the bond, or link we share. When he is here, he also has one." Tsukiko frowned as she listened, thinking about how these rules were completely unfair.

Recalling that the water bender had asked him if he lived in the dungeon made him laugh then. It was a dark clear rumble devoid of the screams he had in the waking world. The effect made him even more creepy than if he had let those many voices resume their cries. More frightening because of how human it sounded while retaining a quality that Tsukiko could not yet place.

She once again felt bad for both boys, hearing how they were stuck together like this. However, when Palian laughed it made her start with fright. Yes it had scared her, but she did her best to stay relaxed, only her eyes gave away her nervousness.

It was unsettling to hear that he liked being in the dungeon. She didn't see why anyone would want to be in this place. Then again it was her own opinion, formed by the advantage of having other places to compare it to. Something told her that he didn't have as diverse a background.

"I am within this dungeon because it suits me to." Palian chose only to answer her question when he had stopped laughing, though the amusement was clear in his voice.

"If I am so inclined, I can be anywhere I choose. Like say, for example, this," he added as more of an afterthought. In a blink of the eye, the scene changed from the dingy dark dungeon to a clear starlit night in the middle of a meadow where many flowers bloomed an iridescent white. No topographical features defined the land, only vast expanses of grass and the beautiful glowing flowers that looked towards the large full moon. A light breeze ruffled the foliage, bending it like waves looking for the sandy shore.

As the area around her changed, Tsukiko couldn't help smiling. The place was beautiful, completely breathtaking after the oppressive gloom of the dungeon. Tsukiko looked up at the sky as stars twinkled and the moon bathed them in her silver glow. Her gaze became very soft as a couple stars shot across the span of the heavens. She had never dreamed of something quite so vivid before.

"This is my world, after all," Palian stated blandly when he noticed how at awe she appeared. To him it was nothing at all to change his surroundings. He just never bothered, because it never helped alleviate that sense of nothingness. It truly didn't matter what he could conjure, because to him it was all illusion.

"My mother named me when she saw the moonlight shining in the window where I was born," she said softly as she looked up at her namesake floating so brightly. "My name, Tsukiko, means moon child. My full name is moon child of the snow." She smiled at the irony. Who knew that her name would be so appropriate later in life?

The water bender looked around her then, noticing the sea of flowers that bloomed in the night. Gingerly, she folded her shirts around her so she could sit in the greenery without bunching it. Reaching out with one pale hand, she picked one of the flowers. Smiling as she brought it to her nose, the tiny pedals tickled her nose. She then placed it behind her ear, letting the small jingle of her bells echo in the vast space. Tsukiko preferred the more alive breeze to the creeping cold and dampness of the dungeon.

"Your world seems like a nice place at times," the girl spoke as she picked another flower. It reminded her of picking flowers back in the village for her brother. She always made him a necklace then come home and place it on his neck. He would always laugh and complement her. The memory was striking, but it did nothing to deter from the beauty of the place.

"At times, it is. At others, not so much," Palian replied as he turned his gaze to the vast meadow. "For all its glamour and wonder, I am the only one to anjoy it. Sometimes that is a blessing, but recently I begin to wonder if it is not just another part of my imprisonment."

Grabbing a tall blade of grass, he bent and tied the strand around until it became a bow before transforming into a large green butterfly. Letting it take wing, he watched as it fluttered around the girl. It tugged at a place within Palian to hear her offer aid to his cause, but he knew she would not be much use. Not yet anyways. He had not managed to formulate a plan to break the ties between him and the boy. At least nothing that wouldn't end in his own death.

The green butterfly snapped Tsukiko out of her thoughts, giggling unexpectedly as she watched it fly around her. Her gaze shifted as it fluttered past its creator, to see Palian in deep thought. Sitting in the grass beside her, he listened to the wind rush along the tall reeds and how Tsukiko's giggles of delight mixed with them. It was a sound he had never heard before. A sound he found was pleasant and he enjoyed hearing it.

Averting his gaze when he realized the girl was watching him, he thought about her words. No one deserves to be locked up? That may be so, but he knew from all the times Nemo yelled at him that his reasoning and ways of dealing with problems were not how things were done in the waking world. He knew inside that being a creature comprised of nightmares, if anyone should be locked away he was it. But he did not want it to be because of his desire to protect the child, but because of his own will. If he was evil, so be it. But he wanted it to be his choice, not his mission.

"Maybe I can't help now, but I'll find a way some how. One that helps both you and Nemo." Tsukiko spoke with a whisper, not wanting to interrupt his thoughts. She returned to watching the butterfly dance around, her countenance calm and assured. She truly felt like a child again in this place. Like magic still existed, or at least the possibility of it. She thought the feeling had died along with her brother.

"You want to help? Then understand that I am not good."

"Well that's easy, seeing as I'm not either," she countered softly. "I'm the reason my mother and brother are dead. I killed them all." She stopped admiring the scenery and stared at the demon. If they were to have an accord, then she wanted to be taken seriously. It was the least she could do if he was doing the same.

"So I have my reasons, and I don't care if you're not good. When your free, I'll just have to make sure you become good. I'll do it even if it kills me." Tsukiko didn't notice that tears had started to spill over when she confessed her past to him. Tsukiko bowed her head letting her bangs cover her eyes.

Palian stilled as Tsukiko began telling some of her life to him. A painful confession he was sure, from the sound of her quavering voice. He himself didn't have parents to worry about losing or killing, so he couldn't relate, but he cold tell that the loss still effected her.

"My father saw me kill both of them. He went ballistic with grief and tried to kill me. He failed. I lost everything. I was alone in the world after that." Tsukiko tried her best to choke back a sob, not wanting anyone to see her cry. So she sat in the meadow trying not to let on to how much pain she was truly in.

Faintly, a small sob reached his ears, compelling him to look at her. Tsukiko tried her hardest the hide the tears. Before he thought better of it, which never seemed to be the problem because he always did whatever he felt like, Palian cupped her chin with his hand, making her turn her face to him. She wasn't use to anyone being near her when she cried, as she usually did while she was alone.

