In Magic We Bloom

Fic by Andalite

## CHAPTER ONE: White Carnation

[The White Carnation symbolizes purity and luck. In the language of flowers, it can also mean "sweet and lovely"]

Amy Sundrop had big plans.

Sure, right now she was little more than an orphan girl, abandoned as a baby without explanation and dumped on the doorsteps of the only orphanage the Summer city of Bluesky had to offer, but she intended to rise above all that.

She had since outgrown the bland, crowded building that had sheltered her. No one showed any interest in adopting her, and that wouldn't get better as she got older, so she took a different approach. Choosing to leave before she aged out, she had gone to find her place in the world.

Unfortunately that was a bit hard to do for a young girl with two copper coins, a roll of clothes and a sweet roll as her only posessions.

With a frustrated sigh, she swiped her long blonde bangs from her chocolate eyes. *I can only live off of flower-selling money for so long.* She thought, re-arrianging some of the baskets and bouquets she had made so the less-wilted ones were in the front and the sun-dried ones more in the shadow granted by a nearby bakery.

Smoothing out her apron, and combing through her hair with her fingers, she deemed herself presentable and stepped up to the street and put on her best, cutest smile.

"Flowers for sale! Best prices in the city!" She called to the people passing by. "Get 'em while their fresh! Hand picked today!"

Under her breath, she added, "Except for the ones I picked yesterday and the evening before." Hey, what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them!

Her small stall was little more than a blanket on a brick wall, marking the area as hers for the time being. Her flowers were lined up on the blanket, some in wicker baskets to be sold individually, some tied together with a string or length of cloth to be purchased as a bunch. Prices were marked on the wall under each in white chalk, never edging above ten copper.

A few people stopped by and she managed to make a bit of coin - copper coins that is. She did find a silver piece between the cobblestone though, and considered that an inadvertently-given tip.

That put her in a pretty good mood, as she planned to treat herself with it later...

Until *he* came along, instantly dampening her mood.

## CHAPTER TWO: Orange Lily

[Orange lilies symbolize hate and distain, as well as pride and confidence]

 She'd known him for a few months now, though never by name.  She had a few names for him, sure, but saying them aloud would be bad for buisness and ruin her 'sweet flower girl'  image.

He'd shown up two weeks after she had started her buisness, obviously choosing this location because of how many customers she got.  His fancy little flower cart - complete with wheels and a little parasol for the flowers and himself to share - seemed to mock her.  Even the flowers bobbed tauntingly in the warm breeze.

They'd been rivals for a while now.  Mortal enemies to the end.  Every time he lured one of her customers over, she silently swore to steal two of his.

The fact that she was a young girl helped, and her prices were often cheaper, but he had a larger variety, and looked more official, despite the stainless apron over his pot-belly and perfectly clean nails that proved he'd never so much as touched the dirt.

He shot her a cocky smile as he signaled his stand was open.

Amy narrowed her eyes in return. *Game on.*

With that, the battle of the flower stands began.  As the traffic increased, their pitches became louder and more frequent.

"Hand picked flowers!"

"The brightest colors nature can produce!"

"Spring would be jealous of this bouquet!"

However, while her opponent had a larger stock, Amy had far more charisma.  She twirled her skirts skipping up and down the sidewalk along the wall as she bragged about her flowers, a large, sugar-sweet grin on her face.  Whenever a family walked by, she'd offer the children a tiny blue flower - too small to sell but enough to interest the kid so the family had to stop, and should a couple pass by, she'd slip up beside them and loudly whisper to the guy that his lady was surely deserving of flowers as lovely as she was.

She often shot her opponent a grin or a wink after that, just to see his face turn red in anger.

She had just accepted another handful of copper coins from a cute old couple when she heard him call out across the street.

"Get your flowers here!  Guaranteed no bugs! I checked each one myself!"

She stiffened.  Oooh that was a low blow.  She knew for a fact that he did no such thing, but saying so would go against her character.  And she couldn't make any such claim, her flowers were picked in the forests and not grown indoors.  After a moment of thought, she retaliated.

"Beautiful flowers!  Their fragrance enhanced by the magic of the forests!"

Technically it *could* be true.  She had picked them in the forests, and someone's cousin's-girlfriend's-sister's-nanny had said that they had seen a Thystical practicing magic there years ago.  So some of it [i]might[/i] still be there.  Maybe.  And who's to say the flowers don't smell better than usual?

Her rival sent a scornful look her way, to which she responded with a curtsy.

"Limited time only! Ten percent off any purchase!"

Oh no he didn't...

"Fifteen percent off!"  She called, drawing his newest customers towards her shop with just three words.

"Twenty percent!"

Oh, so he wanted to play huh?  Well she had nothing to loose

"FIFTY PERCENT OFF."

At this point, the customers - more of a crowd at this point really - had caught onto their little contest, and looked back at him curiously.

"F-fifty-five?"  He stuttered, sweat gathering on his brow at the thought of the lost profits.

"Sixty."  She smiled.  Her sales had slowed down few hours ago.  If she could get all these glorified weeds sold, she'd have less to carry later and try to re-sell later.

All eyes were on her opponent once more, and his mouth opened and closed like a fish.  Amy couldn't tell if he was red from the Summer sun or embarrassment, or perhaps anger at being beat.  Either way, he relented, raising a hand to show he was willing to go no lower.

With a grin, Amy chalked up her unplanned sale onto the wall behind her with a flourish and tended to her customers.  The coaches and horses on the road seemed quite happy that a decision had been made, as the crowd had formed in the center of the street, undecided, while the two businesses outbid each other, and now moved fully to her side.

*Better luck next time.* Amy thought with a girlish giggle.

Distracted by her sales, Amy didn't notice a dark figure watching her from down the street.

