The Plains of Unrest

You cannot see what's on the inside
Only what is on the outside
And the plains of Karai
Hold a terrible secret
of Unrest.
==Prologue==
You cannot easily judge
What you heard
With a grain of salt
And just take it the wrong way.
A young man walked the path to the castle, his eyes set and determined, thinking of only the battle of Orskola, he smirked, they were going to take it back from Grealach in a few days time, a land that was rightfully theirs to begin with.
He entered the castle doors, he turned to watch a young boy leading his small band of friends around the courtyard, holding a sword, he didn't smile, and continued, the boy looked up, but didn't dare go to the man, he looked down at the ground.
The man ignored the boy, and walked into the castle doors, his cloak sweeping inside, he was greeted by guards, who went into attention when he walked in, he frowned when he saw his commander, and he wasn't happy, he looked grimly at his leader.
"This is not a good idea, we may be more advanced then Grealach, but they have better techniques when faced with obstacles, they'll find a way to win, they're adaptable." He hissed.
The man snapped, "They've always been like that, every one of their people have been that way, always finding a way to make things work for them in their favour. They always used to turn our own weapons against us, but no more, we're taking Orskola back." He waved his fist in the air.
He suddenly got the feeling he was being watched, he turned, and saw the boy peeking around the door, along with his friends, he turned to his commander and whispered, "We will have to continue this in our quarters, we don't want anyone listening in."
The commander seemed to get the point, and turned away, indicating his guards to follow him through the castle.
He walked past the boy, giving no hint that he knew he was there, this seemed to anger the boy, because he made a face, and turned to watch the man walk away.
He just stared, his friends were all gone now, went home. The queen was in bed sick, and his father pretended he didn't even exist.
The boy frowned, unsure of wether he was even seen by his father, and will he someday accept the boy's existence?
He then decided to take matters to his own hands.
That night...
That fateful night
The whole of Ishari changed
Because of one kids wish, for his father to realise he was there, and not a simple phantom of the castle.
And not only did Ishari change, but all the other Kingdoms as well, that one lost departed soul...
Changed the way all other kingdoms treated each-other.
Nixsan with hate.
Hostrich with fear.
Grealach with anger.
And Ishari with unrest.
All because of one that little boys decision.
==Chapter 1==
One decision
Effects everything
Lillian padded along, leaving the stormy forest for the last time, she looked back, making sure all her friends were with her, and they were. She looked back up, it was a cloudy sky, she sighed, and continued onwards towards Ishari.
She looked up when they came up to a small hill, she looked at Aris, and asked coldly, "Is this where we enter Ishari?"
Aris didn't seem to be fazed, and he said calmly, "Yes, but I warn you, the people of Ishari are more advanced then the other kingdoms, so our culture and technology might seem a little weird to you when you first enter."
Lillian seemed confused, and climbed up the hill, and she gasped when she was struck with a dazzling place.
She could only stare at the waving hills of Ishari, light seemed to bounce around happily across the land, shedding it in an amazing light.
Aris asked in an amused tone, "Now does that seem unlivable to you?"
Lillian didn't reply, she was expecting something more, more rocks, sharp eerie mountains, maybe even some dead trees... Not this, and she heard Markus ask, "What do you mean when you say your technology might be a little weird to us?"
Aris shrugged, and padded down the hill, his tail flicking warily. As they padded towards a small lake town, Lillian finally understood, some people were dressed funnily, they were wearing what looked like leather coats, and they seemed to be talking, even though it was hard to understand, they were also paying for stuff with certain types of coins, while kids were playing with a square board, that had little shaped pieces, instead of swords, which kids in the other kingdoms usually did.
Lillian stared at the board, but the kids only looked up at her once, and didn't react, "What is that?" She asked carefully.
Aris answered, "It's a chess board," and turned to Lillian, "The point of the game is stradegy, not strength, you got to see what your enemy is doing to win, and when you do-" But he was interrupted when the kid slammed a piece in front of a piece with a crown on it's head and called, "Check-mate!" They bounced up and down in excitement, while the other child laughed.
Aris just nodded, and turned away, and everyone followed him. Lillian was surprised at how big this town was, the buildings were tall, close together, made of neatly cutted stone, not a single imperfection in the stone, the houses looked like they had more then two floors, and the streets were made of cobble stone, and people seemed to think this was perfectly normal.
"This can't be a town..." Lillian muttered.
Aris laughed, "Oh, it's a town, this as big as our towns get, our bigger towns, which we call cities, have way more people, and way more stuff to do, and more cuturally advanced the deeper in you go in Ishari." He answered cooly.
Markus looked at a stall, which had a little thing spinning around and around, "So weird..." He murmured, watching it.
Aris padded up, "That's a... Well, kids play with it, I don't." He shrugged, while Lucan looked curiously at ice chimes as they whistled in the wind, he watched them with an almost childish delight. As if they reminded him of his home.
"What are these?" Lucan asked Aris.
Aris padded up, "Ice chimes, when they blow in the wind it's like hearing snow fall, or watching the sun sparkle in it's light." He said. Lillian looked at them in another direction, and she was showered with icy rays, she gasped in awe.
Aris laughed, "The palace is full of them, to signify the brightness of this land, and plus, it's very pretty." He said, nodding to the huge castle in the distance, it was surrounded by defensive hills.
Markus said, "I now get why you said your home would confuse us."
Erik seemed to be looking around, and he said calmly, "It's like magic, how they make this stuff."
Lillian said, "If it was magic, it wouldn't be very celebrated, magic is quite feared, but if it was used for such purposes like this, I can agree, it's pretty amazing."
Aris seemed to stiffen, and grunted in a nervous way, "Of course it's not magic," and he padded away, and he flicked his tail, "I need to see something, come with me."
Lillian nodded carefully, and followed him, they went into the outskirts of town, soon they entered a clearing, and it was dotted with a single grave stone.
Aris walked up to the tall grave stone, Lillian looked at it also, and she realised it was a list of names of the royal family on it.
She looked around it, remembering the names of Aris's family, when she finally got to the other side, where there was only one name.
King Mora
Erik said quietly, "I never got how King Mora died, one night, he takes a walk out of the palace, next, he's dead... Under mysterious circumstances."
Lillian looked at Aris, who wasn't looking at the name, he was only glaring down at the ground, he tensed up, and looked up. Lillian said grimly, "There's a lot of theories going around, each one of them hard to believe as the next."
Aris still didn't say anything, Lillian asked cooly, "What's bugging you?"
Aris looked up, "It's nothing, he died, the end, there's nothing to theorize about it." He huffed away.
Markus jumped back, "No reason to get huffy." He argued.
Lillian suddenly felt something, it shook her, and she thought, Wh-What? She looked up, and her vision was blurring, but she could tell her friends were arguing, Lucan had sided with Aris, saying that it was his business, Erin siding with him, while both Markus and Erik were taken aback by Aris's sudden hostility.
Lillian could only feel unrest, anger, negative emotions filled her, and she said quietly, "Maybe... We should have a sleep, we've been travelling for so long, we're all very moody."
She still had the head-ache though, as if she just wanted to yell her soul out, which Markus was doing. "It was a question, no need to get hostile about it!" He snapped at Lucan, who was baring his teeth angrily.
"And there's no need to ask about personal lives!" He snapped back, folding his ears back.
Her head just continued to shake in anger and frustration, her vision was blurred, and she said very loudly, "I'm trying to rest!"
"Aren't we all?!" Both Markus and Lucan snapped at each-other.
Lillian put her paws on her head, and groaned as the two males kept fighting, while Erin and Erik seemed frustrated too.
She finally saw her vision blacken, while she was thrown into an unrestful sleep.
Why are we all suddenly arguing? We were getting along fine moments before... Lillian thought as she woke up in her dream world, she grunted when the head-ache was still there, and even her dream was shivering in frustration. It was hard to stand up straight.
She looked up, and saw a dark shape pad out of the bushes, it was huge, she shook in horror, but sighed when she realised who it was, the black wolf looked down at her, his gaze a flat stormy grey.
"What the heck is happening to me and my friends?" She asked, scared.
The big wolf answered, "It's Ishari, or, to wolves, the Plains of Karai, known for it's peace, but ever since the death of King Mora, it has been a place of argument and unrest, the spirits of this land love to mess with people, making them angry, and argue."
She lifted her hands of her head, and she flinched, "Ow..." Her vision got a bit more clearer, and the wolf continued, "This time, all the spirits in this land are powerful, but most of them are not yet ready to let go without revenge, especially King Mora."
Lillian asked, "Isn't it... Your power to send souls of to the mountain?"
The wolf transformed, Flynn was standing there, with his arms crossed, "I've tried many times, and when you entered, I tried again, and got injured for it." He said.
Lillian did notice he seemed a bit more shaky then usual, and he sighed, "Many times I've tried, but my little sister complains that she can handle them on her own, she used to be able to, but now they're getting resistant to her powers."
Lillian asked curiously, "Resistant?"
Flynn nodded, "Before, my sister could keep them in check without me having to step in, and before you got here, both mine and hers powers have not worked, even together." He said darkly.
Lillian shook her head, "My friends are probably still arguing..." She muttered in exasperation.
Flynn said suddenly, "That... Is the least of your problems..." He looked up, concerned.
Lillian asked, "What is it?"
Flynn said quietly, "I'm sure your familiar with the two most recent kings in this land, king Mora, and his son, king Aris, both very clever, but very different from each-other," he continued, "King Aris is in danger of Mora's anger, although he has a reason to be angry, it's not the way to go, he wants Aris to suffer the same fate he had."
Lillian seemed confused, "Why is king Mora mad at Aris?" She asked.
Flynn seemed to hesitate, "Your mind is so easy to look through, you need to learn to block it," when Lillian was about to say something, he continued, "Mora is mad at Aris for the fatal mistake that threw your people into a war, that killed your friend." He turned to her, Lillian gasped as the scene around them started to change, it was a clear night, and she could hear the whistle in the plains.
Flynn led her to a castle courtyard, it was quite beautiful, with ice chimes hanging off the balconies of the windows, clinging in the light, giving off a calming melody as they whistled in the wind, she noticed Flynn staring at them with a distant and sad look.
Lillian noticed movement out of the corner of her eye, and there were young kids playing, she smiled, but gasped when she recognized a young boy, she asked, "That's Aris?"
Flynn nodded, and he said quietly, "Look." He turned to a man who entered the scene, the boy seemed to look up, and went up to him, but the man ignored him, paying no attention to the young boy, the young boy looked upset and frustrated, and followed the man.
"That's King Mora." Flynn said flatly.
Lillian nodded, and continued to watch, she saw king Mora talking with what must have been the general, the boy watched them, and still, Mora paid him no mind, and when he walked out, the boy was still upset and frustrated.
The other kids had gone home, and he was left alone, and Flynn looked down at the boy, who now had tears in his eyes, "Mora was never the one to care for children, that was Aryna's job, but he should have known better to ignore his heir, if he didn't, the fatal mistake that Aris made, that cost both your kingdoms so many lives, would not have happened."
Lillian asked, "What did he do? Aris I mean?"
Flynn frowned, staring up at the ice chimes instead, listening to the music with a distant look in his eyes, "You need to promise me something first." He said, in an almost distant way.
Lillian asked, "What?"
"Promise me that you will not judge what he did, it was never his fault, he was only little, and did not understand." He said.
Lillian wasn't sure what he meant, "Okay, I promise."
Flynn turned to her, and frowned, "Are you being honest?" He asked.
Lillian nodded, "I am." She said.
Flynn stepped aside, and Lillian gasped when Aris walked forward, and stared up at her, his eyes were a flat blue, and he continued to walk, his eyes narrowed in determination as he followed his father.
Lillian wasn't sure what to say as Aris disappeared, and she asked quietly, "Flynn, did Aris have something to do with Mora's death?"
She turned to Flynn, who nodded slowly, "He is the reason he's dead, filled with so much hatred, he could no longer stand being ignored by his father, this night is what set the spirits off."
Lillian could feel the tension in the air, and she said, "This is... This night was supposed to be the peace treaty meeting for Orskola, if Mora was still alive, it might have happened, and my friend might still be alive." She looked up at the ice chimes.
Flynn said, "It's not every day I hear the melody the ice chimes are playing, they sound different to each person, why do they have to play that melody?" He murmured sadly.
Lillian looked up at him, and asked, "What melody?"
Flynn didn't answer, and said, "Well, it's almost dawn." Lillian's dream world started to disappear as light started to dissolve it, and Flynn disappeared.
Lillian woke up, Markus and Lucan had stopped arguing, but she could still feel the anger in the air, and she finally understood why Aris wanted to go to the clearing. She decided to go for a walk, needing to gather her thoughts from the dream.
As she walked, the town was eerily empty, there was no wind, no person walked the streets, and she wondered what happened. She bumped into something, and she looked up to see a little girl, and she said, "Oh! You're here!"
Lillian took a good look at her, she was wearing a fur coat, with brown furred boots, and she said, "I'm Vortex!" Vortex looked around, "It's looks peaceful, doesn't it?" She asked curiously.
Lillian asked, "Can you understand me?"
The girl looked at her, "Of course!" She bent down, "I'm Vortex, or, the Fate of Peace." She said.
Lillian asked, "You're the Fate of Peace?"
The girl nodded, and Lillian asked excitedly, "Can you stop humans fighting?"
The girl seemed perplexed, and she said, "If it's minor."
Lillian sighed, "Can you free my friends minds from the anger and unrest the spirits around here are causing?" She asked.
The girl nodded, "Lead me to your friends." She followed Lillian.
Lillian sighed in exasperation when this time, everyone was arguing for some reason, she looked at Vortex, who seemed confused.
"So much anger... I see." Vortex said, and she brought out a glowing green orb of light, similiar to Anima's, except it eminated a warm light, not scary, and not cold in any way.
She said to the orb of light, "These humans have too much hate in their minds and hearts, please free them of whatever is causing this." She let go of the orb of light, she and Lillian backed up, and Lillian had to close her eyes, and soon, the fighting stopped.
She opened her eyes again, and Lucan and Markus seemed confused and dazed.
"Eh..? What happened?" Markus asked, looking dizzy.
Lucan seemed more confused than dazed, and he asked, "Erm, we were arguing right?"
Markus seemed to think, "Oh, yeah... Why?" He asked curiously.
Lucan seemed to think, "I... Can't remember." He said back.
Lillian gasped, and she asked Vortex, "You wiped their memories?"
Vortex said, "It was really the only choice I had, since their spirits looked like they wanted to resist, if they can't remember, what's to argue and be hateful about?" She waved her good-bye, and disappeared into a flash of white light.
Lillian looked back at her friends, and asked, "How you feeling?"
Lucan seemed to think, "Like I got stomped on by horses, and ran over by a carriage... Twice." He said.
Markus nodded, "Make that thrice for me." He said.
Lillian laughed, "Nice to see you agreeing with each-other, and not arguing."
But she noticed Aris was staring into space, his eyes seemed dull, flat, no feeling, just like they did when he was little. She shivered, she felt like something was wrong with him, and Lucan seemed to notice the change. Lucan looked at Aris, but Aris said nothing, he seemed to not notice the others at all, it's as if he was floating in a space.
Lucan seemed to back away from Aris, and he asked Lillian, "Erm, can you come with me? I need to check something."
Lillian nodded, and followed Lucan, who told Markus to keep a close eye on Aris. Markus seemed confused but listened to him. Lucan led her back to the large head stone, he walked around a couple times, flicking his ears, and he sniffed the air, and Lillian saw him shiver as if he was cold.
He turned to her, "Strange, Aris... He seems normal, but not... He's... Empty, like a shell." He said.
Lillian murmured, "Where have I heard that before?" She looked down at the ground, and soon, her eyes widened, and she exclaimed, "The Waking Dreams!"
Lucan looked at her, confused, and she said quickly, "The Waking Dreams, day-dreaming, think of it as a limbo between the dream world to this one, if he got stuck in The Waking Dreams, he's in danger of King Mora."
Lucan widened his eyes, "King Mora!" He backed away from Lillian.
Lillian turned around, but saw nothing, but Lucan seemed very scared, "I-I don't understand, this place, like Aris, is empty, this ain't good..." He said quietly.
Lillian suddenly remembered what Flynn had warned her about, Aris was in danger, if he's stuck in The Waking Dreams, King Mora will surely kill him.