Then he gently placed a kiss on her lips, much to her surprise, while wrapping one arm around her shoulders. He didn't have any experience with comforting, but his body seemed to know what to do without him having to make any decision. No one had ever tried to calm her down like this when she cried in front of other people. Then again, she didn't really make it a habit to let strangers kiss her either. She felt the arm around her shoulders, but its reassuring presence did little to stop the flow of tears kept trickling down her cheeks.

"I'm sure you had good reasons behind your actions. You seem like the kind of person who is easily misunderstood," he soothed, licking her tears away with his tongue.

"Not really," Tsukiko whispered, too caught off guard by the odd action to react to it. " I was only three so I don't remember her, let alone have a motive for killing her. No, it was an uncontrollable power burst from my birthright. My brother died when I first got my powers. Again, my motive was lacking, because it was not something that I could control." She said, her eyes glazing again as she remembered that day. Tsukiko had only one memory of her mother.

"The meteors came when I was playing in the snow near the ocean. The current theory for the Hex is that our powers are influenced by our surroundings when we contracted the illness. So when I gained the ability to manipulate water, I accidentally condensed the moisture in his lungs, making him drown."

She hadn't tried to kill them. They were all only victims of unfortunate accidents. But her father didn't care. She was already dead to him when she had killed the love of his life. He never cared to understand that his daughter needed his guidance, not his hatred. But even though she knew he wished for her death, she couldn't hate him. His grief was too raw, too deep, and too much like her own for her to not agree with what he'd done in retaliation.

"He was right when he told me I deserved to die. I can never go back home, because he'll find me." She spoke with a numb voice, and had a numb looked in her eyes. She still had tears falling as she thought about her past. It was one of the reasons she had actually willingly come here. The school was a new start for her. A refuge from the fate that waited for her.

"But was it your intent to do anyone harm?" Palian asked, a look of innocent curiosity filling his face. His fingers rubbed small circles on her shoulder as if they had a life of their own. "As I see it, if you had no intent, they can hardly call you a murderer. Not to belittle their deaths, but it was not something you could have prevented or controlled."

"I, on the other hand, have no qualms of conscience. I know what I've done in the past and what I am capable of doing in the future," he countered while taking his free hand to smear a tear over her cheek. "Not to scare you, but my death tally is much higher than yours." He smiled darkly at his own evil humor.

Tsukiko focused enough to see Palian instead of the ghosts of her past. His practical approach helped her to fight back the overwhelming emotion that threatened to drown her with tears. She thought she had gotten past all this, but if only talking about it had this effect on her, then she knew she had some things still to work out. Without even thinking she leaned in and kissed him. It was feather light, more a brushing of skin before she pulled back enough to study his face.

"No," Tsukiko answered in a rather small voice. "I just wish it wouldn't have happened, I hate myself for letting it happen. Not being able to control myself should not be a viable excuse."

As she spoke more tears fell from her eyes. Really, she thought. Normally the water bender wasn't so prone to the waterworks, no pun intended. Maybe it was the dreamscape, practically oozing with whimsy. It was so relaxing. Maybe it was this creature that seemed to be so genuine, despite the fact that he fell in the heavy grey area between good and evil. That he was so hard to figure out was both mystifying and clarifying. Having the puzzle helped her focus on other things, besides her own troubles.

"Why would you want to kill?" asked as she wiped her tears away. If she could just stay on track then maybe she could stop herself from going into hysterics. That was definitely not an experience she wanted have in this place. It seemed like it would ruin the ambiance. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Tsukiko tried to make sense of his logic.

"I mean, I know its your choice, but still. The guilt you have to live with. The pain it inflicts on other people. To this day I still wonder how I'm not crazy." Tsukiko just bowed her head as she spoke, trying not to let her eye tear up anymore.

"I do not feel guilt, or pain. In fact it is the opposite," he murmured as his one blue eye followed the roaming butterfly that suddenly landed on his knee. "I felt great joy when I was able to become part of your world enough to cause effects. It was an inevitable consequence at the time, that death followed my manifestations."

Touching the butterfly with his finger, the creature crawled upon the tip, where he raised it closer to his face. The gossamer wings changed from metallic to fiery hues as they slowly opened and closed.

"It must be nice to not feel pain," Tsukiko said after listening to the boy. "Then again I can see where you come from with saying that." One would wonder how, with the talk of death and killing, she could enjoy this magical place and the present company. It did make Tsukiko further question her sanity, but she tried to let it go. She let out a sigh, determined to let this experience not be ruined by her self doubt.

"At first it was little things, mostly animals. But once I developed a mind and body that could sustain its form, I-." Falling silent, Palian thought about his beginnings and how the townsfolk ranted about plagues and signs of the apocalypse. He cared little for the panicked shrieks as the Hex rose from the ashes of the illness. It had been white noise to him at first, he didn't even care, much like a dreamer who does as they please because they know it doesn't effect their real world. At the end of the night, he would sleep as Nemo awoke.

"Like I said before,I'm not scared of you, but now I'm not sure why. I mean, just going off of what I have seen, you don't appear to be safe company to keep. But the evidence doesn't override my instincts. If anything I feel safer here with you. My heart doesn't even care if you've killed people."

Tsukiko looked up again, her eyes clear of tears and a frown pulling her bros together. She didn't know why, but around this demon things where easier to say. It was like she could sense that he would not judge or think less of her for speaking her mind.

"I must be crazy." She said mostly to herself. "I'm sorry about this. It's really silly I know. You must think I'm pathetic for falling apart so easily." The breeze kicked up around them, soft and warm as if they were enjoying this place at the end of a long hot summer day. The feeling of unease ebbed as she let the wind carry her hair along and the reeds reached out to tickle her outstretched toes.

"I still don't know why or how I'm even here," Tsukiko said falling backward to lay in the grass. "I'm kinda happy I am here though, even if I don't know why." Tsukiko giggle and and let her eyes slide over so she could see Palian framed by the stars. His expression was relaxed, but otherwise unreadable. She wondered idly if this was how he normally looked, when he wasn't being horrifying. "You've made me feel a lot better thanks." Hearing her words made him frown softly, but more like he was confused by her answer than any sense of anger.