## CHAPTER THREE: Lily of the Valley

 [The Lily of the Valley symbolizes a new beginning]

Amy was most definitely being followed.

After she'd sold out, she had gathered her things and went looking for somewhere cheap to eat.  Preferably somewhere with large, yet cheap portions, and was instantly drawn to a noisey tavern a few blocks away.

She heard it long before she saw it.  The lilting sound of a bard singing for entertainment was strengthened by the cheers and cacophony of customers who thought they had a gift for music as well.  The smell of stew tempted her even from outside, and she surrendered to it instantly, but not without noticing a shady figure watching her.

*Okay.  Probably best to stay in a public area.* She thought.

The tavern was hardly fancy or large, but it had a homey feeling to it.  The customers and servers all knew each other by name.  This was a good sign, as she would likely have a lot of backup if something happened, and that odd person following her chose to make some sort of move.

That thought, however, quite nearly flew out of her head as she got another whiff of the cooking.

Amy had been there occasionally, but usually ordered little more than bread and cheese.  Today though, she intended to spoil herself.

Sitting down at an empty table, Amy smiled when the barmaid came over.  The older woman held a tray with large tankards and a pitcher of mead, but after looking Amy over, decided water would probably be a better choice.

"Wha'll it be hon'?"  The barmaid asked.

"Meat pie."  Amy replied importantly, and the barmaid nodded, heading off to go put in her order.

Amy tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder, fiddling with the longer bangs that framed her face.  She looked around the room as she waited.

The light was mostly supplied from the open windows and a few stray torches in the darker corners of the room.  Stairs led up in the back to a few rental rooms that she certainly couldn't afford, a door to the kitchens, and another leading to some mystery back room.  Tables and stools lined the area, and a man in bright colored clothing strummed away at his lyre, singing a little rhyme about some water creature that had fangs and hooves.  A few barrels were stacked near the windows where some large men with scraggly beards were helping themselves to drinks and laughing.  The door opened just as Amy's order arrived.

The plate was warm enough that she could feel the heat without even touching it, and the smell filled all of her senses.  She fanned the pie to cool it off a bit before digging in.

It tasted *heavenly*.  So much better than mere bread and cheese, and so worth the weeks of work.  She moaned in delight as she ate one bite after another, only stopping when someone sat down across from her.

She looked up, fork halfway to her mouth.  "Yeah there's an empty table just over there bud."  She said, gesturing across the room.

"Oh yes, I noticed."  He said pleasantly with a smile.

Amy frowned uncertainly, before covering it with a sweet smile, getting back into character.  "I'm afraid I'm all out of flowers to sell sir, and off work besides.  Perhaps if you come to my shop on Thursday-"

"The flowers looked lovely, but that's not why I'm here."

Her smile instantly dropped.  Not here for buisness?  Then she had no reason to keep up that image.  "What do you want then?" She asked, returning her attention to the pie.

"I would like to offer you a job."

"I have a job."  She said.  Really, anything would probably pay better than selling flowers for sixty percent off, but she had a strict Don’t Accept Sketchy Jobs From Weird Strangers policy, and it had served her pretty well so far.

"But is this what you want to do for the rest of your life?"  He asked gently.

She paused in her eating.  She most certainly did *not* want to be stuck selling foliage forever.  The thought alone made her shudder.  But taking a job from a random stranger and going missing or being found dead in a stream somewhere wasn't exactly on her bucket list either.  If something did happen, who would look for her?  She worked and lived alone, and though she knew people, she doubted they'd go out of their way to find her if she didn't show up for her usual sales.

Hmmm, decisions.

She looked up at the man, really looking at him for the first time.

He was tall and lean, with handsome features.  His brownish hair seemed to have hints of gold where the light touched it.  His clothes were simple, easily blending in with any crowd, but his eyes instantly caught her attention.

They shimmered amber, blue, and silver all at once, like a pool of water at sunset, as the last light of day and the cool hand of night fought to leave their mark on its glassy surface. In their depths, she could see something shining, bright, yet subdued, and definitely magical.

"You're a Thystical?" She whispered.  He smiled with a nod.

"Prove it."

He leaned back in his seat a moment, thinking.  Then his eyes fixed on her glass of water.

The clear, still liquid began to move, like  the sea during a storm.  Ripples and currents and tiny waves formed and Amy could almost imagine a miniature ship fighting its wrath, trying to stay afloat inside her glass.  After a moment, it all stilled.

Amy looked up at him.

*Yeah, he's definitely a Thystical.  Meaning that if he really wanted to, he could force me to come with him.* She thought, but for some reason, as she studied him, she got the feeling that he wasn't that kind of person.

Or he could be enchanting her mind to make her trust him.  Hard to say.

"What sort of job?" She asked slowly.

"You would be helping us with an experiment-"

"I'd be a guenie pig."  She cut in.

He winced. "Well I wouldn't put it that way.  More of a.....student of sorts.  And you wouldn't be alone, there's already someone else helping us with this project."

Amy tilted her head.  "Then why do you need me?"

"Well you see, the results could vary from person to person given different personalities, thought processes, views on-"

"In case something goes wrong with your first guinea pig." Amy interrupted again.

The man sighed, opening his mouth to say something else, but Amy spoke first.

"How's the pay?"

He blinked, surprised she hadn't already decided against joining.  "Besides common currency you will be given some more....magical payment."

"What's you're name?"

"Leonar Draziw Mystereoru."

Amy tilted her head in consideration. Well, she had nothing really planned for the next while anyway.

"Alright, I'm in."

## CHAPTER FOUR:  Pink Heather

[The Pink Heather means 'Good Luck' in the flower language]

Amy hadn't ever been to a Thystical city before, but when Leonar started leading her into the woods, she got the feeling that this was just a *little* bit sketchy.

"Were's your carriage?" She asked.

"I haven't got one."

"Oh, is this City nearby?"