"We need to get him back to us." Lillian said.
Lucan seemed nervous though, and he murmured, "There's... Something odd about this land, I don't like it, it's worse then Hostrich, but I dismissed it, but now, Aris has confused himself between dreams and reality... He has put himself in danger."
Lillian said, "He... He wants to forget what he did, I think now, he's starting to regret it, making his spirit extremely vunerable."
Lucan and Lillian stayed silent, and Lillian said, "I think, he needs to be snapped out of his Waking Dream."
Lucan and Lillian suddenly rushed back to camp, but were shocked to see that everyone was gone.
Lucan murmured, "Oh... No..."
Oh no was right, the clearing was eerily empty, Markus, Aris, Erin, and Erik were no where to be found, it seemed nothing happened, but both Lucan and Lillian knew something very wrong had happened.
They looked around the clearing carefully, wary of their surroundings.
Lillian sniffed the air, and asked, "What do you think happened?"
Lucan twitched his ears, "Erm, I don't know..." He said.
Lillian seemed to think, but she heard a faint melody, she twitched her ears, and asked Lucan, "Do you hear that?"
Lillian noticed he seemed to recognize the noise, "That lullaby... I recognize it." He indicated for Lillian to follow him.
Lillian nodded, and followed Lucan closely, their ears set on following the calming lullaby, but something about the lullaby was off. It was calming, but also was filled with a hidden sadness. Lillian whispered, "You recognize it?" As they continued following it.
Lucan nodded, "My mother used to play it to me when I had trouble sleeping, it's a lullaby, our family also has an ice music box with the same melody, it's been passed down for a long time, it's very special to our family." He said.
Lillian nodded, and continued following him, they peeked into a clearing, and saw a misty looking shape moving across the clearing. The shape turned to look at them.
Lucan and Lillian seemed confused, but the spirit seemed playful, with a smile on her face, her raven black hair tied back into a pony-tail, and her eyes a soft deep blue, almost grey looking, but definitely blue, she had a icy looking music box on a necklace, and she waved, and disappeared.
Lucan seemed confused but shocked, and Lillian asked, "Who was that?"
Lucan murmured, "Av-?"
But they both jumped when they heard a sound, Markus had leaped through the bushes, and he was panting, his fur was on end.
Lillian asked, "What happened?!"
Markus looked up, "Ouch, erm... I'm not sure what happened, one moment I was keeping a careful eye on Aris, and suddenly, everyone was gone, and I went to find them, but then ran into trouble with a couple lone wolves, and well..." He said, "That didn't go well."
Lillian couldn't help but laugh, "Let me guess, you intruded on their territory, and tried to make up an excuse."
Markus looked like he was about to agree, then said suddenly, "I don't know where anyone went, and Aris has been acting weird."
"We've noticed." Lucan said.
Lillian said, "Wait, acting weird, when we left you with him, he was dead silent, and well, flat."
"When you left, he started muttering about the castle, and something about Orskola," Markus said, "I asked him what he was talking about, but he looked at me... Weirdly, like he didn't know who I was, I actually had to remind him that he was talking to me, and he still seemed perplexed on who I was."
Lillian said, "That's not good..." She turned to Lucan, "This is bad."
Lucan nodded, and Markus asked, "What's wrong?"
Lillian turned to Markus, "Aris's spirit is in danger of another spirit roaming this land, the spirit of King Mora," she said, "And when we left him with you, I believe his soul was wandering The Waking Dreams, an effect of returning and feeling remorse, which puts him in a vunerable state, and I believe his soul... Might be stuck, out of remorse and fear."
Markus seemed shocked, "Woah, weird." He said.
Lucan said, "We need to get him."
Lillian nodded, and Markus said, "He can't be far."
They all nodded in silent agreement, and began to trek to find their missing friends.
If only it were that easy, with unrest between them, and one trapped in regret and fear in the Waking Dreams, how can they save all of them, with the angered King Mora waiting for a perfect chance to strike.
==Chapter 2==
Some people leap before they think.
Some people think before they leap
But sometimes, each way can still lead to regret.
And there is no other choice.
As they trekked through the plains, looking for their friends, Lillian caught the scent of Erik, and she called, "Erik?!" She sniffed around.
"Yes?" A voice murmured.
Lillian and Lucan looked up, while Markus looked around, Erik creeped out of the heather slowly, ears down, and eyes flat.
Lillian asked, "What happened?"
Erik looked up, tail flicking nervously under Lucan's and Lillian's eyes, and he said, "I'm not sure, I think..." But he faltered, going silent.
Lillian whispered to Lucan, "He can't remember," Lucan nodded, and Lillian said gently, "It's all right Erik, nothing is going to hurt you."
Erik looked up with flat eyes, and asked in an unusually cold voice, "Who said I was scared?" He stood up fully, furthur ignoring them.
Lillian and Lucan looked at each-other, "What?" They both asked at the same time, they watched Markus look around, with Erik watching coldly.
Lucan and Lillian left Markus with Erik, and continued sniffing around, Lillian looked back, and seemed confused when Markus, who was usually laid back, jumped at every little thing, and was suspicious of everything, and Erik thought it entertaining to use it against him.
"That's unlike them..." Lillian whispered, she heard Lucan whisper, "Erin? You there?"
Erin padded out, perfectly normal, and she said calmly, "Oh, that's where you went."
Lucan nodded, and Lillian asked, "Where's Aris?"
Erin seemed to think, and Lillian was relieved she seemed to be the normal acting one, and she said quietly, "I think he's somewhere near here, staring at a river."
Lillian nodded, "Go meet Markus and Erik while we find Aris." She said.
Erin nodded, and padded back to where Erik and Markus were, Lucan said quietly, "Okay, two of our friends are not like themselves, there's something weird going on." He looked around.
Lillian nodded, and said, "Erik seems a bit more... I don't know the word..." She faltered, looking down.
Lucan asked cooly, "Angry? Mean?"
Lillian nodded, "Yeah, and Markus is afraid of every little thing, and is tense, when he's usually laid back." She said.
Lucan nodded, and they both watched as their friends looked at each-other carefully, Erik with a hidden anger, and Markus with fear, while Erin seemed to be the only normal one. Lucan nodded, "It's weird, why are they acting so differently?" He asked.
A voice said behind them, and was familiar, but it was weird, different, "That's the power this land has, if you're not careful, you will not be yourself."
Lucan and Lillian turned around, and saw Aris staring down at them, eyes flashing.
Lillian backed up, while Lucan just stayed where he was, Aris said, "They're probably acting different because of the spirits around here, they like to mess with your mind."
Lillian thought, It sounds like Aris, but is it Aris? I mean, he seems different in some way, like he's not himself. She put her ears back, and kept a tense posture.
Aris looked up, "You seem tense, do you not trust what you see?" He asked.
Lillian said, "Maybe I don't?"
Aris laughed, but it sounded cold, not like Aris, "That's a good trait when you're here, never trust what you see." He said cooly.
Lucan asked, "So you know what's wrong with our friends?"
Aris tipped his head, and said, "There's nothing wrong with them actually, this land is just reflecting their dark side, or their side that we don't really know, like Markus for example," he flicked his tail, "You see him as a laid-back person, not scared easily, when in reailty, he's almost as fearful and suspicious as you are," he looked at Lillian when he said this, "He just won't show it, and hides behind a relaxed interior, so he won't show that he's scared."
Lillian asked, "What about Erik?"
Aris seemed to think, "Erik... He is from Hostrich, people there are usually hot-tempered, and an unforgiving type, that is how he is, and chooses to hide behind his fearful face to hide a darker personality, not wanting people to hate him." He said calmly.
Lillian suddenly realised this wasn't Aris, she asked, "And what about you?"
Aris looked around, then looked at his paws curiously, "People of Ishari are quiet, but the bad side, not unlike people from Hostrich, they do not forgive easily, but instead of battling it out in the open, they handle their business in the dark, under the shadows of the heather, while someone from Hostrich would probably huff and push around their enemies." He said, looking up.
Lillian shivered, and looked at Lucan, as Aris continued, "People from Nixsan are usually very cold in looks, but really, I've talked with a lot of people from there, they're generally very warm-hearted people, in contrast to the land, but can be very nasty enemies to have, but also the best of friends to have, very loyal." He said cooly.
Lillian knew exactly what he was talking about, He's right, they are warm-hearted, but you don't want to be their enemy, the people are just like the wolves, cold on the outside, warm hearted on the inside, but a very bad enemy to have. She thought, and looked at Lucan, and was reminded of Flynn, who was a very warm-hearted person, but get on his bad side, you're in for a nasty shock.
Lucan was looking at Aris, and asked, "Will our friends stay that way?"
Aris asked back, "Did they even change from the start?"
Lucan was stumped by that question, and Lillian murmured, "No..."
Lillian looked at Lucan, "Erik was always hot-tempered, and Markus was always suspicious, but didn't want to show it, I've noticed it while we were travelling, they just weren't as out in the open as it is now." She barked quietly.
Aris nodded, "They never changed, is just takes the unrest in the plains to show the dark side of everyone." He said.
Lillian nodded, trying to distract Aris, and she asked, "Why did Ishari become this way?"'
She saw Aris's eyes flash, "The king died before the war could be stopped, we would have won the battle, but the general said it wasn't worth it, so we were going to talk, but he was killed, and that battle continued, the darkest battle in this kingdoms history." He said coldly.
Lillian made a face, she knew that this wasn't Aris, just the way he said it, but continued, "True, the king did die..." But she faltered, she heard the melody again, and she looked at Lucan, "Hear that?" She whispered.
Lucan looked at her confused, and the melody stopped, she tipped her head, and she asked Aris, "Why was it that the king died?"
Aris looked confused, "Out of frustration." He said flatly, his eyes flat.
Ah, now that's something Aris would say, so he's actually not stuck in the Waking Dreams, he has some control. She thought.
Aris flattened his gaze, until their friends ran toward them, Markus jumped on Lillian, and said, "Erik is-" But he was stopped by Erik, who leaped on him, snarling. Lillian backed up, looking confused. They were acting like wolves, too much like wolves, both snarling in anger and fear.
Lillian looked at Lucan, who was staring at them confused. While Aris seemed mildly entertained.
Lillian yelled, "Stop!"
Markus and Erik looked at her, and she growled at Erik, "Look, it's not nice just to attack someone." She snarled her teeth.
Erik just snapped at her, and asked in a growl, "Not nice?"
Lillian snarled, and wagged her tail angrily, and she could barely hear Lucan say, "Stop..."
She ignored him though, the blood was pumping in her ears now, she growled, her and Erik circling each-other, Markus had gotten up, and backed up in fear.
Lucan said again, "Stop..."
Lillian crouched low, ready to pounce, her eyes were fixated on Erik, angered at him.
Erik mirrored her movement, Aris was watching, suddenly concerned instead of amused, and Lucan said again, "Stop."
Lillian and Erik pounced at the same time, both trying to get a good bite in, their claws slashing at each-other, but she noticed a movement in the corner of her eye, and soon Lucan joined the fight.
Lillian and Erik were so confused on who they were fighting, they mostly attacked air while Lucan, still able to rationally think, pinned them both down easily, staring down at them, and he barked, "Stop!" Lillian and Erik stared up at him, shocked. While Erin and Markus watched confused.
Erik tried to struggle out of Lucan's grip, but he had a strong grip, and wouldn't let him up, and soon, Erik gave up, his eyes flashing.
"That was stupid to fight." Lucan growled dangerously, not letting them up.
Lillian was starting to get nervous and she flicked her tail in fear.
Aris suddenly spoke up, sounding normal again, "Let them go, Lucan."
Lucan made a face, and let them both go. Lillian stood up, and shook her fur, while Erik growled at the ground in frustration. Lillian shook in fear, while Erik was frustrated, but Lillian wasn't sure if he was frustrated with her, or himself.
Lucan muttered, "Sorry."
Lillian said nothing, and flicked her tail in fear, while Markus watched, and she thought, What is happening? We're turning on each-other, if we keep going on like this, we might seperate...
Markus ended up hiding behind Lillian, wary of Erik, who went to sit alone, and turned his back to them, while Aris just stared up in the sky.
Lillian started to get a head-ache, and thought, I don't want to lose my friends, we've come too far to just hate each-other.
Lucan sat with Erin, who looked at all of them confused.
Erik huffed, staring down at the ground, while Aris continued to look at the sky.
Lillian looked at her friends, and wasn't sure what to say, she only sighed, and looked down at the ground also. Not wanting to lose her friends.
Even though that seemed apparent that she was about to.
~*~*~*~
Lillian woke up to cold light, and was confused to see that Lucan and Erin had disappeared, along with Erik and Aris, she looked to see if Markus was still with her, she sighed in relief when he was, and poked him to wake him up.
Markus jumped, and asked, "Ah! What?!" He looked around in confusion.
Lillian said, "Calm down." She sniffed the air, not picking her friends scent trail, but noticing that the paw tracks Erik made signaled that he was alone, same with Aris, but it seemed Lucan and Erin were together, but where? It must have rained, because the paw tracks were slowly disappearing.
"No..." She murmured, looking down at the fading paw-prints, knowing that it was too late to follow them, they were all gone, only her and Markus were left, just like how the first met, they were the only ones.
She asked Markus, "What do we do?"
Markus had noticed her change, and said calmly, "Nothing, we can't follow them, they probably left for one reason or another."
Lillian looked at Markus, saddened, and said, "We can't just travel to the mountain alone, we need them." She looked straight ahead.
Markus said, "I guess it's too late, we have no choice, come on, Lillian, brooding like this won't help." He stood up, and flicked his tail for Lillian to follow him.
Lillian obeyed, lost on what to do, she said, "We should look for them."
Markus stopped, "We can't, every trace of them is gone, the rain made sure of that." He said.
Lillian nodded, and Markus said, "It's only dawn, and it's raining, you obviously need rest." He flicked his tail. Lillian got the point, and chose a sheltered place to sleep.
She wasn't sure how long she slept, but when she woke up, Markus was no where in sight, and the rain had stopped.
Lillian stood up suddenly, her head-ache more powerful then before, and she thought, No...
She looked around, and called, "Markus?" She ran around the clearing, "Markus?!" She called again, terror raising in her voice.
She sighed, "Anybody...?"
Lillian looked down, seeing her vision blur, and she thought, I'm... All alone... I'm all alone...
She said, "No..."
Lillian heard a voice, "No what?"
Lillian looked up suddenly, and saw a familiar face, but it was human, not her friends, she looked up to see menacing stormy grey eyes, and she sighed, "You scared me, Collin."
Collin looked around, "Where are all your friends?" He asked, sitting down in front of her, like a friend trying to reassure a lost friend.
She turned away from him, "They're all gone, they just walked away... And they just disappeared, I'm all alone..." Her vision started to blur again.
Collin asked curiously, "Why would they do that?"
Lillian looked up at him, and realised he looked honestly concerned.
Lillian said sadly, "Well, we had a big fight last night, and it must have rained, because when I woke up, Lucan, Erin, Erik and Aris were all gone, Erik and Aris went their own ways, while Lucan and Erin must have left together, I don't know why Markus would just walk away too."
Lillian sighed, and Collin asked, "Maybe you'll run into each-other?"
Lillian nodded, and Collin said gently, "You probably will."
Lillian said quietly, "Yeah, but I'm lost now, I don't know what to do, when I was with them, we may not have shared common heritage or anything, but we shared a common goal, and now, it seems that we don't, because of one little fight."
Collin shrugged, "Why don't you look around?" He asked, Lillian was about to say something, but realised Collin had disappeared, and once again, she was alone.
She sighed, and decided to go walk around, she needed to think anyways, she knew Markus probably wasn't going to come back, or else he would have done so, so she was alone this time. She decided to find Lucan first, and she decided to try and pick up his trail.
But she started growing weary as she walked around aimlessly, she sighed, and sat down, looking around, seeing no sign of any of her friends.
Lillian asked, "I don't care who, just someone, help me..." Looking down at her paws again.
Then she started to hear the melody again, she stood up, knowing that Lucan knew the melody, and that it was part of his childhood, she tried to find where it was coming from, but it seemed to be coming from everywhere.
She decided to follow it, looking around as it sometimes got louder and softer.
It finally stayed louder, she felt calmed by the melody, but didn't feel safe, she knew something was wrong, but continued to follow the melody anyways.