Palian had listened to Tsukiko as she explained herself and questioned him before sinking into his own thoughts. From what he knew, the girl was far from insane, but then again being what he was and knowing that his level of experience was very limited, it was really hard to think of a standing argument against it. Who was to say she wasn't? Not that it mattered to him. Hard to throw stones when you don't carry any morals to have someone else shatter in retaliation.

For a while they sat in companionable silence, admiring the active expanse of night. After what felt like ages, but had been only a few minutes, she finally whispered, "You know, I'm reminded of this place I used to play fairy princess in, when I was younger." She then added with a lighthearted giggle, "I miss those times so very much."

"I didn't have any friends, because they were all to scared that I would curse them. So I made my own. I remember one was a Prince." She looked up at the boy then and smiled as an interesting idea formed in her mind. "You said that this place is your world, but did you base it off my memories?"

Again he listened to Tsukiko as she talked about herself. He had to bite his tongue not to ask if he could meet this dream prince of hers. Palian knew it was forbidden him, but he so wanted to see the creatures that manifested in her dreams. Which made him smile all the more when she asked if this place was based on her memories. He'd have liked to say yes, but the lie would not have sat well on his tongue. The dream demon could not take credit for what was only a happy coincidence.

Feeling a soft breeze rustle his hair, Palian stood up and turned to face the wind, the forgotten butterfly fluttering away into the meadow. A soft voice spoke to him then, a voice that only he could hear but was kind and gentle. He never knew who this voice was, but had bets on Nemo's subconscious mixed with a memory of his mothers voice. It would never be as accurate as if she were there, but near enough to be recognizable. Not that her voice was every kind or gentle when it was turned towards Palian. Hers' were just one of the many screams that made his earthly voice. After he listened to her message, he stayed still a moment until the wind died away once more.

Her attention went fully to Palian when he went silent. "Is everything okay?" she asked sitting up. She tilted her head in confusion letting the bells in her hair jingle. 'I wonder whats wrong,' she asked herself bringing her knees close the her wrapping her arms around them. Tuskiko felt the wind die down which made her even more curious.

"It is time for the little witch to return to the waking world," he announced as he held out his hand for Tsukiko to take. She gave him a bewildered look.

"Why do I have to leave now? I like it here." Tsukiko said while placing her hand in his. As his long boned fingers curled gently around her, her eyes widened at seeing that she was starting to fade. Tsukiko froze, staring in disbelief at their hands.

Next thing that happened was a blood curtailing scream. It shattered the peaceful atmosphere as it filled the meadow. The water bender's knees buckled, pulling them both down in the reeds, her body shaking and her heart racing.

"I don't make the rules. Be happy this dream is only that," Palian said in a low voice as he watched the girl collapse before him. It was always the way it ended. Every time someone shared a dream with him, even if he tried to be nice, it always ended in a nightmare. Maybe it was just how the human mind was hardwired. However, the connection was made and the first chance he got, Palian would return.

"What's happening to my soul fragment?" she cried in a panic. Her words were soaked with fear. "If I lose any part of my soul, I'll die." Tsukiko wrapped her arms around her body and screamed again. "Mommy please, I don't want to die. I don't want to die!"

"Lord help you all," he murmured with an evil smile. Tsukiko's screams filled the air and a pleasant shiver ran along his spine. Like a metaphysical recorder, he memorized her agonized shrieks, knowing that when he returned to the waking world her voice would be added to his chilling menagerie of mass hysteria. She would be all the more frightened to hear her own among the hundreds of others. 'Haunted, yes that would be the right word. She'd feel haunted,' he thought.

Tsukiko was freaking out in her fear. Her soul fragment, that part of herself that had drifted off to enter Palian's world, was fading slowly. She didn't know what that meant. All she knew was that without a soul she would die.

Whenever something caused her extreme distress, Tsukiko would fall into hysterics. It helped to scream for her mother, who was always a symbol of protection. To her, in that one moment, it was like death was there to take her soul.

Circling around her, Palian grabbed her by the shoulders and yanked her to her feet. Her body shook like a leaf in his grasp, but he kept her steady as he whispered in her ear. Tears streamed down her face and she hiccuped with uncontrollable sobs. Whatever her mind was doing in response to breaking free of his realm, he could tell that it was not pleasant.

Already her body was fading, getting closer to the waking world. It was different for everyone who passed through. Some faded, some fragmented, some glitched, while others merely popped out. He never questioned why it was so, just knew it was how their minds left this plane of consciousness.

"Wake up now," he growled as he kissed her neck. "Wake up to spare yourself." As he kissed her neck, his teeth grazed along her skin, nipping with sharp points that weren't there before.

"No leave me alone," she cried trying to fight Palian.

"Wake," he growled again in a voice that no longer sounded human. Then he geared himself to bite into her neck should she not leave that instant.

Tsukiko, however, was too distracted by the haunting images that flashed before her eyes. A woman that looked like an older Tsukiko appeared in front of her holding out a hand, beckoning. Tsukiko's eyes widened even more in fear. She screamed again not knowing what else to do. Her body wasn't moving like she wanted it to. Something prevented her from turning away or running from this ghostly apparition. Her mother always promised to come back for her, but Tsukiko had known better. But logic had no place here and she could not stop the certainty that knew she was done for.

"No, please go away. Please, just make it stop." Tsukiko then felt something sharp against her skin. "Please, no!" Tsukiko sobbed loudly as her body continued fading to the point of transparency.

"Please just save me from this nightmare, please I don't want this. I'm sorry for breaking the laws, please I just don't want to die." Tsukiko once again sobbed trying to shut out everything. She brought her arms up around her head trying to block it all out.

Her mother was in front of her ready to take her to heaven, hell, or whatever happened after one died. Then something was behind her trying to wake her up. Tsukiko could only cry in defense since she truly didn't know what was going on. All she knew was her soul was fading, and that her mother was her to take her away. Tsukiko had heard the voice behind her to tell her to wake up.