"Not at all.  It's actually near the Autumn-Winter boarder."

"Aaaaaand we're *walking* there?"

"That's right.  Won't be long, don't worry."

Amy shot him an incredulous look at that.  "You *do* realize we're in *Summer*, right?"

"I am aware."  He said, his lips quirking into an amused smile at that.  She didn't know if he found this all funny or if he was just crazy.

No no - Thysticals and rich people were never crazy.  Only eccentric.  They were important enough to buy a special new word for their insanity.

Amy knew she should probably have been a bit better armed when heading out alone with a stranger too, but unfortunately she had left her broadsword and poison-tipped daggers in the shop, along with her psychic rainbow unicorn and all-knowing space whale.  It would be a while yet before she could get those back.

Amy's thoughts tended to get a bit snarky when she was forced to walk long distances. In case you weren't aware.

She groaned loudly.  And then when Leonar didn't respond to that, groaned again even louder.

She got the feeling this amused him even more.

"How much longer?" She asked.

"We're almost to the entrance." He said.  Before she could ask what he meant by that, he veered to the left and she struggled to follow him through the tangles of weeds and branches.  Leaves smacked her in the face as she broke through, and she grumbled to herself.

"...if he has magic why not just move the plants out of the.....what is *THAT*?!"

The wooded area they had been walking through suddenly opened into a gaping hole in the ground.  She was a bit surprised she'd never noticed it before on her trips into the forests to get flowers, but then, she'd never intentionally walked through the tangle of vines and weeds either.

It almost looked like some primal being had started digging a whole with a giant shovel, but stopped part way, leaving only a slanting wound in the earth that lead down into blackness.  Grass and bushes grew over and around it, hiding it from all directions except head-on.

"That is the entrance to the tunnels."  Leonar said calmly.  "That's how we will get to the city."

"Oooookay right."  Amy said, peering in.  Total darkness was all she saw.  Hopefully her all-knowing Thystical guide could see in the dark because she certainly couldn't.

And she certainly hadn't been prepared to stroll right on in there, but Leonar evidently was.  Amy winced as she followed, feeling the darkness swallow her.  She jolted as she collided with her guide in the dark.

"Could we get some light maybe?"  She asked.  In answer, a small point if light appeared. It steadily grew larger, going from the size of a pin tip to the light glow of a lantern.

Amy squinted in the newfound brightness, but took the opportunity to look around.

The tunnel looked oddly natural, no marks of it being dug out by man, but it also seemed a bit too perfect to not have had some tampering done.  The ceiling was a bit too domed, the walls a tad too flat, to be fully mother nature.  However, the designer did leave some odd rocks and stalagmites around, as if to say, 'look! See?  It's not a secret man-made tunnel!  Totally normal cave stuff here!'.

That bit made her giggle.

"Coming?"  Leonar called.  Amy glanced over at him and felt her stomach drop as the paths behind him lit up, each looking exactly like the others.

This wasn't a simple tunnel, this was a labyrinth.

## CHAPTER FIVE: Alstroemeria

[Alstromeria symbolizes wealth, prosperity and fortune]

The trip was both agonizingly long and incredibly short.  There was no *way* they could have got there so fast, yet, when Leonar lead her around one final bend, the sight before her left no doubt in Amy's mind that they had arrived.

A giant cavern had been scooped out of the earth, and set inside were gleaming white structures of all shapes and sizes. Some resembled the houses from above, but most were things Amy had only dreamed about.

There were houses with rounded tops that reminded her of the squat little mushrooms in the forests, houses built onto and even inside the cavern walls in such a way that the cave appeared to be swallowing the structures up.  There were towers that reached to the cavern ceiling, bracing it as a column that people could live in, and houses that defied all logic by design and yet somehow - through magic no doubt - still stood sound and strong.

Besides the buildings, there were gardens, both decorative and practical, and though Amy considered herself quite familiar with plants in general, there was much of the foliage here that she had never knew existed.  Trees as white as the sand on the Summer beaches, flowers and fungus that seemed to give off a faint glow, unusually colored bushes trimmed into shapes both familiar and foreign, even the pools dug into the earth were dotted with some sort of water lily that seemed large enough to sit on.

It truly felt like she'd entered another world.

Almost in a daze, Amy followed as Leonar lead her through the cavern.  Up close, she could see the marble streets that wound through the city, the shops that made even the most expensive buisness in Bluesky look cheap and understocked, and the people....

She could practically *feel* a magical hum in the air around her as she passed the residents of this hidden world.   It was all so fascinating and enchanting and *magical*, she couldn't believe this city had been here all this time, without anyone knowing it.

Soon, they came upon a regal building.  Not a castle exactly, it looked more like a manor or perhaps a very large, very well off inn, but it had a power to it that Amy couldn't explain.  She just knew that this was an important place.

He lead her inside and she was greeted to more lavish furniture than she had seen in her entire life.    Plush chairs and sofas just made for flopping down on, portraits that could have been frozen windows into time for all their detail and accuracy, ornate tables of the finest woods and not one but *two* chandeliers, which seemed a bit excessive to Amy but she wasn't complaining.

Somewhere in the midst of her shameless staring, she heard Leonar tell her to wait here while he spoke to someone.  She may have replied, but the moment he left she was diving onto the fluffiest loveseat imaginable.

She almost melted into the cushions the moment she made contact.  How could anything be this soft?  It *had* to be made with magic.

"Well now, who's this?"  Asked a silky voice somewhere behind her.

Amy reluctantly sat up from her very comfortable horizontal position on the cushions to see the newcomer.

The first thing she noticed were his striking amethyst eyes.  They seemed unnatural, yet somehow fit his handsome features perfectly.   His pale face was framed by long black hair, and to look at him Amy knew he was someone of power.

Therefor, she put on her best Flower Girl smile and introduced herself.