She called, "Lucan? Erin?" AShe sniffed the air, only smelling the sweet heather blowing in the wind, while the melody continued to play.
Lillian looked around, tail flicking in worry, she called, "Lucan!? Erin?!"
The melody continued to play it's soft, sad tone, Lillian looked around, the melody suddenly stopped, and she looked up when humans came running toward her.
She looked around, decided to jump into the heather as the humans ran past her, laughing. She sighed, and walked back out of the heather, she heard the melody again, and followed it.
Lillian called again, "Lucan!?"
Still no answer, and soon, the melody had stopped, and didn't start playing again. She called in exasperation, "Anybody?!"
Lillian huffed, looking around, she saw a rock, and jumped on it, sniffing the air. But could only smell the heather. She growled in exasperation.
Lillian looked up when she heard a noise, she frowned, jumping back into the heather, and nearly jumped when Vortex appeared out of no where.
"Ah! Do you mind not scaring at me like that?" Lillian growled.
Vortex giggled, "Oh, sorry! I just sensed some pretty deep displeasure and sadness, and I couldn't help but find out what it's about," she said, shrugging, "Collin tends to tease me about that habit, but really..."
Lillian barked, "I wouldn't put it past him."
Vortex smiled, "Anyways, your friends are around, but, they don't call these unrestful plains for nothing, I want to see what a human can do to restore peace among friends, both me and Collin will be around, so don't feel alone!" She laughed, and running off.
Lillian stared after her, she couldn't help but twitch her muzzle.
~*~*~*~
Soon it was night, and Lillian was starting to give up, she sighed, and sat down, the melody started to play again, but she ignored it, as the melody wasn't going to lead her anywhere.
She sighed, shaking her head, I give up... I'm never going to find them...
As if to answer, the melody started getting louder, she growled, "Why are you torturing me like this? You never lead me anywhere!"
Lillian got a sudden realisation, and she thought, Is this the melody that Flynn heard? Lucan did say it was very special to his family, and Flynn is a part of his family, it makes sense, but why did he seem so upset about it?
Lillian finally decided to follow the melody. She entered a clearing, and it stopped, and she asked, "A clearing? You led me to a clearing?"
She made a face, and sighed. She jumped when she heard a voice, "I see you followed the music too..."
Lillian looked up to face Lucan, she noticed that he seemed tired, and she thought, Vortex wanted to see me do something, but the unrestfulness is making everyone grumpy... How can I make them ungrumpy? Only Markus had that ability to make us smile... Wait a second.
Lillian jumped on Lucan, and he gasped, and she widened her eyes really big, and he asked curiously, "What?!"
Lillian said, "Uh, melody eh? Hm?"
Lucan nodded, and Lillian wondered, How did Markus cheer us up?
Lillian got an idea, and she sat down, not letting Lucan up, "Do I have something interesting to tell you!"
Lucan's eyes glittered in amusement, Lillian's spirit rose, and he asked curiously, "What?"
"Well, I was kind of running around you see, I felt kind of silly, so I did indeed follow the melody, but it led me everywhere and I got lost!" Lillian said with a twitching muzzle.
Lucan twitched his muzzle in amusement, "That sounds like something Markus would do though." He laughed.
Lillian let him up, and he said in a cheery voice, "We should go find our friends."
Lucan nodded, and she led the way around the clearing, she sniffed the air, and her heart raced when she smelled Erik, and he was indeed alone, but she could almost sense the uneasiness around him, she raced towards the scent.
Erik jumped when they entered the heather he was taking shelter in, and he asked coldly, "What do you guys-" But gasped when Lilliian pushed him over, and she said in a cheery voice, "Hey!"
Erik made an annoyed face, and said in a murmur, "Hello."
Lucan just watched in confusion as Lillian made an overexaggerated whimper, "That is not how you greet friends, Erik~"
Her eyes flashed when Erik's eyes held the tiniest spark of amusement, and he said, "Hi," he hesitated. Then added, "Is that better?"
Lillian made a face, and said, "A bit more cheery Erik, no forcing." Lillian laughed.
Erik laughed too, and said, "Hi Lillian!" He added innocently, "How was that?"
"Better!" Lillian said, nudging him in a friendly way, Erik pushed her back, he looked like his cheerful old self again, all the anger in eyes were gone.
Lillian padded up to Lucan, and nodded, she said, "Now let's find Markus!"
Erik nodded excitedly, and said, "Yeah!" While Lucan nodded slowly.
Lillian led the way, scenting the air as she went, and Erik said, "Hey! He's over around that area!" He pointed with his ears, and Lillian said, "Nice!" They ran toward the area where Erik was pointing.
When they burst into the clearing, Markus jumped straight onto the rock in fear, his fur arched up, and his teeth bared, but he froze when he saw who it was. He sighed, "Don't scare me!"
Lillian looked at the rock and the ground, and she laughed, "I didn't know you could jump that high, Markus!" She pointed out
Markus looked down at the ground too, and he said in a amused voice, "So I can..."
Erik looked up the sky, and gasped, "Howling Bird!"
Markus gasped, looking up at the sky, and fell off the rock, he stared up at Lillian and Erik, who laughed, "Made you look!"
Markus made a face, and laughed also, his fur relaxing, they let him up, and Markus looked around and commented, "Woah, I don't even remember getting here." 
"You got lost." Lucan said in an amused voice.
Markus retorted playfully, "I did not get lost, I just, got confused."
"That translates to lost." Lucan pointed out.
Markus made a face, and laughed, Lucan seemed to smile, and Lillian said, "All right! Let's go find Aris!"
Erik, Lucan, and Markus nodded, and followed Lillan away from the clearing. Lillian turned back to them, and asked, "Scent anything?"
Markus sniffed the air, he twitched his ear, and said, "Nothing..."
Lillian looked on thoughtfully, and sat down, and she murmured, "Where could he have gone?"
Erik padded up beside her, and murmured, "I think I know..."
Lillian looked at him, and he indicated his muzzle toward the castle in the distance, with it's smooth stone walls and towers, Lillian could almost see the ice chimes flashing in the sunlight, but instead of calming, it was foreboding.
Lillian frowned, and Markus asked, "So, we're going to have to go towards a castle, where there is probably walls, and guards, can't forget about those guys."
Lillian asked him, "Do we really have a choice? If King Mora tries to get his revenge, our biggest threat won't be the castle guards." She pointed out. Markus didn't reply, only looked down at the ground.
Lucan padded up to them, and said cooly, "Well, I don't know about you, but I think it would be unpleasant to let King Mora get his way."
Lillian nodded, and she said, "Well, we better get going."
She stood up, and headed towards the castle, she heard the others following her quietly, and they trekked through the heather.
After what seemed like an hour, Lillian looked up when she felt a raindrop on her head, she made a face, her ears drooping, and stared ahead.
Erik said, "What a time to rain."
Lucan nodded, taking the lead, and said, "Well, we better hurry then," he hesitated, then looked at Erik, and said, "Now, I have a question."
Erik looked at him, puzzled, and nodded. Lucan sighed, and asked, "Aris... King Aris, do you know why he left his home? The home he was in charge of?"
Erik frowned, and he said, "When I was brought here, I had met him, I was tasked to protect him, and he made me promise a whole lot of things," he turned away, and murmured, "However, there is a loophole to that, if, in the off chance that not revealing information would endanger his life, then I was free to tell people that I knew Aris trusted."
Lillian said, "But, he was only in danger of King Mora, a spirit, why did you have to protect him when his soul was in danger?"
Erik looked like he was about to answer, but Lucan cut in, "There's something you have to know about the people from Hostrich," he padded up to them, and sat down, "They have this natural resistence to spirit energy, because their own energy seems to shoo them away, so being near Erik was all Aris needed to be protected from spirits," he looked at the castle, "However, when we all started changing, even Erik was affected, causing the barrier around us to fall."
Lillian and Markus just stared at Erik in amazement, and Erik nodded, "I didn't notice it at first, but when we entered, it felt like the energy seemed to change, and I let my guard down." He said cooly.
Lillian murmured, "And to think, you were protecting us the whole time, and we didn't even realise it."
Erik nodded, "However, the only person I was tasked to protect was the King himself, however, when he told me that he was running away from his home, I'm going to be honest, I didn't approve either, after all, the treaty of Orskola was going to come around, but when he told me it wouldn't change anything, and that he was going to go anyways, I had to follow." He murmured.
Lillian murmured, "I don't understand..." She looked at Markus, who looked shocked.
"No way, you must be in training or something, you're only 14!" Markus gasped, while Erik stared at him, and Lillian stared at him also.
Erik shook his head, and said, "I'm older than you, really, I just look 14, it runs in the family, we all have that young look."
Markus just stared at him, and Lillian said, "That would make you Aris's age..."
Erik nodded, and Lucan said, "That means you are indeed old enough to be part of the elite guard, you must have been high ranking to guard a King."
Erik said, "It was only because my grandfather was high-ranked in the guard."
Markus laughed, "Looks like you and me are the only ones not royal here!"
Erik smiled, and said, "That's true, so technically, if you all are safe, I'm doing my job well."
Lillian looked at Lucan and shrugged, she was royalty, but she wasn't an heir to a throne like Lucan was. Lucan smiled, and said, "Right, but we need to get Aris!"
Erik nodded, standing up, Lillian followed suit as he led the way towards the castle, and Markus called from the back, "So, are we going to circle around or walk straight in?"
"Aris wouldn't be dumb enough to enter the castle, he's around it." Erik murmured, he looked around as they entered the perimeter of the wall, it was night, and the only light that was there was the moon, and the torches on the walls.
Erik led them away from the gate, and Lillian looked up at the walls, and was reminded of her own home, she made a face, and followed Erik.
Erik kept his muzzle low to the ground, and they stopped when a guard passed them on top of the wall, but didn't see them. Markus muttered, "There's a lot of them."
Erik nodded, and kept going. He stopped, and said, "Aris is nearby."
Lillian and Markus jumped when Aris ran up to them, looking like his normal self, and he growled, "We have a small problem."
Erik asked, "Wha-" But stopped when bells started ringing, they stood in silence as guards above them moved about frantically.
Aris growled, "We must get out of here!"
Lillian asked, "What about King Mora?!"
Aris stared at her, and growled, "I'll tell you later! Now let's go! Before we get caught!"
Lillian nodded, and Aris took the lead, leading them away from the walls. And Lillian thought in horror, confused on what was happening.
What is going on?! She thought in horror as the bells got louder and she heard the guards start yelling.
==Chapter 3==
Trust is a really big thing
For it takes years to gain
But seconds to destroy
They ran hurriedly away as guards headed towards them, Aris and Erik jumped over a log with ease, but Lucan and Lillian were held up when Markus was having trouble, and Lucan growled, "Hurry up, Markus!" He looked up, and Lillian thought in horror, The guards are getting nearer.
Lucan looked impatient, and Lillian sighed, pushing Markus roughly to the other side and let Lucan jump first, then followed him. Aris and Erik watched as they caught up, they ran into a clearing, and Aris looked around quickly, and flicked his tail.
They followed him as the guards broke through the tree line. Erik said, "They won't stop chasing after us!"
Aris growled, "We have to keep going, deep into the heartland."
Erik looked at him as they ran, and he asked curiously, "Is that such a good idea?"
Lillian jumped in, and said, "We have no choice! We'll follow you Aris!"
Aris nodded, and jumped to the side, and lead them deeper into the gorse, and they all stopped when the torchlight got farther and farther away. They all sat there panting, and Lillian asked Erik through deep breaths, "Why... Did you question the goodness of the idea?"
Erik looked at Aris flatly, and Aris stood up, shaking out his fur, and said, "It's because the ruins are here, they're very sacred."
Lillian asked, "What ruins?"
"The ruins of Azarath." Lucan muttered. Markus and Lillian stared at him, and Aris explained.
"The ruins of Azarath, it was once a huge city, and they had a temple, dedicated to the old gods, like Orias and Garaos." Aris said, staring deep into the heather.
Lillian just stared, and said, "Why don't we go there and plan our next move?" She flicked her ear when there was a rustle in the bushes, but the others didn't seem to hear, and she asked calmly, "How far away is the temple, Aris?"
Aris looked at her, and said, "It's just around the bend of the heather, past a clearing, it's hard to miss, why?" He asked curiously.
Lillian said, "I'll catch up with you guys, you go on ahead."
Erik said, "Someone should stay with you though, in case the guards come by here."
Lillian smiled, and said, "I'll be fine."
Erik nodded, and looked at Aris who led the way toward the temple, Lillian watched them leave, noting their path, and soon they disappeared.
She turned to heather, and said softly, "You can come out."
She was surprised when only Collin came out, and she said, "I was expecting Vortex."
Collin sat down, and sighed, Lillian noticed that he looked tired, and he said, "She's starting to have trouble with this land, the unrestfulness just keeps growing," he hesitated, then added, "That was a... Interesting tactic you pulled with your friends, I wasn't expecting that."
Lillian laughed, "Well, I had no other choice really, anyways, I have a question, about these ruins we're heading towards."
Collin looked at her, and she asked, "I mean, have you ever... Been there before yourself?"
Collin hesitated, then said, "Sure, I've been there plenty of times, it's really just a bunch of rocks, besides the temple, which is the only thing that's still standing, but that may be because that even though most of the old gods are gone, their power still remains." He smiled.
Lillian said, "That makes sense," he looked around, and sighed, and she asked, "Hey? You all right?"
Collin looked at her, and nodded, "I'm fine, I'm just feeling the effects of this land, Vortex is worse off though, actually, we're all feeling her power dwindle, it's not very pleasant." He said.
They sat in silence, and she asked, "How are Flynn and Anima?"
Collin stared at her, and said, "I don't know."
Lillian just stared at him, and she asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Collin hesitated, then said, "Well, Anima is probably just roaming around as she usually does, nothing special there, I don't know about Flynn though, he's been acting weird lately, I haven't seen him in a while."
"Weird as in...?" Lillian asked.
Collin said, "He's just been acting weird lately, I mean not like bad weird or good weird, I guess something's on his mind, I know better then to question him about it."
Lillian asked, "Why don't you?"
"Because he just glares at me whenever I do, so I just leave it." Collin said.
Lillian asked, "Have you tried looking for him?"
Collin nodded, "Last time I saw Anima, she asked me to go look for him, apparently she couldn't hear or sense him around, I guess she started to get worried." He said quietly.
"Any luck?" Lillian asked.
Collin shook his head, and he said calmly, "Nope, if Flynn doesn't want to be found, it's nigh impossible to find him."
Lillian looked thoughtful, and she asked, "You... Don't think, he could be in the lower spirit world?"
Collin looked thoughtful, "That was one of the places I checked, I got lost pretty quickly, but you do have a point, as much as that place is somewhat dangerious and creepy, it'd definately be one of the places he would go if he wanted to be alone."
Lillian said, "I know! You look in the spirit world, and I'll look around here, is there any way we could keep in contact with each-other?"
Collin's eyes flashed in excitement, and he nodded, and he said suddenly, "Oh, but it's a bit complicated though, and it won't go away, it's actually kind of dangerous for a mortal."
Lillian said, "It's fine."
Collin smiled, and said, "Close your eyes then."
Lillian closed her eyes, she felt woozy all of a sudden, but kept her eyes closed, and soon the woozy feeling went away, replaced by a calming feeling, and Collin said, "You can open your eyes now!"
Lillian opened her eyes, and she asked, "What did you do?"
Collin said, "It kind of works like how it is between me and Vortex, we can sense what the other is feeling or thinking, however, this serves a kind of different purpose, you will be able to feel what I feel, and vice versa, although there is complications to it."
"What kind of complications?" Lillian asked.
Collin hesitated, and said in a matter-of-factly tone, "If you get serverly injured, I'm definately going to feel that."
Lillian stared at him, and he stood up, and said, "Well, better start my search again!" He waved and disappeared.
Lillian smiled, and stood up, going to catch up with her friends, but hesitated, flicking her ears, and she thought quietly, The link must be taking it's affect...
She continued, ignoring the horrible feeling she was getting.
~*~*~*~
Lillian finally caught up to them, and found them staring up at a huge building, she looked around as they entered carefully.
She looked at the walls, and she thought, Do you know what these mean Collin?
Hold on. Collin said, Lillian flicked her ear, as he said, Oh, those tell the story of Solaris and Yuna, you know, the sun and the moon, the old old gods.