"I don't know how to wake up," she sobbed more tears falling.

To her it wasn't a dream. This was really happening. She was really going to die.

Tsukiko watched as her mother came closer to her. She tried backing away again, but something was blocking her path. Tsukiko just wanted it to stop, but she had no power here. Her dreams never happened like this, so why would they now.

"I'm going to die, I'm truly going to die." Tsukiko kept repeating that over and over again like a defeatist mantra. She barely realized the voice behind her was Palian. "Please kill me," she whispered, "I can't take anymore!"

Then Tsukiko's waking mind began to rebel against her subconscious. She began to thrash about in both worlds trying to wake up. Soon, if she could not shake off the shackles of sleep, she would stop breathing. Tsukiko always knew when one died in a dream they truly died, some said from a panic attack, but no this wasn't a dream. After a few moments of trying to break away, her body went limp and her breathing became shallow. She had less substance to her than when Palian manifested in her realm.

Through it all, a large amount of Tsukiko that was still conscious to the dream. Some part was still feeling and seeing everything, but in like a third person view. She could see herself, cradled in the dream demon's arms. Yet she could also feel a blanket that was wrapped around her. So close, if only she could open her eyes and leave this nightmare behind.

Then, as if some internal switch had been flipped, she relaxed into Palian's arms. Her screams ceased and her eyes sparkled with a tear filled smile.

"See you soon," she whispered before fading completely. Palian let his hands rest in his lap, his expression contemplative.

"Count on it."

In a quick blip, Palian appeared at Nemo's side. Unlike his past appearance, the boy in white donned a new feature. Whereas last time his left eye was covered in a bandage, now both eyes were covered in a pale scarf. The rest however, from white leather boots to his white fur collared trench, all matched his snowy top. He looked like a polar bear in man form, complete with a row of sneering sharp teeth and slender claws. Silent as a thought, he bent down and took the boy from Tsukiko, his lips sealed in a frown of displeasure.

'Foolish humans,' he thought as he felt with an outstretched hand for the shallow breath of his creator. 'Stupid to try to force liquid on an asthmatic during an attack. Might as well try to force the kids' head under water for all the good it did.'

Reaching into a pocket on the inside of his white trench coat, he pulled out an inhaler and stuck the device in Nemo's mouth. With a couple puffs from the device, Nemo gasped in a deep breath, color returning to his previously paling face. Palian let out a short relieved breath himself. After he was satisfied that the boy was safe, he set him gently on the ground before turning back to the scattered party before him. Though he could not see them, Palian slowly moved his head from side to side, as if placing them with sound alone.

Right away he noticed Tsukiko, who huddled by his creator and thanked him in whispered relief. There was also a male and a female he did not recognize and the one, the one he chased earlier and the one who tried to protect Nemo from him. The mixture had many tantalizing implications should he have the opportunity to play. However he caught the whiffs of battle, spent energies and irregular auras where wounds were sustained. So much had gone on in so little time.

"Ryo. Go ahead and take Fyte to the nurse," Tsukiko said, her voice softened with worry over her unconscious friend. "Could you show him the way Alyssa? He's never been to the infirmary." Tsukiko didn't want to upset the girl, but she didn't think that Nemo wanted more people to be subject to his demon. Besides, it was the truth, as far as it went.

These people were acting like anyone else around me, Alyssa thought. Always watching what they said around her. She was used to it in the outside world, and not altogether surprised that it occurred in this place after the way most of the Hex were treated. Nevertheless she wished they didn't do that. It made feel even more like an outsider. As if they didn't have enough of that already.

The water bender a few feet away got to her feet slowly, not wanting to spook the blind apparition. Brushing her skirt of grass, she saw the uncertain look in Ryo's eyes. He clearly didn't want to leave her side while a potential threat was so near, but she just tossed her hair over her shoulder nonchalantly.

"Don't think your off the hook either Ryo-kun. You have several things to explain. So don't think your free just yet." Tsukiko gave the boy a very serious look to show him she meant it.

Ryo, eyes narrow with suspicion, let his wings open again before he stood up. Using them for balance, he picked up the girl in his arms so he could carry her better. Palian felt the air shift as Ryo's wings beat, a low growl trembling on his lips.

"So uncool," he muttered grumpily to his friend. "Remind me to be someone else's weapon for a while. Much better then an interrogating witch that yells at me all the time. Can't even get away from you for a year can I?" Ryo said as he began to float in the air. "Just know I have just as many question's to ask. And don't even try the whole fairy princess blackmail thing either. Trust me I have enough dirt on you to get back at you."

Tsukiko just rolled her eyes. She had heard his threats before, and as always was not impressed. But then, how can you be surprised when you grew up with that person and know all their tricks?

Realizing his words were being wasted, he turned to the purple haired girl, face slightly distraught, but still determined not to look put out. He had a feeling she was trying to get rid of him too. "Do you mind showing me the way?"

Alyssa nodded her head slowly, as if she wasn't sure about the situation either. "Sure, I don't mind, but what about them?" Jabbing a thumb over to the two white-haired boys and the brunette, she inquired the blond. "Doesn't that boy need medical attention? And who is that other one, his twin?"

She didn't quite trust that kid, because something about him made Alessa wary. Extremely wary, as she hadn't been for quite a while. He just hit trouble on her radar. Ryo simply shrugged, not knowing any more about those two than she did.

Taking a moment to make a copy of herself, Alyssa watched as her copy lead Ryo to the infirmary. She couldn't stand the thought of leaving these guys completely unprotected, nor leaving a weaker clone to defend them. Something about the guy who looked so like the boy still unconscious on the ground made her wary to leave them. She didn't care that they wanted her out of the way. It was her job after all, her calling. And she wasn't about to fail when danger practically sizzled in the air.

Ace came into view a few seconds later, walking down the hallways and watching the progress of the two that happened to be carrying a girl towards him. Yawning, he raised a hand and said in that hail fellow well met voice, "Uh excuse me, but what happened here? And if you guys are new students, I'll forgive you, but you have to be more careful of the rules around here. Those guards are real sticklers about fighting on campus. You could get put in the isolation chambers for that."