"Amy Sundrop, Sir."

"And what are you doing in the Six's court building?"  He went on.

Amy's head was held high as she answered proudly, "Leonar has hired me to be a part of a very important project."

"Ah,"  he said.  "You're the new guinea pig."

Her shoulders slumped a bit at that and she just barely fought back the urge to glare.  "Yeah."   *Buzzkill*.

"Do you know where Leonar is?"

She waved a hand vaguely at where she'd seen him last and returned to  enjoing the luxuries around her.  Vaguely, she heard the man leave, presumably to find her missing Thystical tour guide.

Ehh, she was in no rush.  She was comfortable right here.

## CHAPTER SIX:  Ferns

 [Ferns represent sincerity, humility, magic and bonds of love]

Amy had fallen asleep.  Somehow, while waiting for her magic guide to come back and show her more of this magic place made of magic, she had fallen asleep.  She was made quite aware of that fact by the  pain in her back from sleeping on the loveseat and not a proper bed.

When she sat up, she was surrounded by a small group of Very Important People, most of which were looking at her with either an amused or disapproving expression.

Amy smoothed her skirt and fluffed her hair calmly before acknowledging them.  If they were gonna just stand there and watch her sleep, they could give her a minute to wake and freshen up..

"Finished with your meeting?" She asked.

Leonar nodded.  "Yes it just ended.  I believe congratulations are in order, the council has agreed to allow you to be a part of the project."

"That was *before* we found her sprawled across our couch, sleeping..." Someone muttered, only to be shushed by their neighbor.

Amy decided to ignore the comment.  "Great. So when do I start and what exactly am I doing?"  She frowned slightly at her post-nap breath.  How long had she been asleep exactly?

"Tomorrow officially." Said a woman with long light hair.  Noticing Amy's expression, she handed her a cup of some sort of tea.  "For now, you'll simply relax and get used to the change."

"Change?" Amy repeated, taking a sip. *Mmm, minty.*  "What sort of change?"

The woman glanced at Leonar, and she got the feeling they were closer than she had originally thought.

Leonar cleared his throat.  "Well if she said 'no' I didn't want her to spread the news about our project..."

The light-haired woman rolled her eyes before returning her attention to Amy.

"Our goal is to see if we can make more Thysticals by giving non-Thysticals magic.  Our first test has already been quite fruitful, but we don't want to put all our trust in one result."

"So by 'change' you mean..."

"She means you will have Thystical magic." The man from earlier spoke up.  "And then we'll watch you and test you to see how strong you can get, if you have limits we don't, how you react to the new power and so on and so forth."

Amy blinked, setting her cup down as she took that in.

*A Thystical.  They're going to make me a Thystical...* She took a shaky breath.  *I'll have magic....*  "When will you put the magic in me?" She asked.

"We already did." Leonar said.

Amy blinked.  "While I was *sleeping?!*"

"No no! It was in the drink!" He said hastily. "We found it's easier to transfer magic from one being to another in a liquid form."

"Oh."  She felt almost a bit disappointed at that.  Here she had been hoping for some big, impressive, showy magic thing, with glittering magical essance in the air and musical enchantments and maybe a whoosh of the candles nearby as the magic entered her, not some totally casual and almost unnoticeable spell-in-a-cup.

Oh well.

"So I can do magic now?" She asked, wiggling her fingers experimentally.

"Probably not, our other guine pi- sorry, *student*," The dark haired man corrected after earning a glare from the woman.  "He couldn't use his powers until the next day, his body took a while to accept the change."

"In the meantime, you can explore the city and head to your apartment, you do remember where it is don't you?"

"Oh yeah totally." She lied.

Amy seemed to remember Leonar mentioning something about a dorm or an inn during the tour, but was a bit preoccupied with all the *magical Thystical stuff* to really pay attention to something as boring as a bed and breakfast.

In any case, she figured this would give her time to explore at her own pace, meet some magic people and maybe that other 'student' they mentioned.

*Another human-turned-Thystical,* Amy mused.  *I hope he's cute.*

## CHAPTER SEVEN:  Borage

[Borage symbolizes bluntness and directness]

Amy was, officially, lost.

Oh, she had started out fine, just exploring on her own, taking in the wonders of the magical city at her own pace and greeting every Thystical she passed, but now, among the monument-like structures, she had lost sight of all familiar landmarks.

Turning in a circle, she scanned the area for someone to get directions from.  Thankfully, she spotted a young man leaning against a seamless white wall, reading a book.

Fluffing up her hair and smoothing out her skirt, Amy plastered on her best, winning smile and approached.  "Hello!"

He didn't even look up.  She didn't miss a beat.

"I'm new and seem to be a bit lost, could you help me?"

He stubbornly refused to acknowledge her.  She crossed her arms and huffed, only a foot or two away from him now, so she could see him clearly.

Pale, clear skin seemed to be the only attractive thing about him.  His raven hair was messy and sticking up in all directions, his his nose was long and crooked, his ears...seasons, they were huge, perhaps he was an elephant Shifter?

Even the way he dressed, in dark shades of brown and grey, barely disguised the simplistic design of his clothes.

All in all, he was just sort of average.  Not what she expected of a Thystical.

"Um, excuse me?" She said, a hint of her irritation at being ignored seeping into her voice.

Finally, he glanced up, and she was met with his icy blue eyes, cold and pale and hard, almost emotionless.  Near the center, there seemed to be some flecks of black and dark grey among the sea of ice.

He was talking to her then, his voice low and naisley.

"For the mercy of the gods, I've read this same paragraph five times over now.  *What* is so important?"

Despite his snappish words, he spoke slowly and calmly, almost deliberate in each sound his lips formed.

Amy took a moment to collect herself.  *Relax, don't let yourself be irritated, you've dealt with rude people before.*

Forcing another practiced smile, she introduced herself.