As Lillian moved down the wall,  they seemed to get darker and darker, and she thought, I do not like what these walls are saying...
If walls could talk... Collin said jokingly.
Lillian smiled, and followed the others into the main room, and she let out a gasp of awe, there were large statues of the old gods, she recognized Orias immediately, but there was something different about him. She just couldn't place it.
She looked around as the others talked, her eyes widened, and she thought, Collin.
Hm?
Flynn, he was here. She said.
Are you sure? Collin asked
100% sure. She said, staring around.
Collin had went silent, so she padded up towards her friends, and sat down, and she asked, "What's our next move?"
Aris sighed, "I don't know..." He looked up at Lillian, and everyone else followed his lead.
Lillian murmured, "I guess we could stay here for the time being, I want to figure out what is up with this place."
Markus said, "I could go to the villages and listen in, after all, they might know something." 
Aris shrugged, and muttered cooly, "If you're going to do that, you have to be careful." Lillian nodded her head, and she looked at Lucan.
"I need you to help me," She said, and flicked her tail, and led him back down the hall, and she said, "I want to find out what's wrong with this land, if we don't, we won't be able to get to the mountain."
Lucan asked, "What do you want me to do?"
Lillian asked, Collin, you listening? She frowned when there was no answer. She said, "I want to fix this place, hopefully what Markus hears will help us, Aris and Erik will stay here," she looked at Lucan, and she said, "But for this to work, I need you to follow me."
Lucan nodded, and Lillian flicked her tail to the wall, and she asked, "You can read this can you?"
Lucan turned to the wall, and he looked at it, he said darkly, "That isn't pleasant..."
Lillian shook her head, still trying to reach out to Collin. She tried shaking off this bad feeling, but couldn't, this place was safe, but maybe not totally safe.
Lillian jumped when Collin asked, What?
Great, we have a huge problem. Lillian explained as her and Lucan stared at the wall.
What type? He asked curiously.
I keep getting this weird feeling, I can't shake it off, it's bad. She explained, and shivered, a chill going down her spine.
Collin asked nervously, Can you describe it, it's maybe something or someone trying to contact you.
Lillian nodded, and explained, This place, it feels safe, but I'm getting bad vibes, I keep feeling that there's something wrong, something's not right...
She waited for Collin to answer, and finally he said, That's... Interesting, maybe the link opened your mind to us, maybe it is Flynn trying to contact you, what he can't get through telephathy he sends through feelings and images, but you being wolf, I guess those feelings are heightened...
Lillian asked as Lucan read the wall, But why me and not you?
Collin replied, Maybe you're closer, or maybe because it's something that involves you, bad feeling? Maybe something is wrong, this place is giving me the creeps, and I don't think he's here...
Then get out of there, and look around this land, and I'll just get my friends near Orskola and look around there. Lillian said.
The path is guarded though. Collin said.
How heavy? Lillian asked.
Think of it as twice the amount as there was at the castle. Collin said jokingly.
Lillian shivered, and Lucan said, "Is something wrong?"
Lillian murmured, "I-I don't know, I just have this really bad feeling..."
Lucan just watched as she sighed, "It seems that the Fate of this land is slowly losing control because of the spirits," she looked at Lucan, "That's why I need your help specifically." She explained.
Lucan said, "Right, but we'll wait for Markus, then we'll see what the problem is."
Lillian nodded, and said, "Maybe if we can somehow restore the power of the Fate, the spirits won't be able to harm this place anymore."
Lucan asked jokingly, "Right, and how exactly do we restore a Fate's power?"
"By asking one." Lillian laughed and Lucan stared at her confused as she asked Collin, I think if we restore Vortex's power back, we can chase the spirits out, thus calming the unrestful spirits.
That doesn't sound too bad, we should give it a try, I think one of the main things about Vortex's power is the peace, however, if her power is coming from a land that isn't at least somewhat peaceful, her power comes from mine, which is why I'm so tired all the time. Collin explained.
Lillian nodded, And even you can't keep going on like that forever, what would happen if you did though?
Well, usually, I wouldn't have any power, but here is where the complications of the link come in, in the off chance that Vortex drains all my power, not that it would help her case anyways, then you'll start feeling the effects. Collin explained.
Lillian murmured, "So. Okay, Lucan, we somehow need to restore the peace of this land... Hm."
Lucan asked, "What are you thinking."
Lillian seemed to think, and she wondered, Maybe by going to the original origin of the problem and fixing it... The other problems will detoriate...
She asked, Collin, if it's not asking too much of you, and it may be our only chance of finding Flynn...
Collin asked, What?
Lillian sighed, Would it be possible for you to turn me into a human for a bit?
Collin seemed to hesitate, Possible, but I need to use my power continously, and I'd have to be near you to do it. But, if you think it will work, then let's do it. He said cheerily.
Lillian looked at Lucan, and said, "I'm going to the castle, and I need you to come with me."
Lucan nodded, and she thought, Collin, meet me by the front gate, make sure you're well hidden, then we'll start.
Lillian and Lucan had went back into the main chamber, Markus was already gone, she looked at Aris, and she said, "We're going to the castle."
Aris stared at them, and asked, "Why?"
"We can't leave without fixing the problem." Lucan explained.
Aris looked at Erik, who just shrugged, and he sighed, "You can't easily fix a problem if you take the obvious course."
Lucan and Lillian stared at him, and he only flicked his tail, Lillian sighed, and she flicked her tail at Lucan, who nodded, and followed her out of the temple.
They skirted big towns, where guards were patrolling, and it was noon by the time they reached the castle. They had a few close calls, one of them involving a disgruntled farmer. Lucan and Lillian managed to get away from them.
She noticed Collin leaning against the wall, she had to hand it to him, he looked almost normal enough to look like a mortal, with the exception of his stormy grey hair. He noticed Lillian walk up, and he looked at Lucan, and asked, "Are you both going in?"
Lillian looked at Lucan, who nodded, and Lillian looked up at Collin, "If you can handle it, the first moment I see something wrong, we're leaving and you can change us back." She explained.
Collin nodded, and sighed, and said, "Close your eyes, and don't move."
They obeyed, and Lillian felt something change she felt as if she was taller all of a sudden, and she asked, "If this messes up we're not going to be like, half-human, half-dog right?"
Collin growled, "No. Stop reading fiction books."
Lillian smiled, and he said tiredly, "There open your eyes, and let's be quick."
She opened her eyes, and looked down, she sighed, recognizing that she was once again human, but she didn't know for how long, she pulled her cloak around her, and shuffled her feet, trying to get used to it.
Lillian looked at Lucan, who looked like he did when she first met him, he looked around, and ran his hand through his hair, and Collin said tiredly, "Are you two done getting used to it?"
Lillian and Lucan stared at him, and nodded, and Collin sighed, "Well, I'm following you."
Lillian noticed that he seemed even more tired then he was, she frowned, and nodded, leading the way, she passed the guards, who made no reaction, and Lucan said, "I've been here, I've met her before, she'll recognize me."
Lillian nodded, and the guards let them in, recognizing Lucan. They stepped into the main room, and Lillian looked around.
Lucan walked up to the nearest guard, and asked, "Where is Queen Aryna?"
Lillian kept a close eye on Collin, who was eerily quiet, and the guard rumbled, "She would be in the room ahead, why?" He asked suspiciously.
Lucan bowed, "I'm sorry, but we need to talk to her."
The guard stared down at Lucan, and finally bowed back, and said, "I shall take you to her." Lucan indicated for Lillian to follow him, she nodded, casting a worried glance at Collin, who followed her.
When the guard opened the door, the queen stood up from where she was sitting and murmured tiredly, "I didn't expect to see you here without your parents, Prince Lucan."
Lucan frowned, and asked, "Where is the king?"
Aryna frowned and said, "I do not know, he has been gone for a while."
Lillian noticed that Collin looked like he was about to pass out, and she nudged Lucan to hurry it up.
Lucan reassured her, "I'm sure he's safe, I think I saw him back in Nixsan, and he seemed just fine."
The queens face lit up at the mention of her sons safety, and she asked, "Really?"
Lucan nodded, smiling, Lillian stared, and he said, "Yeah, he told me that he would be back soon, he just has some things to take care of."
Aryna mused, "I wonder if he's visiting my mother's family in Graelach, hm, okay! That's nice to hear! Thank you for telling me, Lucan!" She bowed, and said cheerily, "Now I don't have to worry anymore, I'm glad to know he was safe."
Lillian piped up, "Yeah, he's safe, I saw him in the villages a couple times."
Collin poked her as Lucan and Aryna conversed, and she murmured, "I know, I know, just hold on."
Lucan noticed Lillian's distress, and he bowed to the queen, "We must go now, I need to return home." Aryna looked at him curiously, but nodded, and waved them out.
They hurried across the castle courtyard, and left the gates, and rushed back to their meeting spot. Collin leaned against the wall, and he said, "This is taking a lot out of me, Lillian..."
"Is Vortex using your power then?" Lillian asked, taking a step toward him.
He nodded, and she said, "I have to thank you Collin, I could sense the change in the air when Lucan cheered her up."
She hugged him, and she said, "We're ready to change back!"
Collin nodded, and she stepped back, and closed her eyes. It didn't take nearly as long as it did turning into a human, but when she opened her eyes she was at a wolves height, and Collin sat down, taking a deep breath. She asked, "You sure you're okay?"
Collin nodded, standing back up, and he said, "Well, I hope that worked, for what it was worth, now, shall we begin our search again?"
Lucan stared at them confused as Collin disappeared, and he asked, "What did he mean by search?"
Lillian looked at him, and said, "Flynn is missing, and Collin hasn't seen him at all," she looked up at the sky, and she murmured, "I wonder if he's trying to figure this out on his own..."
Lucan said, "Well, let's help."
Lillian nodded, and she said, "Let's go back and report."
Lucan nodded, and followed her away from the castle, they soon pushed through the heather, and Lillian shook her fur when they got through the gorse, they looked around the ruins, and Lillian murmured, "I wonder how big this city was..."
Lucan put his paw on a rock, and said, "It's very old." He headed back to the temple, and Lillian followed cautiously.
As they entered, Markus came running behind them and yelled, "Wait up!"
Lucan and Lillian turned around,and saw Markus run up to them, and he panted, and he said, "I've got some good news, and some bad news!"
Lucan and Lillian returned into the temple where Aris and Erik were waiting, they all sat in a circle, being looked down upon by the statues of the old gods, and Aris asked, "What's the good news, Markus?"
"The good news is, everything seems all right, like, not turbulent or tense or anything, but it's not peaceful, there's some in fighting going on." Markus said darkly.
Lucan asked, "Is that the bad news?"
Markus shook his head, "No, it's worse, people seem to be disappearing, I mean, there are small amounts, but they all seem connected." He muttered.
Lillian cut in, "Wait. Disappearing?"
Markus nodded, and Lillian got a look of horror on her face, and she called out to Collin, We have a huge problem!
Collin asked, What now?
It seems people are disappearing! Lillian explained.
Collin had went silent, and Lillian asked, What's wrong?
No way... No way this is possible. Collin murmured in nervousy.
What? Lillian asked.
Well, back when all the old gods were still alive, this place had a certain spell, if it was peaceful, which this place usually is, then the spell would lay dormant, however, if there was inner fighting, then the spell would activate. Collin explained.
Lillian gasped, How do we stop it?!
Collin hesitated, then said, We need both Flynn and Vortex, however, both of them are either missing or not doing so well.
Then we have to hurry up and find Flynn, get Anima to take care of Vortex, and when the spell reaches it's limit, we go to the lower spirit world and stop it! Lillian said.
Collin murmured, I wish it was that easy, if Flynn has been affected by the spell as well, we have a problem.
Lillian looked back at her friends, who were watching her curiously, and she said, "Aris, is there a legend about an old spell?"
Aris looked at her confused, and he nodded, "Yes, but it's kind of complicated, the story has changed so many times, it's kind of like a time spell, yet not, it makes people disappear, in stories, it sends them back in the past or the future, but if you think about it logically, they are being sent to the spirit world, and that in turn reflects their darkest memories, casuing them to lose them selves." He explained.
Lillian said, "It's not a story, it's happening right now!"
Aris nodded, "It seems so." He growled.
She said, "We need to help, Aris, before you left, was this place already in this much disarry?" She asked carefully. 
Aris nodded, "It was, it just got more ferocious after my father died." He said.
Lillian paced, and she murmured, "What are you doing, Flynn? You already told me you couldn't calm his spirit..."
She stopped, eyes widening in horror, and she said, Collin... I think I know what your brother is trying to do.
Er, yeah, I heard the whole conversation from here, this is bad. He said quickly.
Lillian looked at her friends, and said, "Right, we will fan out, me and Lucan in one group, Markus can continue doing what he is doing, and Aris and Erik, find anything that may stop this spell!"
They all nodded, and Markus ran out again, while Erik led Aris down one of the hallways, Lillian knew there had to be something here about the spell, she flicked her tail to Lucan to follow her.
She thought, I hope I'm wrong, please let me be wrong...
Lillian said, Collin, get into the spirit world, and stay in there, I don't care how creepy it gets in there, the spells power would probably weaken with you and Flynn in there.
All right. Collin said.
Lillian murmured, And be careful too.
Collin didn't answer that time, and Lillian turned to Lucan, "Where should we start?"
Lucan looked around, and said, "I'd like to look around the ruins..."
Lillian nodded, and followed him out of the temple, and deeper into the ruins. She watched as he looked around, there was rune writing over some slabs of stone, he frowned, and flicked his ear.
"Is something wrong?" Lillian asked.
Lucan was silent, and said, "I'm not sure, it's just weird..."
Lillian frowned, and looked up at the sky, which was a stormy grey, she started to regret getting Collin to stay in the lower spirit world, the place terrified him, and she had a bad feeling about all of this and the spell, What if it affects Collin too? It'd be my fault...
She looked down at the ground, and sighed, Lucan turned back, and asked, "Is something wrong?"
Lillian sighed, and shook her head, "Nothing..." She murmured. Lillian could tell Lucan didn't believe her, but he didn't press her.
Lillian continued to stare at the clouds as Lucan looked around at the ruins, sometimes looking in a certain direction for a long time.
Lillian suddenly got a bad feeling, and she backed up as the clouds started to rumble, Lucan looked at her, and asked, "Hey! Lillian?!"
Lillian said, Collin! Are you okay?
She frowned when there was no answer, she asked silently, Where are you, Collin?
Still no answer, and she looked at Lucan, who had a look of concern on his face, and she said, "Nothing, the clouds just gave me a fright that's all."
Lucan frowned, but said, "I'm done looking around, let's go back."
Lillian nodded, and murmured, "I'm a bit tired..."
Lucan nodded, "Right, I'll wait for the others then, while you get some sleep." He said cooly, and they headed back to the temple.
Lillian sat down by Orias's statue, and curled up, closing her eyes, and she thought, Answer me, Collin.
She still got no answer, she soon fell into an unrestful sleep, and she could hear a breath of wind, but it did nothing to calm her nerves.
It was more of a fore-boding signal to her, and she hoped Collin was all right, if he wasn't, it would be her fault.
But wouldn't I know if he was in trouble? She wondered as she fell deeper into sleep.
==Chapter 4==
Sometimes
You have to trust your instincts
Lillian woke up to find herself in her dream world, she stood up, not caring that she was human, and she called, "Collin?!" She looked up at the sky, which was a stormy grey, but it was silent, only a light breeze rustled through the trees, she frowned, looking around.
She headed away from the clearing, the spirit world shifted to her mind, but she stopped, and thought, Stop! I don't want the enviroment to change, show me the true form of the spirit world!
It stopped shifting, but soon it turned into the dark forest, she frowned when it was quiet, but she shook her head, Enough, I need to get Collin out of here, this isn't a good time to be here, we can find another way!
She trudged through the forests, surprised when she didn't run into any spirits, and if she did, she didn't see them or hear them. She climbed over a fallen tree, and frowned, the unrestful feeling growing inside her, she shook her head, and growled, "Forget it!"
Lillian continued on, refusing to give up just because the place gave her the creeps.
Lillian frowned, and continued through the dark forest, she called, a bit more nervously, "Collin?" She made a face, worried of what she might run into.
She stumbled into a clearing with a pond, she looked around, confused, then sat down by the pond, and touched the water, it was cold, but somehow calming compared to the rest of the forest, but still slightly fore-boding. She murmured, "Can you hear me, Collin?"