Turning around to the sound of a familiar voice, Alessa stood in shock at the boy. How could the image before her be real? It had to be an illusion, or else she was going crazy. She had seen him die. So how was he standing here?

"You…!" she stammered out, tempted to point a finger at him. She thought better of it though, and instead turned her shocked expression to a confused one. "What do you mean new students? I ran into you earlier, remember? I'm so not a new student."

"I'm sorry but I've never met any of you in my life," he admitted whimsically. "No, wait a minute," he amended after a moments thought. "Sorry, but now that I think about it, I do remember you from the security committee. We've seen each other once or twice during student council things, right?" His eyes sparkled after having figured out the riddle, but the still puzzled looks of the two before him were lost in that self satisfying revelation.

"Well, for the sake of argument and good manners, I shall reintroduce myself. My name is Ace." Bowing his head, he beamed like the permanently oblivious. Alyssa couldn't understand how someone could radiate such optimism. "Nice hair by the way Purple is uncommon and looks very good on you." The out of place comment took the psychic completely by surprise, making her head hurt and thus her mood more fowl. It didn't help that she rarely got such comments.

She filled him in with a forcefully steady voice, forgetting about the blond boy and the injured girl for a moment. If there was one thing Alyssa prided herself on, it was staying focused on the demands of the now. Fretting over things she could not control, or change were not as productive as dealing with the present. So she set aside her disbelief, her anger, her fear, and got straight to business.

"Anyway, what happened was that an outsider attacked us, causing some serious harm to some, while others are just coping with medical conditions." Alessa instantly reverted back to her usual way of talking with other students, taking a bossy and chilly tone while talking with Ace. He was, after all, one of their representatives. If anyone should be made aware of the intruders and the well being of the students in an attack, it was him.

"Well that does sound distressful," the time weaver replied. Alyssa didn't quite like how unfazed by it all he seemed. "I'll have to let the head of the Hex well fare division know about this. I'm betting someone was slack on their security shift." He tisked the air as if he had the lazy guard in front of him and had the ability to punish the infraction. With a nod of understanding, he turned on his heel and took off in the other direction. "Leave everything to me!" he yelled.

****

Knowing that Ryo would take care of Fyte, she turned to the more pressing and far more dangerous boy. Palian stood patiently, his body prone for action, but he was otherwise still. As if waiting for some signal to pounce. His lips were sealed shut, but she knew the growing unease in the back of her mind was the mental image of him terrorizing them. He looked like someone who had a few choices words to say, but he had no voice to say them. She could understand the frustration.

"I'm really sorry, I didn't know what else to do. Its my fault I shouldn't have made him run with me to get my book." Tsukiko said, bowing her head."I didn't even know he had asthma."

After ascertaining the situation as best as his senses allowed, Palian faced Tsukiko. With movements faster than normal vision could comprehend, he gripped her by the throat and pulled her close. An unearthly growl emanated from deep within his throat. His mouth was level with her eyes. Lowering his head slightly, he motioned to Nemo who was still unconscious before meeting her face again with another growl. The message was clear; In the future, if you're going to watch over someone, do a better job. Especially this someone.

Tsukiko winced as her throat was caught in an iron grip. She knew who it was that held her, but she felt the need to face him anyway. Listening to the growls she frowned in anger.

"What else did you want me to do? I've never dealt with that type of problem before. I didn't know," Tsukiko's whispered in a low tone so only he could here.

To emphasize his point he pulled her even closer and let his mouth open slightly, letting loose some of the many screams his voice was made of. In particular, her own. Her eyes widened as she heard her own scream from Palian. Naturally she tried to pull away, but she could not break his vise like grip.

After making his point, he loosened his grip and rubbed her neck where he had grabbed her. Though he was angry that they had been so careless, he didn't want to waste even this small time on punishing transgressions he could easily later attend to. Tsukiko relaxed as his grip loosened, ignoring the screams that still streamed from his pale lips.

"No, I will never fear you." she muttered darkly when she was set free. Palian barked a frightful laugh then, perversely pleased with her reaction. He liked the unexpected.

However, one thing he felt needed addressing was the girl who called him Nemo's twin. Though he had no idea what she looked like, one of the stipulations of his appearance was that he could not make a link with anyone, he could tell by her voice that she would be great fun indeed. A dark smile twisted his face then. Yes, great fun indeed.

Twin, the very notion made him gag. As if they were anything alike. For one thing he looked about five hears older, their height difference of about six inches. Nemo had a much more boyish look to him, where Palian fancied himself that age just beyond childhood, before the signs of age ever shadowed his body. But the similarity between them was staggering, that he knew. It was only a matter of time before someone figured out the truth of it, but for now it was best to let dead dogs lie.

In a fluid motion, Palian got to his feet, swung around as if to walk away, then disappeared mid flow. When Alyssa demanded to know who everyone was, was the moment he chose to reappear, standing right behind her. Upside down. His feet stood on a surface that no one saw, but appeared as solid as another dimension that existed only for his personnel use. Lightly, he blew on her hair. Soft screams escaped his pursed lips and the ends of his scarf swayed a little awkwardly beside his face.

"I'd appreciate it very much if you didn't go around doing that to people." Alyssa said irritably. She didn't like it when people snuck up behind her. Even more so when they screamed every time they opened their mouth after threatening those around her.

She wanted to tell him off for doing that too, but somehow she didn't think he cared what she thought or what the rules of this place were. The sounds he made may have been amusing to him, but they were like nails grating the inside of her skull. Her headache worsened sharply, making her take a stumbling step back.

Ace, who had managed to wander back after his errand was complete, saw the boy an stopped time. He always did this to inspect new people, but these days he did it to better figure out the Hex as they used their powers. He was fascinated by the sheer variety and like to say hello to them. He prided himself on being the self appointed welcome committee. The way he saw it, people should always feel welcome to new places.

So after he froze time, everyone around him stopped moving. It became very quiet in this place between one second and the next.