"Hi, I'm Amy Sundrop and I'm a bit new here. Leonar just hired me to be a student-"

"Guinea pig." He interrupted without emotion.

"-here and I can't seem to find where I'm meant to stay."

"And why,"  the boy said evenly, "Is that my problem?"

"Goodness of humanity and helping your fellow neighbors?" She tried, though he was really starting to get on her nerves.  Everything about him just rubbed her the wrong way, from his dark and broody aesthetic, to his slow, precise way of speaking, to even his hard, cold eyes.

Maybe she should just go ask someone else....

He gave a long stare at her, which could have been a glare if there was any emotion behind it.  As it was, he it just sort of creeped her out.

"The building behind you." He said shortly, and with that, returned to his book.

Amy spun on her heels, finally noting the sign on the door that said 'Newcomers Welcome!'

"Ohhhh, right."

"Now go away, I'm tired of talking to you." He said, attention on his book again.

*Gladly.*

## CHAPTER EIGHT: Yellow Tulip

[The yellow tulip means "Sunshine in your smile"]

Amy's room was small, and lacking any personal decor.  It reminded her of one of the rooms at an inn, but a bit....whiter.  Everything, from the seamless walls to the tiled floor was white.

She wrinkled her nose at the color.  *How am I supposed to sleep in such a blinding room?*

She sighed, ecploring her room further.  It didn't hold much, just a single-wide bed, a shelf for books, a trunk to hold any belongings, a vanity, a closet and a door to the washroom.

She wondered over to the washroom door first.  She felt a bit grimy from the trip through the tunnles, but really didn't feel like carrying buckets of water all the way up to her third-floor room.  Not to mention the water would probably be freezing...

When she opened the door, she began to think it might be worth the effort though.

The bathtub was large enough to lay down in, and sunk into the floor like a lake or pool.  It wasn't terribly deep, she could recline in it easily while keeping her head above water, but it just looked so inviting.....

Then she noticed a few decorations at one end.  A spout, like on a teapot and two knobs.

*That's weird.*

On impulse, she turned a knob and jumped back in alarm as steaming hot water shot out of the spout into the tub.  Amy stared at the obviously magical creation for a moment, before running to grab a towel.

Not moments later, Amy was relaxing in a pleasantly warm bubble bath, her blonde hair floating around her as she scooped a handful of suds and blew them into the air to watch them float, giggling.

Her dark brown eyes closed as she let the warmth soak into her, soothing all her sore muscles.

After a while, she found the drain and got out, wrappjng herself in a fluffy - and very very white - towel, letting her hair drip-dry a bit as she left the washroom.

Unfortunately, leaving the bubbles forced her to remember *them*.

The mark of her Shift, the banes of her existence and just really ugly appendages in general: her octopus arms.

Amy cringed as she saw the pale peach *things*  that sprouted from her back out of the corner of her eye, always moving.  She could usually hide them under her clothes, the lack of bones allowed them to mold flat against her back under her dress, and for a time, she could even forget she had them.

She wished she could forget she had them.

She never used her Shift from. She had no need to.  She didn’t live near any of the Summer beaches and wasn't a fan of the water anyway.  The smooth, rubbery limbs covered in suction cups only served to draw attention away from her flowers, and didn't really fit with her 'sweet flower girl' appearance.   They were ugly and just an all around neusance, and sense she had started hiding them, they almost seemed to have a mind of their own when out in the open.

She could control them if she really thought about it, or if she was trying to hide them, but right now?  They stretched and curled up her hair and she batted them back in annoyance as she looked through her closet for something to sleep in.

*Ugh, when I start learning how to use my magic, I'm* so *getting rid of these things.*  she thought with a frown.

Finding a pale, lacey nightgown, Amy got dressed and quickly shoved her octopus tentacles into the dress, forcing them to flatten and become practically indivisible from the outside. Doing a quick spin in front of the vanity mirror, she nodded in satisfaction.

She was just about to turn in when she had an idea.

*I know Leonar said it took a day for the other guy, but maybe.....*

Looking around the room, she picked something small: a single pillow on her bed.  She had no idea how this worked.  *Do I have to make up a spell?  Do I just think about what I want it to do?  Do I stare at it?*

She tried to concentrate, only focusing on the pillow and what she wanted it to do.

Nothing.

"Come on, work."

Still nothing.

"Just one little change?"

Nope.

Amy huffed.  Well, she hadn't really been expecting it to work anywa-

As she set the pillow down, she noticed something.   Where she had been holding the pillow, it was pink, spreading outwards in vine-like patterns until the entire object was an even cherry blossom pink.

She grinned, then tried with the rest of the bedspread until it all matched.  She put a bare foot on the floor and watched as the vine pattern spread through the tiles, turnkng them lavender.  She didn't stop until her entire room and everything in it was varying shades of pink, from the walls to the clothes.

She squealed in excitement as she looked at her work, giving a little twirl.

"Okay, now I can sleep."

As she headed back to her bed, she paused at the window.  The boy from earlier was talking to someone,  the man with the violet eyes and the long black hair.  After a moment, the man lead him away, out of sight.

## CHAPTER NINE: Valerian

 [Valerian symbolizes readiness]

The next morning was Amy's first lesson, and she was extatic.  She woke at an ungodly hour just to have time to get herself presentable.   A bubble bath later and she was styling her blonde hair and applying some makeup she had found in her vanity.

Looking at her reflection, she gave her sweetest Flower Girl smile, before noticing something was off.  She moved closer to the mirror.

Her eyes.  They had always been a chocolate brown but now, now they were different.  Stemming from her pupal were streaks of green among the brown, and at the edges of her irises, the color shimmered.

Amy blinked, but the change remained.  That was.....definitely new.