The water stayed still, she sighed, staring as the water reflected the black sky of the spirit world, she looked at her reflection, but narrowed her eyes to get a closer look, and she murmured, "Are those stars?"
Lillian looked up at the sky, but it was blank, she took another look at her reflection, she seemed normal enough, she put her hand in the water, but the image didn't change, even though the water was disturbed.
She made a face, and started to think, "Could this be a soul pond? I've only heard of these in stories, sometimes they're called soul mirrors, and sometimes transport you to other parts of the spirit world... Which means, if I'm correct, this isn't actually water..." She murmured to herself.
Lillian stuck her hand in the water, and took it out, letting the clear water fall through her hands, but she wasn't wet, she frowned as she looked at her hand, and said, "This is a soul mirror all right..."
She stood up, staring down at it, and she murmured, "Show me, I need to find my friend!"
The water seemed to shimmer, but it only showed blackness, and she called, "Collin? Can you hear me?"
The image finally formed to show Collin staring up at her, but he was surrounded by dark trees, and he said, "Yeah! Er, how are you doing that?" He asked curiously, blinking.
"It's a soul mirror, can I get through to where you are?" Lillian asked.
Collin looked thoughtful, "You may have to jump through the mirror, although, the reflection shows your souls true form." He said.
Lillian nodded, going to back up, and Collin called, "Hold on a second!"
Lillian went back to the mirror, which was already fading, and he yelled, "You're going to have to be quick! The image won't stay for long!"
Lillian nodded, as the image started to fade, and backed up once again, and started running for the mirror. She jumped, but nearly gasped in shock when there was a wolf where her reflection should have been, she burst through the mirror, only to land on Collin, and she yelped, "Ah! Sorry!" She let him up.
Collin looked up at the sky, and he said, "That was interesting, what are you doing here?" He asked curiously.
"You have to get out of here!" Lillian exclaimed, and said, "It's dangerous!"
"I know that." Collin said indifferently, and was about to turn away, when Lillian yelled, "The spell! It's starting to take it's effect here, and if you're in here, you're in danger!"
Collin looked back at her, and she continued, "I think Flynn is trying to get to the source of the problem, but he can't do it without Vortex!"
Collin stayed silent as she huffed, and he said quietly, "Hm, well, I did what you told me to do, but if you really think it's getting that powerful, then maybe it is a good idea to get out of here."
Lillian reassured him, "We'll find another way to restore Vortex's power and find Flynn, I promise."
Collin nodded, and said, "It's going to be tricky getting out of here though, it's like a straight maze."
He indicated for her to follow him, and led her through the undergrowth of the dark forest, he muttered, "This place creeps me out..."
Lillian agreed, and she asked, "Does Flynn think this place is creepy?"
Collin continued, and said quietly, "He doesn't think it's creepy, just filled with too much emotion, or so he says." He shrugged.
Lillian stayed silent, and then she asked, "Why are there no spirits? It makes no sense..."
"It does, you may not see how, but it does make sense," Collin murmured, and stopped, and said quietly, "Flynn told me that spirits tend to avoid anything powerful, unless they're looking for trouble, but the more power packed in the spirit world, the less spirits there would be out in the open."
Lillian frowned, and Collin continued walking, she followed closely. She jumped when there was a sharp noise, but sighed, and Collin said, "It's best just to ignore anything strange, Lily."
Lillian nodded at Collin, and he continued, they stopped by another soul mirror, and she asked, "How can you tell the difference between a soul mirror and just a pond?"
Collin smiled, and said, "That's easy," He walked up to the soul mirror, and bent toward it, he reached his hand over it, and he murmured, "Water doesn't usually radiate cold or heat, this does, it's a soul mirror."
Lillian asked, "Can soul mirrors be entrances to the regular world?"
Collin smiled, and said calmly, "Only if you do it right, since you're dreaming, it's very simple for you, just think of where your sleeping, and jump in."
Lillian made a face, and he said, "You go first!"
She asked, "How do I know you're just going to stay here?"
Collin smiled, "You'd tell if I did." He muttered simply.
Lillian sighed, deciding to trust Collin, and backed up, and thought about the temple, and Orias's statue, and jumped in the soul mirror, she heard it break, and she woke up with a jolt. She flicked her ears, and sighed, Looks like I'm wolf again...
She looked around, and realised that everyone was gone, she guessed that Lucan was in one of the deeper parts of the temple, trying to get some information on Ishari and the spell, and Lillian thought, I wonder if it would be relevent to find out who put the spell there in the first place.
She stood up, and shook out her fur. She looked up at Orias's statue, and she asked, Collin, can you hear me?
Mm, yes... Collin murmured.
Can you tell me what the difference between a curse and just a spell? Lillian asked carefully.
Collin semmed to hesitate, then said in a tired voice, It depends who you're talking to, and probably the most relevent and accurate answer would come from Flynn, however, I guess to me, a curse was placed and meant to harm, not even as protection, and a spell is just that, it may be beneficial or harmful, but the spell on Ishari is a mixture of both, it's like... He faltered, then continued, Like a protection curse, it will only affect those meant to do harm, or, it's supposed too...
Lillian said nothing, contemplating the answer, and she walked around the statues, she frowned when she looked up at Orias's statue, unsure of why she was staring at it, she sighed, and jumped when Lucan arrived from one of the deeper parts of the ruins.
"I've found out nothing about who placed the curse, which means it's not that old," Lucan reported, then he added, "However, there are some thing pertaining to abilities of magic, and the strongest magic was in the royal family, which would be Aris and his family."
"So, whoever set the curse would have came from Aris's family?" Lillian asked. Lucan nodded, and she asked, "Do you think it could've been King Mora?"
Lucan hesitated, then said carefully, "It's becoming apparent that it definately had something to do with him, this land has a natural barrier it seems, however, the spell actually strengthens it to the point where it's too strong." 
Lillian flicked her ear, and she asked, "Would it start affecting everyone, and not just the things it's intended to guard against?"
"It's already started affecting everyone, Lillian." Lucan pointed out, and Lillian only nodded quietly.
Lucan flicked his tail, "That's all I could find out anyways," he muttered, then said calmly, "I couldn't find anything about giving power to a Fate, seeing as they're not that old either."
Lillian nodded, and held up her tail for him to wait, and asked, You hear that, Collin? 
Loud and clear, although it's slightly disconcerting when the spell isn't that old, honestly, I originally thought it was old, but I guess I was wrong. Collin sighed.
Lillian smiled, and said, You can't always be right, Collin, I should have expected this though, maybe Vortex would know for sure? She asked calmly.
Maybe... Collin said thoughtfully.
Lucan asked, "So?"
Lillian blinked, and looked up at him, and she said, "We try harder then, there has to be a way."
Lucan nodded, and said, "I did find something interesting, although I can only somewhat understand it, but I know you can read runes..." He flicked his tail for her to follow him, and she obeyed.
He led her down a long stretch of hall-way, where the walls were almost bare, and she murmured, "Is the writing near the end?"
"Yep, it's just a hall-way, it doesn't even lead to anything..." Lucan murmured as they walked down the long hall-way.
Lillian stopped, flicking her ear, and she asked, "It doesn't lead to anything?"
Lucan stopped also, and nodded, and he said, "Yep, I double checked, it's like a dead end." And he continued down the hall-way.
Lillian slowly followed him, suddenly growing nervous, although she didn't know why. She murmured, "I'm getting the feeling that something's wrong, like we shouldn't go down this part of the hall-way..."
Lucan turned to her, and he said, "It'll be quick, there's no danger."
Lillian nodded slowly, and continued to follow him until they reached a dead end, Lillian looked up at the wall, scanning it, and looked at the pictures of the changing moons and suns, and she murmured, "It's a lunar and solar calender of some sorts..."
"An old age calender?" Lucan asked.
Lillian nodded, looking more closely at the runes, "Yep, however," she looked at the highest point, and murmured, "It also includes eclipse predictions, of some sort."
"Of some sort?" Lucan asked.
Lillian scanned the wall again, then looked in the middle, and she murmured, "But it's weird though..." She turned to look back down the hall-way, "The walls, they say a lot of weird stuff, some I can't even understand." She murmured.
Lillian stayed silent, and Lucan asked, "What's been bothering you lately, you've been acting different since we got here."
Lillian looked at him, and she said, "It's nothing, this place, it's not like it's a bad vibe, but it isn't a good vibe either..."
Lucan looked around, and he said, "I wonder where the others are."
Lillian nodded, looking up, and stared up at the glassy looking mosaic of the stars, she could tell it was sun-down, since the rays were making the mosiac stars twinkle a little bit.
She looked back down when there was a noise, Markus came running up toward them, and he barked, "Well, I found out nothing new, but it seems you calmed down the queen enough to have her calm down the people of Ishari," he hesitated, then added, "I can almost feel the change in the air, it's more happy and cheerful."
Lillian smiled, "It's working," she said, and added, "However, if it is King Mora causing the problem, we have to convince him that he's in the wrong."
Markus asked, "How are we going to do that?"
Lillian looked at Lucan, and he stared at her confused, and he said in shock, "Woah, don't expect so much of me guys, a person taken control over, fine, but no, not that much!"
Markus said, "You've got to try though."
Lucan frowned, and put his ears back, "I don't think I can." He muttered.
Lillian nudged him, "Of course you can, you're one of the few people I know who can do it." She laughed, trying to reassure him.
Lucan seemed to smile sheepishly, and he said, "I guess I can try."
Markus nodded happily, and he said, "But, I think the King wants to see Aris also! I mean if we can get both him and Aris to apologize to each-other, then the spell will be lifted, right?" He asked.
Lillian nodded, "I guess we could try that, but it's not going to be easy," she murmured, then looked at Lucan, "When we somehow find King Mora, you need to convince him to just listen to his son."
Lucan nodded, and asked, "Should we tell Aris?"
"We'll tell him when we know for sure what King Mora is and what he intends to do." Lillian muttered.
She jumped when Collin spoke, Hey, when you're not planning seemingly impossible stuff, want to come meet me by the clearing with the trees?
She nodded, All right!
Lillian looked at Markus and Lucan, who were talking about furthur planning, and she said, "I-uh, got to go see something!"
They both nodded, and she jumped out of the temple, she shook out her fur, and looked for the grove, she finally found it, and sat down, waiting for Collin.
She jumped when Collin arrived, and her spirits rose when Flynn was behind him, however, something was different, he seemed much more like a misty spirit, like he wasn't actually there, and she asked, "Hey! Are you all right?"
Lillian ran toward them, and she looked up at Flynn, and he said calmly, "I'm kind of stuck in the spirit world, this is the only way I can communicate, and I can't stay long, in this state, I'm in danger in the spirit world."
Collin nodded, and he said, "Tell him your plan, Lily."
Flynn stared at her, listening, and she said, "I'm going to have Lucan try and convince King Mora that he was also in the wrong, and that he should listen to his son, Aris."
Flynn asked, "How are you so sure that's going to work?"
Lillian said, "As long as Lucan believes he can do it, then I know it will." She stared up at Flynn, almost seeing Lucan behind the calming stormy grey eyes.
Flynn smiled, and said, "Then I'm sure you'll fix this, since I obviously now can't..." He rolled his eyes, and nodded to Collin.
"Wait, why can't you?" Lillian asked curiously.
Flynn sighed, and said calmly, "I tried finding King Mora, but I didn't realise I needed Vortex's help until it was too late."
Lillian asked, "Are you okay for now?"
Flynn nodded, "I'll be fine for now, but who knows how long that will last," he murmured, then looked at Collin, "But I also have a question to ask you." He said.
"What?" Lillian asked.
Flynn hesitated, then said, "Collin told me that you accepted a link between you and him, is that true, I just want to make sure." 
Lillian hesitated, then nodded, Flynn smiled, and said, "Hm," he looked at Collin, and he murmured, "I see good and bad parts to this, however..." He faltered, then added, "I think there's more good then there is bad, but just be careful, right?"
Collin nodded, and said with a laugh, "I haven't gotten anyone into any trouble."
Flynn pointed out, "No, I'm worried about you getting into trouble, causing Lillian to get dragged into it." He smiled also.
"Aw, Lily can take care of herself." Collin said, and looked at Lillian.
Lillian laughed, "I know how to handle myself." She said.
Flynn smiled, then narrowed his eyes, "I've got to go, you have to be careful around King Mora, Lillian, he's not a very good listener."
Flynn disappeared, and Lillian looked at Collin, and she asked, "How did you find him?"
"You could say I ran into him," Collin smiled, then sighed, "Actually, he surprised me, guess he thought it was funny to give me a scare, then he explained some stuff."
Lillian only nodded, and Collin said, "However, maybe I should go into more detail with the danger of the link, as Flynn said I should..."
Lillian sat down also, and listened, Collin said, "It's very like the link between the four Fates, however, it can only be placed and protected where there is trust, I was surprised it actually worked, I didn't expect it to..." He faltered, then added, "I guess you trust me a lot."
Lillian twitched her tail, and said quietly, "Yes."
Collin smiled, and said calmly, "I guess the dangers are pretty alike too, I feel what you feel to an extent, vice versa, and if one of us gets injured, if it's you, I'm definately going to feel it, however, if I get hurt, it probably wouldn't affect you as much."
"How can you be so sure?" Lillian asked.
Collin hesitated, then said flatly, "I just know, it's one of those things," Lillian stayed silent, and Collin said quickly, "I wouldn't worry though."
Lillian only nodded, and Collin said quietly, "You better be going back to the temple, right? I'm sure this plan will work."
He also disappeared in a white flash, and Lillian was left alone once again, she sighed, and padded up to the temple.
Lillian squeezed through the entrance, and encountered Lucan, Markus, Aris, and Erik in the first part of the hall, Lucan padded up to her, followed by Markus, and he asked quietly, "So, what do you think? How are we going to find King Mora?"
Lillian looked on thoughtfully, then said cooly, "I think you, me, and Aris need to go to the spirit world, however, we need to learn more about the spell, the queen can only calm so many people, King Mora will just cause dissent in Ishari."
Markus asked, "So we have to be sneaky? How are we going to outsneak a spirit?"
Lillian thought, That's a good question, Collin... How do we outsneak a spirit like King Mora?
Do something he doesn't expect, King Mora was a very good strategist, he could tell where his enemy was going to be before they did, you need to do something that'll totally throw him off, and maybe put him in a listening mood. Collin pointed out.
How do I do that? Lillian questioned.
Collin said nothing, and Lillian looked at Lucan, and asked, "So, how do you think we should surprise a great strategist and spirit?"
Lucan smiled, "He's expecting the best in our favour, he's going to try to hide it, but if we can use that expectation against him, I may be able to convince him to listen to reason..." He murmured thoughtfully.
Markus asked, "So, like, lower his expectation?"
Lucan nodded, "Right, we have to lower his expectations, he knows his son is like him in the strategy part, however, seeing as Lillian is doing the planning, he doesn't know her, so he's not sure what exactly to expect, but he knows that Lillian definately knows what to do, and that she has something that serves as an advantage against him." He said calmly.
"What doesn't he know?" Lillian asked.
Lucan hesitated, and said, "He doesn't know what the advantage exactly is, and if he could get it to work in his favour," he hesitated, then added quickly, "Lillian, if he finds out your advantage, you're in danger, even more so than Aris."
Lillian thought quietly, That means... Collin is in danger, King Mora, the feelings I've been getting, they were a warning, he's close...
She looked up at the mosaic, and said quietly, "I need to close my mind, I can't let him in."
Lucan nodded, and said quickly, "Right, which means, Lillian, you should stay here while we search around, Markus, I need you to act as silly as you can possibly be, I believe King Mora thinks you are smarter then you look." He pointed out.
Markus made a face, but then shrugged, "Righto, Lucan! I'll act normally with a dash of extra normalness." He laughed.
Lucan nodded, then looked at Lillian, "I think you're safer here, block your mind, even if you know who it is." He murmured, his eyes flashed, and Lillian put her ears back.
"What if-?" She questioned, but Lucan interrupted her.
"You're just going to have to trust me for now." Lucan said, then looked at Erik, and flicked his tail. Erik nodded, standing up and heading toward them.
"Erik, stay by Aris and Lillian for now, King Mora sees both of them as a threat, so we have to lower his expectation, which means, you can't act all guardian." Lucan pointed out.