"Hmmm the girls seem kinda cute when their not being stubborn. Well lets see here now." Ace laughed heartily at his own jokes as he walked around each of them in turn. After he finished wandering around them, he stopped just to the side in between Palian and Alyssa. Tilting his head to the side, he stared at the guy who froze upside down. Then, while he was really close to reaching over and seeing what was under the fabric eye cover, Palian shifted his head slightly. The movement made Ace jump back in a fright.

"Oh my god your not in phase with time!!! So you can move right now cant you?"

Palian had stood still as everyone else froze around him. He waited as he heard Ace approach, a smile lighting his face. It made his heart jump just as Ace leapt away, exhilarated by his comment. He couldn't help himself, he opened his mouth wide and laughed, though the sound that came out was a harsh combination of laughter and screams. The mirth grew in him so much that he doubled over as his voice, the one only heard in dreams, managed to be heard slightly from his laughter.

"Yes," he gasped after a few moments. Then he stopped abruptly. Hearing his own voice, even if it was mixed heavily with the screams was a new thing for him. Lifting his head, Palian leveled towards Ace, another mischievous smile plastered on his lips. For though he had no eyes to see with at this time, he knew his surroundings easily enough and was confident in his power to move around the others without hitting them.

Circling around Alyssa, he paused long enough to get a whiff of her hair before moving away. It would not do for him to hurt too many right now. If he did too much then Nemo might try to bind him tighter, and this was bad enough. For now he tried to memorize her scent in hopes of trying to find her in the future. He knew without a doubt that she'd be around and they would cross paths again.

Walking over to Tsukiko, he frowned slightly over her frozen form. Then he looked back towards Ace before crouching down low and laying his head on Nemo's stomach. Then he disappeared.

Ace stared for a moment at the area where the boy disappeared, then he broke his own power induced silence and started to laugh. It was good natured, but eerie when it was literally all the sound in that stationary area.

"Please, you think you can escape me?Time Lock." As Ace speaks he makes another complicated hand gesture. The area around him reversed itself, like rewinding a movie, so that Palian was visible again and standing in his original spot by the downed boy.

"Bind." This time the gesture was more of a flick notion, like he was throwing an invisible ball at the being he knew would only temporarily be caught by the time lock. A bunch of chains made of time itself started to come from nowhere, surrounding the two boys so that they were separated from everyone else and Palian couldn't escape. Ace stood within his own time cage and smiled, pleased at his work.

Palian, who had thought he was going back into his world felt like a rope pull at his middle. Next thing he knew he was back in front of Ace, bound by chains that glittered a dull gold color mixed with rust. It was like they were in their own little bubble of these shimmering links, giving glimpses of what happened in real time while they were shut off.

Even for him, Palian had to admit it was impressive. It was one of the few things he didn't really need eyes to see, because he could feel the power that created it. Like a mix between licking a battery and dunking your head in water so cold it automatically shuts your airways. It was a fascinating sensation, all the more so because he had never felt anything like it. He even managed a whistle, though it was distorted from the screams that tried escaping at the same time.

"Now you may be able to phase in and out, but that doesn't mean I can't hold you here if your in my time lock. So lets talk." Ace smiles as he explains this. It's not very often that he had the opportunity to show off his rare among the Hex abilities. Sitting down in the grass, he let's the normal time stream resume, knowing that he can just back track again if need be. Outside of his time binding chains, the rest of their group moved about and went on their way without knowing they were still nearby.

Despite that he was bound and unable to just walk away, Palian relaxed and sat there, looking towards the boy who sat before him. The pale scarf ruffled in the breeze and Palian sat still waiting for the boy to ask whatever was on his mind. Being the one tied up, he wasn't about to be the one to sound desperate and start the conversation.

"Now, let me start by saying that I think you are one of the most awesome people I have ever met before! Because you can phase in and out of time," Ace began with hyper enthusiasm.

"Now I won't ask you how you do it, because that's kind of rude unless you feel confident enough to share. But I will ask you who you are. I would like to get to know the person who is going to be around me for the next couple of years.That is, if neither of us does not kill the other first. I, of course will tell you about myself after or before if you like."

Raising an eyebrow, Palian contemplated Ace's questions while remaining otherwise unfazed. Parting his lips, his many screams let loose before he coughed them aside. In a deep voice, still muffled a bit by the screams he managed,

"I am Palian. And he-" at this time the dream figure nodded towards the still unconscious form of Nemo. "Is my creator." The effort it took to voice himself made Palian feel weak. He hated this feeling and quickly closed his mouth before the screams became overwhelming.

"Dude this is great!" Ace exclaimed, bouncing to his feet once more. It was like his body was filled with too much energy to sit still for long. "I can't wait to find out more about you." Then as if a switch was thrown, Ace's shoulders slumped and his smile wilted around the edges. It took a lot out of him to control time this long, especially when he stopped it with someone else. In fact, he could only remember a couple times in which he had done so in the past, none of which had lasted this long.

"Wow, I'm bushed. Damn time wearing me down. Go figure, right?" He stifled a yawn with his hand, waiting to hear if Palian would speak again. To his disappointment, the boy in white said no more. He got the impression that it really was an effort to speak without those other voices drowning him out. Ace felt like it was akin to when he resumed time after a long bout. All the sounds that had been compound at once in his ears for a few seconds, like bum rushing his eardrums in their hurry to catch him up on what had already been heard.

"Well I can see you don't like to talk, but hey were friends now. So see ya soon." His farewell given, Ace then released his bind on time, letting the chains and Palian loose in one go. The chains dissolved an instant later and Palian was free to do as he pleased. Ace stood in front of him, smiling.

"Oh, before you go I have one last question. Nemo seems to weak to be your creator. So why haven'y you left him or taken him out yet?" Then he turned away and began to walk, his laugh floating through the air. "Know what, tell me later. I love trying to figure out things that time can't tell me."

Palian simply stood there in disbelief. Ace had just let him go, and was laughing. Palian was a creature of darkness, a thing of nightmares. Something to be feared. And for the second time in less than twenty four hours someone told him they did not fear him. Even better, they wanted to be his friend.