Filing that away to ask about later, Amy went to her closet to pick out something particularly impressive to wear.  She wanted to look good on the first day of magic-school.  She had just picked out a nice frilly laveneder one with layered skirts, when she realized something.

Every. Dress. Was. Backless.

She paled. Oh no, the *last* thing she wanted was to show up with visible octopus arms.

She checked again and again, and then cursed the Thystical fashion trend that seemed to be made just to make her look bad.  There were no cloaks or shawls or anything to hide those annoying, ugly appendages.  She grimaced as one tangled in her once-perfectly-styled hair and another seemed to try to destroy her balance.

No *way* was she letting those things have free reign.

Looking around quickly, her eyes landed on her curtains, a long, light material that was a pale pink ever sense last night.

She nodded to herself, batting away a tentacle idly.  "That'll work."

oOo

A crowd was gathered in an open, park-like area of the underground city.  Perfectly trimmed grass covered the soil and a marble pathway circled the area nicely.  Everyone appeared to be there, man, woman and child.

When Amy arrived, all eyes were on her.

Her blonde hair was partially pulled back into a bun with the rest left to hang down, drawing attention to her face.  Glittering pink eyeliner and lipstick was lightly applied, showing off her features and complimenting her outfit.  The lavender dress brushed her ankles, and was partially hidden by a decorative pink cape that clipped at one side, so as to hide the fact that it was really a curtain.  As she arrived, she decided to show off a little, making her skirts fade from violet, to several shades of pink in turn.

A few satisfactory 'ooh's  and 'ahh's followed her, and she smiled as her little trick had the desired effect, even if it *was* the only trick she knew.

Leonar and several of the others from yesterday were waiting for her, including the man with the long, dark hair.   As she approached, she was directed to stand with them.  After a moment, a woman who introduced herself as Melantha began speaking.

"Friends, we are gathered here to welcome someone new to the world of Thysticals..."

Amy....to be honest, she zoned through most of the speech.  She could tell you that it talked a lot about Thysticals, a bit about the creation of their cave-city and their magic.  She touched on the experiment and how it was coming and so forth.  Amy was instead, focused on the people around her.

Their eyes, she noticed, were like hers were now.  They had flecks and streaks of other colors, not rainbow like a Mimik, but...unusual in their own right.  And the patterns...

Spiraling, flowering, curling designs, stemming from the pupal, creeping from the edges or filling the iris itself. Sparks of colors exploding like fireworks, glittering like sunlight on the water or twinkling like stars in the sky.

Amy was mesmerized. Had their eyes always been like that?  She almost missed when she was mentioned.

"...Miss Amy Sundrop, our newest young student -"

"Guinea pig..." She heard someone mutter behind her, but she ignored it.

"Has quite obviously come into her magic."  Melantha said, turning Amy towards her gently.  "Now, we will see what her specialities are."

"As we know, the eyes are the windows to the soul, and as Thysticals, magic is bound to our very souls, and can be seen in our eyes.  In their coloring, we can find our specialities, and in their patterns, our magic signiture."

Amy blinked.  She was going to ask for her to maybe expand on that a bit, but Melantha tilted her head up and looked deeply into Amy's eyes, as if searching for something.

"Oh yes, her first specialty is plant-based magic." The woman said, causing a round of applause.  "And her second...oh my."  She trailed off with a frown.  "That's...unusual."

"What?" Amy asked, but the woman didn't answer, rather, she called Leonar and the others over to her, and suddenly Amy had a small hoard of Thysticals staring at her face at a *very* close proximity.

"It keeps changing..." Someone said.

"They look like yours now...."

"No no, they switched again, now the edges are purple..."

"What the...."

"What is it?" Amy asked again.  The raven-haired man gave an unusual smile.  "These experiments were always likely to have some kind of *unusual* effects."

"We don't recognize your second specialty." Leonar said gently.  "It's something...different.  We'll have to watch it closely."

Melantha was the first to pull away, returning her attention to the murmuring crowd as she assured them that everything was fine and this was simply proof that the experiment could bear fruit.

"Well, we really shouldn't be too surprised." The woman with light hair and kind features said to Leonar.  "Cieve has....*interesting* abilities too."

"Who's Cieve?" Amy asked.  "And what's going on?!"

"Your eyes, they keep changing colors around the edge of your iris, we can't pin down a specific talent yet, and Cieve..." Leonar trailed off uncertainly.

The man with the violet eyes finished for him.  "Cieve is our *other* guinea pig."  With a graceful hand, he gestured to someone in the crowd.

Standing there, watching her critically, was the boy from the night before. Cieve. Her fellow student.

## CHAPTER TEN: Thyme

[Thyme symbolizes courage and strength]

After a few more short words, the six lead Thysticals - because Amy could tell they were obviously in charge - began to clear the area, encouraging the people to disperse and return to their general day to day lives.

Except, of course, for Amy and Cieve.

Amy eyed the boy with a slight pout.  He looked exactly the same as he had the previous night, dark hair ruffled and unkempt,  features dominated by a crooked nose and large ears, pale skin wrapped almost totally in black and brown fabrics.

Now that she looked closer though, there was something different about his eyes.  Or maybe she just hadn't noticed in her rush the night before.   His icy blue eyes, cold and hard, were the same color as she remembered, but there was something different, an almost swirling in his pupals and irises, like a vacuum, drawing you in against your will...and not in the, 'I might be developing a crush' way, but an, 'I think this guy might be sucking out my actual soul' sort of way.

Amy shuddered, tearing her eyes away.

"I see you've noticed Cieve's signiture." Leonar said, looking at Amy's eyes.  She gave him a questioning look and he explained, "Your eyes are swirling like his do."

Amy blinked.  She couldn't even feel any difference.

"Hang on - his *signiture*? I thought you said I was copying the colors?" She said.

"You're doing both."  He said.  "Of course, Cieve's talents lay in his signiture."