Erik nodded, and sat down, Lillian asked, "What about you?"
Lucan looked around the temple, and said, "I'm going to sit around the ruins, watching and waiting," he flicked his ears, and narrowed his eyes, "I think King Mora knows I'm able to sense spirits to a point, he sees me as a threat to a point, but doesn't see me as immediate."
Markus asked, "So you're just going to sit and listen?"
Lucan nodded, and asked, "So, shall we put the plan into motion?"
Lillian, Markus, and Erik all nodded, but Erik asked, "When are you telling Aris?"
Lucan looked at him, and Lillian said, "When the time comes to confront Mora, and after Lucan has got him into a listening mood, Aris and him can talk it out."
Erik questioned, "What if it doesn't work?"
Lillian frowned, and said, "Then I don't know," she looked up at them, "But you guys have to trust me, this'll work!" She barked confidently, when they all nodded, she thought grimly, It has to work, it just has to, if it doesn't...
She jumped when Markus said, "Well, I'm going to go to the village near here, it's a nice place, maybe if I act more like a dog-wolf King Mora will disregard me."
Lucan nodded, and said, "I'm going to go sit by the jumble of rocks, and I'm just going to sit there, if you need me."
Lillian nodded, and looked at Erik, and he said excitedly, "I'm just going to hang around the entrance hall, let's go!"
Lillian looked back at Lucan and Markus, who were already leaving the temple. She soon followed Erik into the entrence hall, and sat by the Orias statue.
Aris stared up at the mosaic, and he said in hidden amazement, "This temple has been standing for thousands of years, it's amazing that it's in perfect condition."
Erik and Aris soon conversed about it, but Lillian's ears started to ring, she flicked them, but the ringing wouldn't stop, but she refused to acknowledge what she was thinking. She stared up at the mosaic too, and watched the night sky through it.
Erik looked at her, and asked, "Are you tired?"
Lillian sighed, "A little bit..."
Erik said, "Then get some sleep, right?"
Lillian nodded, curling up into a ball, she closed her eyes, but found herself unable to fall asleep, so instead she listened to Aris and Erik converse, but they seemed so far away.
She finally opened her eyes when the voices of Erik and Aris disappeared, she found herself in the familiar clearing, the world shifting to her mind, it soon became a sunny day with a light breeze, she laid down on her back, staring up at the sunny sky.
Lillian rubbed her head, and thought, I need to remember what Lucan said, I need to block my mind to everything, including Collin.
She stared up at the sky, and looked at the clouds, and she thought, But this bad feeling I'm getting... It just won't go away...
Lillian jumped when it started raining, she sat up, and stared up at the sky, which was now a menacing stormy grey, there was no thunder or lightning, just a light calming rain. She frowned, and asked to the sky, "What are you trying to tell me?"
She got no answer, she huffed, and shook her head, feeling frustrated, and finally called, Collin! Can you hear me?!
Ow, why are you yelling? He asked cooly.
Lillian sighed, and said, There have been stuff added to the plan, and one of them includes me blocking my mind to anything, that includes you too.
Collin laughed, Your friend must have thought you could block your mind pretty well.
It obviously didn't work, did it? Lillian huffed in frustration.
Collin reassured her, Not everyone can block their minds so easily, it depends on certain factors.
Lillian didn't question the factors, and she sighed, I keep getting this bad feeling, it won't go away...
Collin had went silent at that, and Lillian questioned, What is it?
You do need to block your mind, Lillian, even to me, if you're getting a bad feeling, that means bad stuff, ignore it, please. Collin said in a strained voice, Lillian frowned.
But- Lillian questioned, but was interrupted.
No buts this time, Lily, please, just block your mind, if you're feeling that type of feeling, it's bad, ignore anything, including me. Collin said quickly.
Lillian sighed, and nodded, All right...
Collin sighed, Good, now, it's best that you don't contact me during this, right, no matter what you're feeling, this time, you have to trust me.
Lillian said nothing, and soon the storm tured into a light drizzle, she stared up at the storm, the dark grey clouds moving across the sky.
She felt her vision start to blur, and soon she found herself in darkness, she woke up to voices around her, and she flinched.
What I wouldn't give to hear the rain... She thought sadly, stretching, and staring up at the mosaic.
==Chapter 5==
You must be careful
For you can't always see
With your own mind.
Lillian watched as Markus and Lucan conversed, and Lillian padded up to them, feeling tired, and she asked quietly, "So, Markus? What did you learn?"
Markus looked at her, and said cooly, "Oh, nothing new, everything is slowly going back to normal, but who knows how long that will last." He muttered.
Lillian only nodded, and Markus asked, "Hey, are you all right?"
Lillian sighed, looking at Lucan, who said nothing, she nodded, "I'm fine..." She murmured, almost being able to hear the light rain in her dream, she sighed.
Markus looked at her disbelievingly, and he said calmly, "Whatever you say, I'm going to check out the ruins some more." He padded away, Lillian looked at Lucan again, who didn't look at her, he padded away also, down the hall-way qith the solar eclipse, she frowned.
Erik padded up to her, and pointed out, "You don't look so well, Lillian."
Lillian stared up at the mosaic, and she said quietly, "It's nothing really, just had a rough sleep, that's all."
He narrowed his eyes, but he said nothing, and padded away to talk to Aris, she looked at the ground, then stood up, deciding to go take a walk.
She padded outside, looking up at the sky, which was silent, it was a grey morning, Lillian scented the air. There was a light breeze, but other then that, it was quite a dull morning, she put her ears back, and walked forward hesitently.
She sat down, and stared up at the sky, she sighed, and stood up, she flicked her ear, listening to the wind. A thought suddenly struck her, What if... King Mora is expecting me not to use the link? It would definately swing into his favour.
Lillian perked up, and said, Collin, I think King Mora wants me to not use the link, so I would seem less of a threat, that's why I've been getting these horrible feelings, I was expecting too much of King Mora, while he was expecting so little of me.
When Collin didn't answer, she frowned, but smiled when Collin asked, You think so?
I know so. Lillian thought happily.
Collin said cooly, Hm, and it'd be something he won't be expecting, that's for sure...
Lillian perked up even more, and said excitedly, He won't be expecting me to confront him with Lucan and Aris, not like that anyways, he expected you and Flynn, but he doesn't expect so much of a living person.
Collin laughed, Right, seems you have finally found out how to outsmart him.
Lillian flicked her tail in amusement, then he said, Well, I'm going to see if Anima needs help.
Lillian nodded, and went back to the temple, Erik and Aris were no where to be found, but she assumed that they were looking around the temple.
She sat down, and waited, soon, Markus and Lucan arrived, and Markus said, "We learned nothing new."
Lillian nodded, and said, "Right, then that's all we can do for now until we learn how to get to King Mora in the lower spirit world. Which we obviously need to dream, seeming as the dream world and the spirit world are connected."
Lucan nodded, and said, "But the only danger is the spirit world shifts to our minds, and that includes to our greatest fear."
Markus listened, and Lillian thought suddenly, Hold on, back in the spirit world, I was dreaming, and in that soul mirror, Collin seemed surrounded by darkness, it shifted to his greatest fear, he fears the dark? Or is he claustrophobic? He seemed almost distressed being in that darkness. I'll have to remember to ask him, if he'd admit it.
Markus asked, "So, if we go to the dreaming world, we have to be watchful of our own thoughts?"
"Yes, very careful, King Mora specifically hid in the spirit world knowing that it wouls shift to his threats fear, and he'd be able to use it." Lucan pointed out.
Lillian asked, Hey, Collin? Can you hear me?
Yeah, I'm kind of busy though. Collin said.
Lillian hesitated, and asked, If you don't mind me asking, Collin, are you claustrophobic? Or fear the dark?
Collin hesitated, then asked suspiciously, Why?
Becuase when I was talking to you through the soul mirror, you were surrounded by closed darkness, and you seemed distressed and not very happy to be there. Lillian said.
Collin said quickly, No, I'm not claustrophobic.
You don't seem very sure of that. Lillian pointed out.
Collin said in a strained voice, I'm not claustrophobic, Lily.
Yes you are, and you know it, you just won't admit it! Lillian pointed out.
Lillian knew she had trapped him when he said nothing. Then he sighed, Fine, whatever, I'm claustrophobic, I hate being closed in, and feeling like I have no escape, happy?
Lillian frowned, and said sarcastically, Right, one of my very good friends have a fear of small spaces, it's so funny to me, she hesitated, then added, But seriously, why are you so afraid of that?
Why are you trying to trap me, Lily. Collin asked quietly.
Lillian scoffed, If you don't want to answer just say so, Collin, it is not that hard.
How would I know if I want to answer or not? I'm not human remember, I don't understand that, mortals are so secretive. They actually choose to hide it, It's near impossible for me to hide anything. Lillian could almost see his eyes roll.
Lillian said, Yet you want to hide it, you trapped yourself, now tell me why.
And again I ask, why do you want to know? Collin argued.
Lillian pointed out, We could argue like this, but I think we have important stuff to do, Collin, so spit it out, you need too.
Collin hesitated, then sighed, Whatever, Lily, I don't know exactly why I'm scared, but I guess if you don't mind me messing with your head a little, I could probably show you maybe, possibly, one of the reasons why, I can't explain why I am... I just am.
Lillian shrugged, and said, Go on.
Her vision blurred, and soon it was totally black, she expected a image to appear, but none came. She asked quietly, What's this supposed to be?
That's it. That's why I'm afraid, I can remember as much to the time I was 17, but the rest, just darkness, like it's lost forever, Anima tells me it's because I don't want to remember it, this darkness, I also saw it the day I turned immortal, I thought I was dead, and I would have given anything to see light again, to hear my friends, but for that minute, I feared not being able to see or hear those things again. Collin explained
Lillian finally understood, and thought to herself, You felt like you had no escape from that... You were stuck in that darkness.
Collin asked in a sad voice, Anything else?
Lillian could tell he was upset, and said, No, I'm sorry Collin.
For what? Collin asked.
For making you think about that, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Lillian murmured.
Collin hesitated, Oh, well, nothing to apologise for, it happens I guess, and you would have found out either way. He reassured her.
Lillian sighed, then jumped when her vision returned, and she frowned. Collin...
She didn't expect to get an answer, she didn't. Lillian felt that Collin needed some time alone, whatever he is doing, he did tell her he was busy, and she thought, It's probably best if I leave him alone for a while.
She stood up, causing Lucan and Markus to look up at her from their conversation, and Markus asked, "What's up?"
Lillian said, "It's nothing, I just need some time to think."
Lucan nodded, and the two watched her leave down the hall-way with the calender, she listened to the silence, and stared down the hall-way where the calender was. Lillian stopped when she was the end of the hall-way, and looked up absentmindedly.
She looked up confused, there was a sun light at the top of the temple, she flicked her ear, looking back down at the calender, the light from the sun seeming to go around the calender, she narrowed her eyes.
Lillian didn't know how long she was sitting there for, but by the time she she moved, the light was pointing at the solar eclipse prediction. She frowned, and asked, Flynn, can you hear me?
I cannot talk long, Lillian, what do you want? Flynn asked carefully.
Lillian noticed his voice seemed distant, then asked, What do you know about solar eclipses? Past the fact that it's the moon blocking the sun.
Flynn took a bit to answer, then said, That's all they are really, however, if you want to get cryptic about it, I'd have to use another wording for it, if you don't mind.
I don't, just give me an answer. Lillian muttered.
Flynn finally sighed, and said, I assume you know of the sun and moon old gods?
Tell me of them. Lillian murmured.
He took a longer time to answer, then he replied, Solaris and Yuna are the sun and moon gods respectfully, the solar eclipse is the only time where Solaris has no power at all, he cannot see because of Yuna, she is also strongest on that day.
Is it the same with Lunar eclipses? Lillian asked.
Flynn said, Yes, but the outcome is different, Yuna cannot see and her power is blocked on that, and since it's Solaris, he uses her power on that day, and that's bad, why?
I'm looking at a calender, I don't know if it's predicting eclipses, or if it's just a date on the lunar and solar positions. Lillian murmured.
Flynn hesitated, then said, It depends.
She soon found herself looking up, even though she knew what was up there, she looked down again, and stared at the calender, and Flynn finally said, That's disheartening, but probably not of importance yet.
Did you just control me? Lillian asked.
We're not on that topic right now, Lillian, I'll explain later. Anyways, this calender is predicting the long solar eclipse, that comes once every... He faltered.
Flynn? Lillian asked.
When he didn't answer, she knew her time was up, she went back to the main hall, unsure of what to do as he friends chatted among themselves.
She jumped when Collin asked her, You there, Lily?
Ah! Yes. She answered quickly, tail flicking in shock.
Good, erm, this may be the last time you hear from me for a while... Collin murmured.
Lillian flicked her ear, and asked, What do you mean?
Please don't make this harder then it already is, I'm going to have to null our link to protect your soul, since King Mora is getting nervous, but that poses the risk of you sensing what I feel. Collin explained.
Lillian rolled her eyes, That still doesn't answer my question. She pointed out.
Well, I'll explain, later, maybe, if we talk again, I just wanted to say I'm sorry.
Lillian widened her eyes in confusion, and asked, For what?
Collin hesitated, For what you're about to get dragged into, and also trying to hide what I fear from you, you were only curious. 
Lillian frowned, and asked, What's going on, Collin?
Please, I can't talk any longer, I am sorry, Lily, I guess Flynn can tell you what's going on by the next full moon, maybe even get you into the place where King Mora is, his ability to communicate through visions is hard, and doesn't last, but please, don't get yourself into too much trouble. Collin murmured.
Lillian frowned, What do you mean?
She didn't get an answer, she flicked her ears, and suddenly stared up at the roof, the mosaic was the same as ever, glittering brightly over the suns rays. Lillian jumped when her name was called.
"Hey, Lillian, you need to stop spacing out!" Markus laughed teasingly.
Lillian stared at them, unsure of what to say, Markus called, "Hello?"
Lillian blinked, and said, "I'm fine, I'm sorry for spacing out, just have stuff on my mind."
Lucan stared at her, then said, "Well, I have deducted where King Mora might be, he's definately in the spirit world, although that place is like a labyrinth, we'd be going in circles if we tried wandering around there."
Lillian looked at Aris, and asked, "Have you heard of soul mirrors?"
Aris looked up at her, then said, "Yes, they are formed like ponds, appearing in the spirit worlds, they are like entrances to different parts, but can also show what the enviroment is really like, without the mind tricking the land to form to something else, the soul is what would be showed in the reflection of the person looking in." He answered quietly.
"If we manage to get into the spirit world, we could use those." Markus pointed out.
Lillian cut him off, "Oh no, you and Erik have to stay here and watch, we're getting in by dreaming."
Markus looked like he was about to argue, but Lucan stopped him, and said cooly, "It is best that it's only me, Lillian, and Aris going to the spirit world."
Markus made a face, and shrugged, "Eh, whatever, that place creeps me out anyways, I'd rather not go in there again."
Lillian smiled, and nodded, "However, this might take a bit, we should try to get as much sleep as we possibly can, but that doesn't mean we should go find King Mora, the dream worlds and spirit worlds are pretty much the same." She barked.
Lucan nodded, "Which means if we sleep at around the same time and somehow run into each-other in the spirit world, we could find King Mora." He said quickly.
Lillian stared blankly ahead, and Markus asked, "Hey are you all right, Lily? You seem off!"
Lillian stared at him, and asked, "Huh?"
"You're always spacing out!" Markus pointed out.
Lillian blinked, then said, "Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind."
Markus looked at Lucan confused, and Lucan just shrugged, Lillian frowned, Collin left in such a hurry, and didn't even answer my question, it's really bugging me.
Lillian flicked her ear suddenly, and narrowed her eyes, something inside her seemed to wake up, and she asked in a strained voice, "So, um, what are you guys going to do?"
Markus laughed, "Wow you sound really weird, Lillian, are you sure you're all right?"
Lillian stared at him, unsure of the bad feeling she was getting, something kept telling her to get out of the temple, but she wasn't sure why. Lillian frowned, unable to ignore the instictive urge anymore, she turned away from her friends, and walked out of the temple.
Lucan called, "Hey, where are you going!?"
Lillian didn't answer, she flicked her tail as she padded out of the temple and into the ruins, she looked up at the sky, eyes narrowed.