He honestly didn't know what to do with himself. It was a complete existential break in his being. As time resumed and he could be seen once more by everyone, Palian sat upon the grass. Deep in thought, he did not notice anyone around him, only sat with his head bowed. His whole being, his whole purpose was to frighten, torture, and destroy. But it seems he had failed, and it was only the first day. He failed at his very nature.

Ace walked up to Alessa and smiled at her. Alyssa clearly was caught between confusion and fury as both emotions played ring around the rosy on her face. It was obvious that she could not get over the idea that he had died. He was sad that she witnessed his death, but tried his best to make her feel better about it.

"Hey sorry about earlier. I know your mad at me. I mean, I died. That's not exactly something I would wish anyone to see. I even know that it's even odder, because I'm standing here, completely healthy. The only thing I can really say is, are you really surprised? I mean, in this place, isn't it like standard to expect the unexpected?"

Realizing that his words, though innocent, were not really helping his cause, Ace held his hands up to appease her. "So I can't remember you, but now that i'm back we can catch up. On a side note, are you mad at me for complementing your hair 'cause I felt a glare when I started to walk away last time."

Jumping out of reach, because he suspected by her outraged glare that she would hit him, Ace turned to see Palin sitting on the ground.

"Palian cheer up. You scare the hell out of me with your ability to not be affected by time that easily hahaha!!!" Alyssa Bristled at his words and his nonchalant manner.

"There's nothing to catch up on. I ran into you, and asked you to move out of the way. That's all that happened before. I don't care what you think of my hair, but do what you like." Perhaps that was a bad word choice, as Alessa suddenly remembered her little experience with Waxman minutes before.

"Watch out for yourself. There's people after you, y'know." She added coldly, re-gloving her hand and gearing to storm off. Hearing Ace's carefree laugh, however, she whirled around, anger rolling off of her in waves. Giving Ace a harsh look, she probably could've bitten his head off with her words alone.

"How can you be laughing at a time like this?! You died because you were trying to save someone from that son of a b***h Waxman. Then that boy there scared the s**t out of you, because he surpassed your powers and you laugh?! What the hell is wrong with you!" Alessa yelled, clutching her temples as her head throbbed again. She shook her head in disbelief, lilac hair swishing around in the air.

"I'm sorry you don't get it but, because I control time I could tell you what is going to happen before it happens." Ace explained, his smile softening. "And that's just not fun. You see? I knew I was going to die before it happened. I knew it would save the girl. Small price to pay, losing my memory of the last couple days, don't you think?"

"I mean, besides, I am here aren't I? And he," Ace paused long enough to point over his shoulder at the demon still pouting on the ground, "is not affected by time. I'm not too sure yet on what else he is, but I think he's also evil so that makes him a fun enemy to someone like me." Again he paused, giving her an appraising look.

"You know, I think you could be really cute. But that temper kinda kills it," he said with a wink. "Yet I know that just shows independence which I think is totally awesome! So we totally need to be friends."

"Who'd want to be friends with a weirdo like you?" She said angrily, shutting her eyes as the world seemed to be too bright.

"You know you shouldn't be mad at me for complementing you. I mean, look, you have soft cool looking hair, pretty eyes and there's a nice personality under all that hardened cop glare, I just know it." Ace retorted playfully.

Such outrage poured from Alyssa's being that before she could contain herself, she slapped the time weaver with all her might and stormed off. Ace merely stood there, chuckling to himself. Yea, he knew that was coming.

Still lost in thought, Palian ignored the goings on of the living around him. The more and more he pondered it, the less Palian liked the scenario he had been caught in. At this rate he would have those special to him, those he could not bare to part with. And they would be his ruin. They would be the c***k in his armor, his achilles heel. However, there was still time to rectify the situation. Just because they wanted to be friends doesn't mean he would protect them, even from himself.

A steady resolve settled within and a crooked smile replaced his earlier grimace. For now, he would have to gather strength. ready himself for a bigger better show. The anger abated somewhat, but not enough for him to think against venting, if only a little. Getting to his feet in a single motion as fluid as a dancer, Palian swung around and kicked the tree that Alyssa had kicked earlier. With a sick splintering sound the tree fell.


Easing himself into a crouch, Palian let his head shift towards Alyssa, one hand idly playing with the edge of his scarf. He did two things at this moment, firstly he let loose a large tirade of screams, letting their echoes careen throughout campus. Secondly, he threw a mental message towards Alyssa thinking aloud was more the gesture, but he had a feeling she'd get it. The message, like all his little notes of communication, was simple.

'Beware little girl. Beware that I don't enter your dreams. Cause you might just not wake up.' Alyssa stopped mid motion, his words surprising her enough to look back in their direction. No one ever talked to her mind to mind like that and for good reason. The messages were hardly ever filtered and often over sharing by nature, as if the person could not control what they broadcast once they opened themselves to it.

Not so in this case. It was like all his focus was on those threatening words. No other thoughts or words filled his mind to accidentally jumble the message. It made it all the more frightening to her, so she reacted the way she did in similar moments. She bristled and readied a venomous retort. But before she could voice her disgust and create a backlash of insults, he disappeared. She stood there, momentarily unsure whether he was going to reappear from somewhere else, like earlier. Either way, she was not going to be caught unawares again.

A few seconds later, Nemo's eyes fluttered open and he sat bolt upright. Grasping his head he thrashed from side to side one or twice before stopping and settling back down, a strangled scream trying to escape his lips. Grinding his teeth, Nemo refused to fully let loose his fear. It had been quite a while since Palian woke him with a nightmare.

"He must be in an extra foul mood," he murmured after he quieted a little. Loosening his grip on his skull, the boy rubbed his head and wiped his eyes of the sleepy tears that blurred his vision.

Another morning came with the sun piercingly bright through the thin layer of night cloud. As it warmed the birds stirred in their nests, the squirrels already busy with their nut gathering business.

The students of Hex's woke in their many diverse ways. All preparing to start the first set of lessons that the government created to occupy the still eager learners.

Fyte felt refreshed and new when she opened her eyes, as if yesterday had never happened. After a few tests and an examinations, the nurse cleared her to go to class.