"What are they?" She asked, looking the boy over.

"Darkness," Cieve replied evenly, sounding bored.  "And the mind."

*Creepy...red flags going off here...*  Amy thought.  Cieve offered a small, tight-lipped smile, probably guessing her thoughts or, who knows? Maybe he was reading her mind.  Amy wasn't an expert on mind magic, but it sounded invasive.

"Actually, why don't we let the kids test their power? Give us a demonstration?"  The dark haired man suggested after a moment.  Amy thought she'd heard someone call him Cato.

Cato shot Cieve a look, and the boy rolled his eyes.

"She hasn't had any training yet," Leonar said.  "It wouldn't be fair to her,"

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Cieve's been here a bit longer than you, but not by much," Leonar explained quietly.  "Cato has taken him under his wing, he probably just wants to show off-"

"Let's do it." Amy said loudly.  Cato and Cieve seemed a bit surprised at this, probably thinking she would be intimidated, but no, Amy knew from her time running her own buisness that if you backed down from the challenge, or seemed unwilling, you'd loose the respect of those around you.

As of now, she had a chance to show what she could do - even if it was only her first day - and that she wouldn't be scared or intimidated by Cieve, just because he'd been there a bit longer.  It was a chance to prove her strength, and see what she could do with this new magic in her.

A slow smile creeped across Cato's face, and Cieve considered her silently.

"Excellent," the man said, voice smooth as silk.  "If I may make a suggestion?"

The other five nodded for him to continue.

"I've found that - with Cieve at least - they adapt to their power faster in intense situations,"

"Such as?"  The light-haired woman - Eirlys - asked cautiously.

"Combat." Cato said simply.

A few of the Thysticals went to voice their protests, but Amy spoke up again.

"I'm in!"

Leonar turned to her, most likely to explain how this was a very bad idea, but she smiled, hands folded behind her back.  "He said it could get me used to my powers faster, right?  And besides, it's just to test and show off, it's not like it's life or death."

"Of course." Cieve said in that slow, monotone drawl of his.  "Why would we try to hurt each other?"

The way he said that made Amy's skin crawl, and she wasn't quite sure if he was being sincere or if that was a threat.  Still, too late to back out now.  "Exactly!"

Leonar looked uncertain, but Melantha nodded.  "I agree.  In battle, you act on instinct.  This could be very helpful to the experiment."

Reluctantly, Leonar agreed.

Amy met Cieve's dark, mesmerizing gaze once more, her head held high.  She wouldn't back down.  She would prove that she was meant to be here, that she was just as good as her peer, and if Cieve had meant something else with his comment, she would show him that she was not afraid.

*And who knows?  This could be fun.*

## CHAPTER ELEVEN: Hyacinth

[The Hyacinth represents sports, games and play]

Amy stood across from Cieve in a stone arena Melantha had crafted for them with her magic.  Her pink shoes clicked on the hard tiles underfoot as she positioned herself at the other end of the arena.  Tall posts mounting torches stood at each corner of the arena, lighting it effectively.

The rules were simple, if you surrender, or touch the ground outside of the arena, you loose.

Amy took a calming breath, her heart already hammering in anticipation. She'd been in a few fist-fights back in the city, but they'd never involved magic.  She wasn't entirely sure what to expect.

Cieve, however, looked comfortable in this situation. It was obvious he'd done this before, and Cato watched eagerly, confident in his pupal.

"Fighters ready?"  Melantha called, receiving a nod from them both.  "Go!"

Amy had barely taken a step forward when she was knocked back by what appeared to be a dark smoke in solid form.   Her heel caught between the tiles and she tripped back with a yelp towards the ground outside-

  -but was braced by something green and covered in large, rubbery leaves.

She glanced over her shoulder.

A plant - aloe, to be specific - the size of a tree had shot up from the earth behind her, its large leaves holding her up like arms and gave a gentle nudge, bringing her back onto her feet.

Cieve was eyeing the plant warily, specifically the spines along the edges, but seemed to quickly realize that Amy had no clue how to use the monstrous plant and returned his attention to her.

His icy eyes swirled with darkness as the shadows around them liquefied, dripping down onto the arena and racing towards her.

Amy squeaked as one slipped under her shoe, but gave pause when she felt no pain at it.

"Ha!" She laughed at his obviously failed attempt at an attack, but Cieve's calm never wavered.

Amy blinked as she realized it wasn't an attack. It was a trap.  The shadow was sticking her foot to the ground, keeping her locked in place.

Amy held back a glare.  Well fine, this just gave her more reason to get control of her powers. Preferably quickly.  That giant aloe hadn't done anything since she created it, and it seemed pretty content to stay stationary, but what if...

Cieve's eyes flashed as he senses her planning, but he waited to see what she'd do.  He seemed almost....curious.

*Yeah, so am I.*  Amy thought as the aloe behind her began to tremble and twitch.  *Ugh, this thing does* not *want to move...*

Cieve's cold gaze darted to the plant behind her, shadows slowly building up a wall between him and the foliage, slightly transparent and shimmering, like wet glass stained black.

Of course, with all his attention focused on the huge aloe, he didn't notice the vines creeping up behind him until they twisted tightly around his wrists and ankles.

His wall wavered, melting back into shadow as he glanced back in surprise, realizing the aloe was just a distraction.

Amy giggled, walking freely towards him as her feet came loose from the dark magic's hold.  All eyes were on her as she approached her opponent, a girlish bounce in her step as she crossed the arena.

The vines were continuing to grow, curling around his hands until they were wrapped completely, and tying his feet together so he had to rely on the vines to stay upright.

Cieve fixed her with his emotionless stare, pulling her in, snuffing out her thoughts, and there was a voice.....purring and lilting, saying such strange things....a voice from deep in her memory.....