The sun was setting slowly across the horizon, Lillian continued staring at the sunset. She waited until it had gone dark, she turned around to watch the moon rise up into the sky, she didn't know how long she waited. When the moon's light touched the temple's highest point, she narrowed her eyes, as if waiting for something.
She looked down when a black wolf head towards her, it seemed like a mist more than anything, and she asked, "So this is when your communication line is fully opened?"
The black wolf nodded his head, "I'm afraid so, this is the only time where it's long, the full moon is where it's strongest, and maybe I can get you into the spirit world without any complications." He growled.
Lillian kept her eyes narrowed, and she asked cooly, "What of Collin?"
"He knows exactly what he's doing, and he's going to open that gate-way when the time comes." Flynn muttered.
Lillian asked, "Is he all right is what I mean."
Flynn narrowed his eyes also, and said calmly, "He's fine for now, but King Mora knows of the link, so who knows how long that will last, especially with him opening the gate-way that'll help you into the spirit world."
Lillian blinked, and said cooly, "It shouldn't come down to that if Lucan is successful in convincing King Mora to listen to reason."
Flynn shook his head, "Got to remember, King Mora isn't the listening type, you have to catch him at just the right time." He pointed out.
Lillian asked, "Are you going to help with that?"
Flynn frowned, "I can try."
Lillian said, "Then we have nothing to worry about."
"Not really, the only thing we have to be careful of is the actual entering, King Mora might mess with that." Flynn said quietly. 
Lillian listened, and flicked her ear, Flynn looked down at his paws when he started fading away once again, and he said, "I do have to warn you, King Mora is quite tricky, he'll only listen if you take him off guard, and I do hope that whatever you're planning involves you outsmarting him."
Flynn looked up at Lillian, and soon he faded away completely, Lillian took a step forward, and frowned.
She decided to go back to the temple, she saw that some of her friends weren't there, she saw Markus curled up underneath one of the bigger statues, and she curled up beside Orias's statue. Lillian didn't know why, but the energy that came from the statue comforted her. I don't know why, I know Orias was a bit mean and maybe a little bit evil, but still...
Lillian soon fell asleep, and found herself back in her dream world, it was dark, and she frowned.
Lillian stood up, staring up at the sky. She widened her eyes when it started snowing, she stood up, and reailsed her dream world was full of snow.
She looked up when she saw Collin, and he asked, "What?"
"You're making it snow in my dream world?" Lillian asked.
"No, you are." Collin said.
Lillian made a face, then asked, "Flynn said... You were acting as a gate-way to get us to Mora?" Collin hesitated, then nodded, and Lillian asked, "How does it work?"
Collin said, "I can open a part of the Spirit world, making it easier for you guys to get to Mora, however, it does hurt if I use too much power, I guess that's why Flynn is going to be there."
Lillian just stared at him, and she said, "Well, you know I trust you right?"
Collin looked up, and nodded, and she asked, "But do you trust me?"
Collin nodded immediately, "I do, it's just that, things are going to get dangerous, and I don't want you getting hurt because I mess up." He said calmly.
Lillian smiled softly, "Then, I want you to promise me something, Collin." She murmured.
Collin just looked at her, and she said, "I want you to promise me that whatever happens, good friends stick together, no matter the dangers, because isn't that what friends are for?"
Collin smiled, and said, "Yeah, right, I promise!"
Lillian laughed, and hugged him, and she said, "You be careful opening that gate too!"
"Right!" Collin nodded, and he disappeared, Lillian felt the dream shimmer, and she smiled, feeling a lot better than she did a couple days ago.
She woke up to see everyone huddled around her, and she asked, "What?"
"You might want to come outside..." Lucan muttered.
Lillian stood up, and followed Lucan, and asked, "What's going on?"
Lucan said nothing as they walked outside, Lillian looked around, and asked, "What?"
Erik was already sitting outside, staring up at the sky with a searching look, Lillian stared up at the sky also, confused, and she said, "It's just a storm passing over us."
Erik shook his head, "I've been living too long in Hostrich to be able to tell when storms are natural, or unnatural," He murmured. "This storm isn't natural."
Lillian and Lucan stared at him, and she asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Erik looked at them, and said nothing, Aris had finally arrived and he murmured, "Erik means that the curse is getting stronger."
Lillian and Lucan stared up at the storm, and Erik murmured, "I'm getting the same feeling back when the Fate was in a deep sleep, where the storms didn't move, where they made no noise, no rain fell... Everything was silent..."
Lillian just sat there, staring. Lucan stared at her, confused, and he asked, "Lillian? What's the matter?"
Lillian tried to speak, but couldn't, nothing was coming out. But something else was taken over, an animal like instinct, she felt her eyes narrow, but it didn't feel like she was really there. Aris backed away from her, while Erik looked shocked, and he said, "Hey!"
Lillian tried to look at them, she was confused, and thought, What's going on?
But she couldn't even control her own movements, and she heard Lucan growl, "Step away from her."
Erik obeyed, and Markus, who had arrived, asked, "Can't you do something Lucan?"
Lucan said flatly, "No, she's not possessed, this is a bit different."
Lillian flicked her ear, trying to listen for something, But for what? She thought, and found herself looking up at the sky.
"Lillian?" Markus asked.
Aris said, "She can't answer you, Markus."
Lillian ignored them, her vision seemed to be getting clearer and clearer the longer she stared up at the sky.
She finally felt herself walk away from them, and Markus asked, "Hey! Where you going?!"
Lillian heard pawsteps behind her, and she thought, What's going on?
"Why do you think this happened?" Markus asked.
"I think there's a link between her and one of the Fates. Something must have happened to get her into this state." Lucan muttered.
Lillian sensed Markus's confusion, and he asked, "Link?"
Aris muttered quietly, "It's how the Fates are connected to each-other, but to make it with a mortal, it has... Different outcomes."
Markus gasped, and asked, "Is the fate controlling her?"
"Not exactly, but the link definately activated a defense mechanisim." Aris answered.
Markus asked, "Will she be all right?"
Lillian ignored them some more, and stopped at a still pond. She flicked her ear, and seemed to wait.
Everyone seemed tense, and she finally blinked, looking around, and she asked, "Huh?"
She looked down when a mist started forming, and she heard the thunder upwards, and she realised what was happening.
Lillian backed up, as a huge black wolf appeared out of nowhere, she looked around, but didn't ask questions, the black wolf continued to stare at them without saying nothing, and narrowed his eyes.
The pond seemed to stiffen even more than it usually was, like it was glass, Lillian automatically knew what to do, and she turned to her friends, "Aris, Lucan, it's time to go."
Aris seemed confused, but Lucan nodded, Lillian looked at the black wolf, and nodded, the wolf nodded back, and stepped away, and Lillian jumped into the pond, feeling her appearence change, and she landed on soft grass, with Lucan and Aris following shortly after. But the black wolf was no where to be found.
Lillian stood up, and looked at Aris, and she said quickly, "I hope you're ready to face what we're here for."
Aris said nothing, her and Lucan led the way, she thought darkly, This guy better be in a listening mood, because I'm certainly not in one...
==Chapter 6==
Sometimes
You have to face your past
To make things right.
As Lillian led the way, Aris stayed silent, while Lucan looked around. Lucan muttered, "There's nothing here, nothing at all..."
Lillian looked at him, and frowned, and asked, confused, "What does that mean?"
Lucan stared at her, and she asked, "What?"
Lucan shook his head, and said quickly, "It's nothing..."
Lillian made a face, and turned away from him, and kept on walking, she thought, This is stupid, what is King Mora planning? She turned around again, to see Lucan starting to trail behind, his eyes on the ground, and she asked, "Are you all right?"
Lucan stopped, and didn't answer, she frowned, seeing a shadow behind Lucan, although she was confused on how she could see it.
She gasped, "Look out!"
Lucan looked up, and looked behind him, Lillian ran towards him, faster than she thought she could run, and brought out a dagger, and raised it at the shadow.
Lucan gasped, landing on the ground, while the shadow slinked away from Lillian. Lillian stared down at Lucan, who looked shocked.
Aris smirked, "The Second Fate knew exactly what he was doing, wasn't he? When he made that link, he had it all thought out." He said calmly, crossing his arms.
Lillian stared at him, and asked, "What do you mean?"
Aris only smiled, and Lucan stood up, staring at her, and he said in surprise, "I've never seen you run so fast."
Lillian looked down at the dagger, the same dagger Flynn had given her a long time ago, she stared at it, and said, "I didn't know I could run that fast either..."
The blade seemed to glimmer in her hands, and she said, "We better keep moving."
They continued, Lillian watched carefully just in case the shadow came back, Lucan said, "This is starting to give me the creeps."
Lillian smirked, and said, "That means we're getting closer then."
She turned to them, and Aris and Lucan looked at each-other, and she said, "Okay, here's the plan!" She sat down huffingly, while Lucan and Aris just stared at her.
"The plan is that after we have convinced King Mora to listen, both of you have to say sorry to each-other!" Lillian jumped again.
"What?!" Aris asked in shock, staring at her.
Lillian snapped, "You heard me!"
Aris snapped back, "It's not that easy!"
Lillian growled, and finally sighed, and she turned away from them, "If that's how it's going to be, then we'll have to get rid of his soul by force."
Lucan murmured, "That's near impossible, Lillian."
Lillian looked down at the ground, and thought, Nothing is impossible... She looked up, and continued walking, and she said coldly, "You can go back Aris, since you refuse to accept the plan."
Aris said nothing as she continued walking, she knew exactly what she was doing, and she stopped suddenly, feeling a sudden pain in her chest.
Lucan and Aris stared at her as she clutched where it hurt, and Lucan asked, "Hey! What's wrong!?"
It... It... Lillian couldn't think, the pain was weird, but she could certainly feel it, and suddenly the pain was gone as fast as it appeared.
Lillian looked around, and growled in anger, "Oh no, I'm going to murder him!"
She ran, and Lucan yelled, "Hey!"
Lillian continued running, starting to feel anger rise up inside her, and she had a huge head-ache, she stopped when she heard a male voice, "So this is the Princess of Gray Lock, what are you doing here? In a place of sorrow?"
Lillian snapped, "King Mora! Come out!"
He laughed from everywhere and nowhere, "Now why would I do that..." He faltered, and continued, "I sense... Ah, so that's it, I knew you had a link, but not with that Fate, I hope he thought of consequences, that's a very dangerous link you have there."
Lillian snarled, and he laughed, "He's here all right, he didn't last long opening the portal, but he gave you and your friends enough time before he got trapped down here, just like his brother."
Lillian asked, "Well, where are they?"
"They are in the darkness that surrounds you, they won't last long, not even the Fate of Death can resist the darkness." He laughed.
Lillian asked, "What do you mean by that?" While Lucan and Aris looked around.
"How about I give one back from the darkness?" He asked icily.
LIllian looked around, everything was silent, she jumped when a human shape walked out of the darkness, holding it's head, and he murmured, "Wasn't expecting that..."
Flynn shook his head, then looked down at Lillian, "So you made it in?"
Lillian nodded, while Lucan and Aris looked around again. Lillian then said, "I think King Mora is getting cautious."
Flynn nodded, "It cetainly seems like it, we've got to hurry."
Lillian stared back at Aris, who said nothing, and she said, "Well, we're going to have to change our plan to be a bit more... On the forceful side."
Flynn didn't question it, and he nodded, "Got to be careful though." He turned around, and they followed him, Lillian stopped when Lucan had stopped walking, and was looking down at something.
Lillian asked, "What is that?"
Lucan made a face, and hid it, and he said, "It's nothing right now."
Lillian frowned, and turned away, continuing to follow Flynn. She thought, What... Is this feeling? This feeling of dread?
Lillian looked around again, suddenly feeling nervous, and she asked, "Is King Mora near?"
Flynn shrugged, and said, "I have no idea."
Lillian made a face, and said, "He must be pretty good to hide from you."
Flynn shrugged again, and said, "What he doesn't know, is that he can never hide from me in here, there's actually no where to hide," he sighed, "Which brings me to believe he's created an illusion around him, making him really believe he's able to hide."
Lillian smirked, "Sounds confident." She said.
Flynn nodded, and said, "So he is, why?" He asked curiously.
"His confidence, we could use that against him." Lillian pointed out.
Flynn made a face, and said, "You make it sound easy," he glanced at them, "That's what I thought when I went to face him the first time."
Lillian asked, "What happened the first time?"
Flynn shrugged, "It's blurry, but I remember a lot more darkness than usual, and then just pure darkness." he said quietly.
"So, Collin made the portal, but ended up getting trapped like you?" Lillian asked.
Flynn nodded, "I honestly wasn't expecting that to happen, but Collin knew what he was doing." He murmured, crossing his arms.
"He doesn't always." Lillian pointed out.
Flynn nodded, "That's true, in this situation, he did at first know what he was doing." He said calmly.
Lillian frowned as they contineud following him, and she asked, "Know where you're going?"
Flynn stopped, and shook his head and he said, "Like I said, the King is creating an illusion around him, even though you can't hide here, he's making a good attempt at it."
Lillian asked, "Is there anyway to get past the illusion?"
Flynn looked thoughtful, and said, "I can't think of anything from the top of my head," he looked upwards, "Unless I somehow manage to turn the illusion, if I can find it."
"You can do that?" Lucan asked.
Flynn nodded, "That's if I find it of course." He muttered.
"You can find it though, can't you?" Lillian asked carefully.
Flynn frowned, and said, "I don't know, if I'm honest," he hesitated, then added, "Illusions are very tricky, using the exact amout of light and moisture, what you see, may not even be there."
"So..." Lillian looked around, "What's an illusion, and what's there?"
Lucan pointed out, "It's hard to tell, this is the Spirit world, it shifts to your mind, but it's weird," he looked around, and said, "It's just a dark forest."
Flynn nodded, "So we can assume that it's in its usual form of a dark forest, but it can still somewhat make illusions." He said calmly. Flynn looked around, and finally turned his gaze to a group of trees, Lillian stared at them also, confused.
Lillian jumped back when Flynn's sword appeared out of nowhere, he narrowed his eyes, the forest seemed to shimmer, and fade away, to show a plain clearing.
"Well that was easy?" Lillian muttered, confused, Flynn shook his head.
"I'm afraid not, he's toying with us." Flynn murmured.
"Ugh, how long will it take to find him?!" Lillian asked.
Flynn didn't answer that time, and only continued walking, Lillian huffed and glared at Lucan, who just stared at her confused.
Lillian sighed, and followed Flynn deeper into the clearing, where they saw the soul mirror, Lillian and Lucan walked up to it, and looked at it, seeing their human forms, to Lillian's surprise, she looked back when Flynn stayed away from the mirror.
"What's the matter? Your reflection don't show or something?" Lillian joked, but stopped at Flynn's face. He shook his head.
"No, I have a reflection." Flynn murmured flatly.
"So, come over here and tell us where this thing leads us," Lillian said, then asked when he didn't move, "What? Is something the matter when you look into a soul mirror?"
Flynn crossed his arms, "If you want to know where it leads, just look at it deeper." He said stiffly.
Lillian turned back to the soul mirror, and narrowed her eyes, past her reflection, there was the starry sky, but also a shadow. She narrowed her eyes, and she said, "Up!"
Flynn looked above Lillian's head, and took out his sword, and ran toward her, Lillian jumped back, almost landing in the soul mirror, if Lucan hadn't stopped her, and the shadow suddenly appeared.
Flynn chased it away, and it seemed to disappear, he stood beside the soul mirror, and didn't look at it.
Lillian stared at his reflection, and didn't notice any difference, and she asked, "Well, I still don't understand why you wanted to avoid it, your reflection looks the same."
Flynn smiled eerily, and finally looked at the soul mirror, and he asked, "Does it?"
He fully turned to the soul mirror, Lillian looked all around for a difference, but there was nothing she could see, except...
His eyes weren't grey, they were a sky blue. Lillian asked, "So?"
Flynn crossed his arms, and said, "They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, I guess these soul mirrors are like the eyes of the lower spirit world."
"Is that true?" Lillian asked.
Flynn shrugged, "I don't know, if you believe in it, I guess so." He said calmly.
Lucan was talking to Aris on the other side of the pond, and Lillian said, "I still don't get what's so bad about your reflection."
Flynn sighed, "I guess there actually is nothing wrong, Collin hates these things." He said.
"Why?" Lillian asked.