"Yaaaaayyy! it's the first day of school! Finally!" She cheered as she ran back to her dorm. "Wonder what they're serving for breakfast today, oh! Maybe Tsukiko and Nemo and Ace will want to join me!" She grinned to herself, her old personality back. Almost literally flying up the stairs, Fyte grabbed her bag and her textbooks before dashing down the hall to knock on Tsukiko's door. "Tsukiko! Y'wanna grab breakfast with me?" Fyte called out through the wood, making sure to keep her voice soft enough to not disturb the other girls in the dorms.

Tsukiko walked out of the bathroom already dressed and trying to dry her hair with a towel when she spotted her friend outside her door. Walking up to the air bender, she gave Fyte a sideways hug in cheery greeting.

"Sure just give me a sec to dry my hair." Tsukiko said opening the door to let them both in. Walking to her dresser, Tsukiko tossed the towel in a basket nearby before turning to the mirror.

Just across the hall, the beep of an alarm clock brought Alyssa back from the world of the sleeping, and she had to settle for slamming her hand onto the damned machine. She still needed it for the rest of the year, and was not going to be in any mood to get a new one soon. Groaning, she dragged herself out of her bed, heading towards the bathroom with her toothbrush and stuff.

Tsukiko's hair wasn't going to get any dryer with the last method, though she knew it would have made her hair more manageable. Lifting her hands to both sides of her head she slowly brought them away form her head. As she did this water droplets chased her hands like metal to a magnate. Getting two medium sized balls of water in each hand Tsukiko dropped them both into an empty vase before fixing her hair slightly. Tsukiko then grabbed her messenger bag filled with a few books, including her spell book. Putting her hat on she finally faced Fyte.

"Okay now I'm ready." Tsukiko spoke with a smile, feeling a lot better from yesterday. She and Ryo had talked until the sun had set, and the stars came out. Eventually they headed back to their separate dorms for the night.

Tsukiko, remembering that she hadn't eaten since she had arrived at school, wasn't even surprised when her stomach gave a huge gnarly growl. Laughing at herself, she lead the way out to the hall. "I hope this time we don't get thrown off our path." Keys jangling, she locked her room and began their journey to class.

The hall was empty, Fyte having already dashed inside her friends' room, which meant no one else would be in the bathroom. Rubbing her temples, Alyssa made a mental note of how her migraine was treating her. Her head had a dull ache to it, but it wasn't as bad as before. That's a good sign, she thought to herself as she got ready for the new day.

With a toasted bagel hanging precariously out of her mouth a few minutes later, Alyssa tied up her hair into the usual ponytail. She walked briskly, scouting the school grounds for anything unusual. Alyssa paid no mind to the temperature outside, which was a bit chilly. Save a few early risers, there was nothing out of the ordinary so far. Let's hope it stays that way. She thought to herself, chewing on the warm bread as she watched the other students come and go. It was her first day of school in a while and frankly, she wanted it to be as uneventful as possible for the time being.

The sun had only risen an hour or so ago, but already its bright rays were starting to warm the area. The last throws of summer before they faded to autumn.

Nemo like these times, transitions from one season to the next. Even as he clutched his hot coffee and wandered along a path far from the dorms, he began to see the early risers, students bent on being to class an hour ahead of time. Still wearing the same clothes as yesterday, he hadn't returned to his dorm that night, Nemo sipped his drink as he sat within the lower branches of a gnarled oak.

Over the hours he had done much thinking and even more watching. It was one of his many strengths, but also doubled as one of his deeper flaws. Whenever something troubled him, Nemo would think hard on the matter and contemplate it like a puzzle. So if he ever did act on something it was after careful consideration. The matter that took his time firstly was the issue of his demon. Palian had proven that he was growing increasingly more self-aware and gaining power since the last times he had entered the waking world. Nemo had to wonder what had triggered this leap and what were the consequences of it. Also the obvious dangers to everyone around him. Though this was a place for everyone "special" as his mother had put it, he did not want to hurt any of them, but wasn't sure he knew how to stop himself. And what if the trigger that had set his demon of was one of the students? Would leaving even help matters?

Nemo huddled in the crotch of the tree and watched the world awaken while thinking about his dreams. Steam rose up to his face from his drink every time he went to blow it cool to drink.

Ace lay on one of the benches that scattered the front lawn, his eyes closed and his hands folded behind his head. He had already been woke up several times, having hit the snooze button enough times to know that it wasn't helping him. So he had relocated himself, hoping the fresh air might finish what the annoying buzz had not.

"You should really do things earlier and not procrastinate." Alyssa's voice rang out as she walked over to the time weaver. Taking her bagel, she ripped off a small portion of it and gave it to him.

"If I remember correctly, there was a student council meeting yesterday in the afternoon. Did you need a member of the Disciplinary committee to be there, and if so, did I miss anything?" If she sounded too formal for a teen to be talking to another teen like that, she didn't give a damn. She wasn't going to let this boy come into her life and past her guard easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. If he wanted to be friends with her, he'd have to earn it and her trust and respect.

"You are correct. There was a meeting," Ace agreed as he sat up and scratched his head. After yawning he added," the only reason we would have needed someone from the disciplinary committee is to make sure I stayed there. It was dead boring." Seeing the nearly hostile look she gave him, he merely shrugged. He wasn't going to lie about something that was so obviously true.

"So would you like to walk with me to class?" he asked, changing the subject. The student run council was a laughing stock anyway, a figurehead position to let the kids think they had some authority. But Ace knew that they had no clout if there was a dispute. Just another lie to keep them under control.

"Sorry, I gotta make sure no one's causing trouble before class starts." Alyssa began to walk towards the classrooms, keeping an eye out for any mischief makers. Part of her knew that she should have gone with him. The time weaver was her biggest troublemaker on record.

Which made her think of the guy from the night before. He would have made the top of her list, but she could not find his records anywhere. Was he really a student? The mystery was tantalizing, but unless he showed up again it wasn't as important as her maintaining a peaceful coexistence with the Hex and their retainers.