"Eh, I'll get him to explain." Flynn started to turn away from the soul mirror, and Lillian narrowed her eyes when there he looked completely human for a second, she stared as he walked away, and blinked, and she thought, I must have been seeing things...
She looked at Aris and Lucan, and said, "Hurry up you two."
Lucan looked up, and nodded, and started to follow her, trailed by Aris.
Flynn stopped, and so did Lillian, she looked around, and asked, "What's up?"
Flynn looked up, and he said, "What's up is right."
Lillian heard King Mora's voice again, but he seemed to be speaking only to her, Well, little girl?
Well what? She asked carefully.
Don't you want the other Fate back? He's not doing so good... I'm surprised, he must have nulled the link between you and him in fear of you getting hurt. He taunted.
Lillian narrowed her eyes, and Flynn turned to look at her as she said, You're bluffing.
I can prove I'm not, but I'm sure a little ol' mortal like you can't handle things. King Mora continued.
I can handle a lot more than you think I can. Lillian snarled.
You're bluffing this time. King Mora said flatly.
Try me. Lillian taunted.
Everything had gone quiet, and soon her vision had darkened, she was standing in a clearing, surrounded by shadows.
She saw Collin leaning against a tree, but he looked fine, but something told her there was something wrong, she stepped towards him, and flinched when he looked up.
He asked, "Lillian?"
Lillian asked, "You can hear me?"
Collin nodded, and Lillian narrowed her eyes, his eyes seemed glazed, or a better word for it, his eyes were clouded.
"What the heck happened to you?!" Lillian asked in horror.
Collin looked past her, which made her narrow her eyes, and said, "No idea, opened the portal and bam, darkness."
"Collin? Can you see anything?" Lillian asked cautiously.
Collin looked down, and said calmly, "The lower spirit world must be super dark these days with King Mora around."
"Collin." Lillian murmured, crouching toward him, she realised she was shimmering, much like Flynn was when he was communicating with Lillian out of the spirit world.
Collin looked past her again, and asked curiously, "What?"
"How... How many fingers am I holding up?" She held up her whole hand, and Collin just stared. Lillian made a face when he didn't answer.
Collin must have sensed her spirit's movement, because he said quietly, "Sorry, it's really dark."
"Sorry..." Lillian mused, staring at him, she sighed, and said, "Collin, the lower spirit world isn't that dark."
Collin looked up at her, and blinked, and said, "Then King Mora must be doing something to me."
"Can you see anything?" Lillian asked, worried.
Collin looked around, then finally looked up at the sky, and said, "I... Can't."
He looked back down, and said nothing, she heard a faint ringing in her ears, and she said, "Don't worry Collin, we'll get King Mora and find you."
Collin just nodded, not saying anything as she disappeared, and returned to her body, with everyone staring at her.
"Flynn. What happened when Collin opened the portal?" She asked.
Flynn said, "Um, King Mora took a chance to have a go at us, we weren't expecting it, and when Collin got attacked, while opening the portal, both me and him got dragged in again." 
"I think because of the attack Mora made, he's been..." She faltered, and she said, "He's blinded, he can't see anything..."
Flynn looked horrorfied, and Lillian stared at him, and tried to see if he was blinded from the attack too, and she asked, "Can you see?"
Flynn nodded, and said, "I should have known this would happen," he sighed, and added, "This means we have to hurry, Collin's absolutely useless if he can't see."
Lillian made a face, and continued to follow Flynn, and suddenly got a weird feeling, like Flynn wasn't being totally honest when he said he wasn't affected by Mora's attack. She snapped, "Hold it!"
Flynn turned back to look at her, and she said, "You're hiding something, you did get affected somehow by the attack."
Flynn said nothing, and she asked, "What happened? What's wrong?"
Flynn blinked, and asked sadly, "How much more could I have been affected from his attack?" He sighed, and said, "I'm telling the truth, as far as I know, I wasn't affected much from Mora's attack."
Lillian just stared, unable to say anything as he turned around, and continued walking. Lillian followed, starting to get angry at King Mora, angry and frustrated.
"Who does he think he is?" Lillian asked.
Lucan asked, "King Mora?"
Lillian nodded, and she growled, "He should have passed on, not dragged innocent people into this!" She balled her hands into fists, and made a face.
"That's the thing about some people, they don't give up easily, when they really believe in something, they'll do anything for that belief, even if they're wrong," Flynn said flatly, crossing his arms, he sighed, and said, "But they'll always think they're right, and won't admit that they might be wrong."
Lillian said, "You sound as if you've dealt with those kind of people before."
Flynn nodded, "I have, but not all of them were bad people, some of them were my best friends, they stood up for what they believed in." He said flatly.
Lillian just continued to follow him, and said nothing else, and she asked quietly, "You think Collin will be all right?"
Flynn nodded, and said, "I think he'll be fine, he has an advantage when he doesn't have his eyesight, that King Mora doesn't know."
"What's that?" Lucan asked.
Flynn smiled, and said calmly, "His hearing is amazing."
Lillian looked on confused as Flynn continued to lead the way, and they stopped in another clearing, but this one was different, it gave off an air of dread, Lillian felt like she was being choked, she looked around at the darkness, and made a face.
Flynn turned to look at her, and she said, "Something's not right."
He looked around, and said in a confused tone, "I don't sense anything..."
Lucan looked confused as well, but Aris had been silent the whole way, and Lillian asked coldly, "Changed your mind yet?" She sighed when he didn't answer, and turned back to Flynn, and she said, "I don't know, something's wrong, I just feel it!"
Flynn frowned, and continued looking around, then finally looked up. Lillian followed, only to see shadows, and gasped when the shadows leapt at them, and she tried to scream, but couldn't, the shadows soon overtook them, and soon there was darkness.
~*~*~*~
Lillian regained her conciousness, and found herself in the same clearing Collin was in, she looked around, and noticed he had jumped away from the noise, and he asked harshly, "Who's there?"
"It's just me, Collin." She murmured and stood up, fixing her hair, but she frowned when Collin was only looking past her, and he sighed.
"Well, I guess that's good, someone friendly." Collin said cheerily.
Lillian looked around, and gasped when Lucan, Aris, and Flynn weren't there, and she asked, "Hey! Where are the others?!"
Collin shrugged, continuing to look past her, "No idea." He murmured.
Lillian said, "Over to the right, Collin."
Collin finally looked straight at her, he seemed more healthier than when Lillian last saw him, but his eyes were still all cloudy.
Lillian stepped toward him, and poked him in the shoulder, and she said, "Can you follow me, we have to find my friends and your brother."
Collin looked thoughtful, and asked curiously, "So he's in here too?"
Lillian nodded, but she flinched when Collin just stared straight ahead still, and she said, "Yes, he brought us here."
"Oh, that's dangerous," Collin muttered, and added, "King Mora is making the illusion stronger."
"Wait! You can see through illusions?" Lillian asked in excitement, but frowned when Collin said nothing.
"Well, if I had my eye-sight, which I don't, then yes, I would be able to see right through them," Collin said flatly, then explained, "I can hear them too."
"Hear... Them?" Lillian asked, bemused.
Collin nodded, and he laughed, "The thing about losing one of your senses, the others grow stronger, but then again, I've always had good hearing. I guess it just got enhanced when King Mora did his..." He faltered, and added, "His attack thing."
Lillian asked, "So you see another way?"
He nodded, and finally looked at her, and said cheerily, "Yeah, pretty much."
Lillian made a face, and he said, "Well, where do we go?"
"I'll follow you!" Lillian said.
Collin nodded, and started walking towards a path, and Lillian asked curiously, "Do you know where you're going?"
"Does it look like I do?" Collin asked, and looked back at the clearing.
Lillian just rolled her eyes, and continued following Collin, who seemed to be aware of his surroundings well enough, Flynn was right... She thought as he continued walking.
They took a break halfway down the path, and Lillian asked, "Do you remember what happened?"
Collin looked upwards, and said, "Well, as I was opening the portal, and Flynn was ready and set to go, darkness, I guess you could say, started seeping out of the portal opening," he shrugged, and continued, "I was kind of stuck, if I had moved, something worse would have happened, so me and Flynn got dragged in."
"But Flynn got out though." Lillian pointed out.
"Did he?" Collin asked.
Lillian shrugged, and said, "Maybe, I wasn't there."
Collin sighed, and said, "As we were being dragged in, I guess that's when I lost my eye-sight, because I fought back at that moment, and he attacked us."
Lillian sighed, and asked, "Are you feeling all right, though?" 
Collin laughed, "Feeling great actually!"
Lillian just stared as he stood up, and said calmly, "Well, we better keep going."
She nodded, and stood up after him, and continued to follow him down the path. After a while, she asked, "So you can hear illusions?"
Collin nodded, and finally stopped, looking down the path, and he said, "What we're in right now, is an illusion."
Lillian gasped, and looked around, and Collin took out his sword, and swiped at the air, and the illusion seemed to evaporate into mist, and left a clearing, the same clearing Lillian was in with Flynn, Lucan, and Aris, but they were gone.
Collin looked around, and asked Lillian, "What's here?"
Lillian looked around also, and said, "This was the same clearing that me, Flynn, Lucan, and Aris were, then there was this shadow, and I think it attacked us."
Collin looked upwards, and said, "It's still here."
Lillian jumped, and looked upwards also, but there was nothing, and Collin said, "I can hear it."
She listened closely, and she finally heard King Mora, Give up yet?
Like I'd give up. Lillian made a face, while Collin just listened, Lillian smirked, knowing King Mora didn't think Collin could hear them.
Such a fiery, animal like spirit you have, I'm impressed, but you can't do much with a blind Fate, and missing friends. He taunted, and laughed.
Lillia said out loud, "I'm guessing you underestimate people a lot?"
King Mora growled, "No, I know perfectly what people are capable off, and it's very hard to hide capabilities from me."
Lillian noticed Collin look straight, towards where the voice was coming from, and followed it, while Lillian continued to draw Mora out.
"Right, you're such a smart person to hide behind an illusion!" Lillian snarled, and started to follow Collin.
"You can't find what isn't there." King Mora explained with a laugh.
"Are you sure about that?" Collin finally said, and swiped at the air in front of him, and Lillian gasped when the whole area started to dissolve.
She murmured, "We've been walking in circles..." As the whole area seemed to fade away to reveal a huge clearing with very few trees. Lillian saw Lucan and Aris facing King Mora, while Flynn was no where to be found. King Mora looked shocked.
He asked, "How did you find me!?"
Lillian laughed, "You can't find and see what isn't there, but you can definately hear what's true, and what's a lie." She smiled at Collin, who had crossed his arms.
King Mora narrowed his eyes at Collin, and asked, "So you can hear the differences in energies?"
Collin nodded, "Righto," he laughed, then asked, "So where's my brother?"
King Mora smiled eerily, and said, "You should know, you can hear everything, can't you?"
Collin frowned, and swiped at the air beside him, and Flynn appeared and he snapped, his eyes flashing, "What the heck?!" He held his arm, as if it was hurt.
"So you can hear the darkness too? I'm using illusions and darkness." King Mora said plainly.
Flynn rubbed his arm, and said flatly, "Yeah, we can tell."
King Mora smiled, and asked, "I know why you are here, you want me to go peacefully, to loosen my grip on my kingdom."
"It's not your kingdom anymore!" Lillian snapped.
King Mora laughed, and said, "It's not Aris's, he abandoned it when it needed him most," he sighed, and growled, "But, he's the one that cursed this place, he's the one that killed me, what's to say he doesn't deserve the same?!" He snapped, angered.
"Because this is your fault! You're his father! You're supposed to pay attention to him! Not ignore him like a stupid jerk!" Lillian took a step forward, with Flynn and Collin watching in shock, "Just because of a stupid mistake you made for not paying attention to your son, doesn't mean you have to drag innocent people into something that when looked at clearly, isn't their fault!" She snapped, taking another step toward him, dagger in hand.
King Mora looked like he was about to say something, but Lillian wouldn't let him, and she continued, "But lo and behold, you're a bigger jerk in the afterlife as you were in the living! Just give it up! There's no reason to go on fighting anymore! This was all your fault for making the mistake of not paying attention to your son, who was a better leader than you ever were!" She snapped, scowling.
It had gone silent, and she noticed Collin start to run towards her, and she finally looked back at King Mora, who had a sword in hand, she felt Collin pull her away as the sword came down.
She whispered quickly, "How did you know I was in trouble?"
"I could hear him move for the sword..." Collin replied.
King Mora ran toward her, and she growled, gently nudging Collin away, "I can take care of myself, this stupid jerk has been blind with rage for a long while!"
Lillian stood up to face King Mora, who stopped, and narrowed his eyes also, and he asked, "You're not going to run and hide?"
Lillian made a face, and said, "I'm not going to hide behind illusions like a coward! I can fight my own battles! I'm done running away!"
King Mora stood there silently, and finally the sword disappeared, and he crossed his arms, and said, "I'm giving you five minutes to explain why you think I should pass on."
Lillian smirked, then looked at Aris, "Maybe you should give the five minutes to the son you ignored."
King Mora glared at Aris, who didn't back down, and Aris growled, "This is my fault right? In your eyes, it's my fault this kingdom is falling," he looked down, and said, "But who's the one that ignored me? Who's the one who's excuse was 'I'm too busy to be paying attention to little kids' hey, wake up call," he looked back up, and snapped, "This isn't some little kid you're talking too, it's your heir!"
Aris sighed, and said, "I was wrong to kill you, and I'm sorry for that, but you should have seen it coming, if I didn't, someone else would have."
King Mora had gone silent, then finally looked at Collin and Flynn, who were staring back, he sighed, and the air suddenly changed. It was sad.
He waved his hand, and Collin's eyes returned to their menacing grey, while Flynn rubbed his head, and he said, "I'm not going to say sorry, I will stay here," he looked at Lillian and said, "You're a smart girl, Lillian, you have outsmarted me, when I was strong when it came to diplomacy."
He looked back at his son, his eyes flashing, and said, "Don't you let this kingdom fall, Aris, it is the strongest of the four kingdoms," he added, "I worked hard to bring it to where it is now."
Aris nodded, friendliness coming back to his gaze, and said, "This kingdom is my home, I would never let anything happen to it," he hesitated, then added, "Maybe you should do the same, it once was your home, let go of the curse, and release the peaceful energies you had kept hidden away."
King Mora said nothing, and Lillian saw spirits starting to appear again, and it got colder, and he said flatly, "Whatever."
King Mora had finally disappeared, and they all stared at each-other silently.
"We did it." Lucan said.
Lillian smiled, and said, "Let's go back! Find that entrance to the mountain!"
Flynn and Collin looked at each-other, and Flynn said, "I can get you back, but we cannot go with you."
Flynn led them to the spirit pond, but Collin hung back, but Flynn no longer seemed bothered by it, and Lillian turned to look at him, and asked, "Something the matter?"
Collin shook his head, and Lillian huffed, "If nothing's wrong then get over here."
Collin made a face, and stepped cautiously toward the soul mirror, and stared down at it, Lillian didn't notice anything different, except the smoldering green eyes of Collin. She said, "See nothing wrong~"
Collin growled, and pushed her in, she gasped when light entered her vision.
"About time you woke up!"
Lillian stood up, noticing she was on four paws again, and she asked, "How long were we out?" She rolled her eyes.
"Long enough~" Markus said cheerily, Lillian laughed, but noticed that it was night time, and the moon seemed different.
"What's going on?" Lillian asked.
Markus said, "I was looking at that calender, and we're nearing one of the longest Lunar eclipses."
"Oh man." Lillian said.
"Why?" Markus asked.
"We need to hurry up and turn human again, if the Lunar eclipse starts and stays that way, we're all in big trouble." Lillian muttered, staring up at the mountain.
"Right, we need to find that path!" Erik said, and continued, "I know where it is!"
Lillian nodded, and said, "Lead the way!"
Erik nodded, and everyone followed him, but she trailed behind, and noticed Vortex, who looked healthier and stronger.
"Oh, hey, Vortex." Lillian greeted her.
"I have to thank you, and warn you." Vortex said.
"No problem, and what?" Lillian asked.
"That path? It's blocked, you can't get through it, not without dying or something." Vortex muttered, looking up at the sky.
"What?!" Lillian said.
But if we don't get to the mountain...
We're in danger...
Category:Birdpaw's Stuff
Category:Complete
Category:Original Stories