She snapped out of it with a jolt.  *Mind magic.  Right.  Just don't look in his eyes.*

His thin lips curled into a slight smile and she barely had enough time to turn when a black shadow collided with her from her left, knocking her across the ring.  She felt the telltale sting of skinned knees as she slid across the tiles, but she gasped when she felt herself grow lighter.

Her head whipped around so fast she could've gotten whiplash.  Sure enough, her cape was flung out of the ring, and as Amy lay sprawled across the arena floor her pale, pink tentacles began to notice their freedom.

## CHAPTER TWELVE:  Rhododendrons

[Rhododendrons mean danger and beware in the language of flowers]

Amy swore her heart stopped for a minute.  Her tentacles seemed to grow in the open air, curling and streching of their own accord.  She felt a jolt of panic as everyone around her - both Cieve and the Thystical leaders - got full view of the ugly appendages.

And then she felt only rage.

How dare he do that to her?!  Embarrass her publicly like this?!  She had been playing fair, trying to learn about her power!

When she looked up at him again, she could feel a change in her glare, and knew her eyes were swirling as his did.

Shoving herself to her feet, she swiped an arm at him, and despite several feet if distance between them, the boy definitely took the hit.  The thing is, it wasn't a vine or flower that knocked him out of the vine trap and left him staggering.

It was a shadow.

Amy could feel a foregin power in her, filling her body and mingling with her own magic in a way that was both terribly *wrong* and incredibly *right* at once.  Her plant magic was still there of course, waiting to be called apon, but at this exact moment, the shadows were much more satisfying.

As was the fear in the emotionless boy's eyes.

Vaguely, she was aware of the Thystical leaders saying something, some cheering, others yelling, but she payed them no mind.  Her target was rising to his feet, and she sort of preferred the sight of him lying on the arena floor, bruised and hurting...

She came down on him with another forceful shadow but this time he was ready, surrounding himself in another shadow shield.  In the back of her mind she recalled his having mental-based magic as well.

*Fine then, I'll attack on instinct alone.*

He shot her a quick, alarmed glance, confirming her theory that he'd been searching her mind.  Amy's lips twisted in a smirk as the stolen magic reared up again, this time reaching up from the arena floor itself like a hand bursting out of the ground, grabing him in an obsidian fist.

With grim satisfaction she began tightening it's hold on him at a steady pace, reveling in his scream...

Then she was knocked to the ground from behind.

Amy tasted copper as her chin hit the hard tile beneath her, and she squirmed as several forces held her down, pinning her arms to the ground.  The world began to blur as someone spoke, and Amy blacked out.

She could vaguely feel themselves being carried away, and hear voices, muffled, as if she was trying to listen through water.

She wasn't sure if hours had passed, or seconds, but when she came to, Leonar and Cato were both there, talking to each other in hushed tones.

Amy tried to sit up, but she felt drained and sore.  There were holes in her memory, moments she couldn't remember clearly.  The shadow magic was gone, she could tell that without much effort, but where it had went and how she'd even got it in the first place, she couldn't say.

Her blood ran cold at the memory of the things she'd done, the way it had felt....

She had wanted to kill Cieve, a boy she hardly knew.

"Is...he okay?" She croaked.  Her voice was thick and it felt like a boulder was on her chest.  "Cieve..."

The whislering stopped and the two men glanced over at her.  "Yes," Leonar said.  "He's fine.  Bruised and confused, but alive."

"And you stole his speciality," Cato added, a strange tone to his voice.  "No not stole...copied, mimicked..."

"It's gone now." Amy said hoarsely, her strength slowly returning to her.  "I don't have it any more..."

"Good." Leonar sat at the foot of the white bed she was on.  She appeared to be in some kind of healer's workroom, but there were no other patients or beds around.  "That magic seemed to have a bad effect on you."

"How did you do it?" The dark haired man cut in eagerly. "How did you copy his power so precisely?"

Amy frowned.  "I don't know...I was so..." *Angry.   I was angry and I hated him for that one moment and that's all it took...*  "I was emotional, and I was focused on him.   My..."

Her brown eyes widened and her hand quickly flew to her back.  She felt fabric and breathed a sigh of relief.

"We returned your cloak to you as we took you out of the arena."

She nodded slightly. "Thank you."

Leonar glanced at Cato.  "We won't be doing that sort of training again."

He smiled despite the harsh tone.  "We don't need to.  It did what we intended, she now has access to her magic and knows what she can do."

His purple eyes turned to Amy's, dangerous and calculating.

"And it appears she can do quite a lot..."

## CHAPTER THIRTEEN:  Coriander

[Coriander represents symbolizes hidden worth]

The rest of the day was spent resting and ignoring suspicious and worried glances from the Six head Thysticals.  Even after Amy was cleared as no longer being a crazy, shadow-fuled murderous maniac, there were still some concerned looks and hushed whispers while Leonar tried to pinpoint the limits of this mimicking ability of hers'.

It had never been seen before, this specialty that she had.  Sure, there were some Thysticals that had plant-based abilities, but copying another's powers and signiture?  That was unheard of.

Amy wasn't exactly sure how to feel about it.  On one hand, it was something new and special and exciting, but on the other....

It had nearly caused her to kill a boy she hadrly knew.

She'd totally lost control of her thoughts and emotions, fueled only by a hate and darkness that wasn't her own.  It was terrifying, how easily it had overpowered her and used her, almost as though it had a mind of it's own.

She had been repeatedly assured that the boy, Cieve, was okay, being tended to by magical healers that would vanish any bruising and mend any cracked bones with a wave of their hand, but that still didn't ease the guilt.  She made a promise to herself to apologize to her fellow student in person later, it was the least she could do.

In the meantime, Leonar tried to refocus her attention on his tests.  She had already matched his magical signiture, and was now trying to copy Eirlys' water magic.  The light-haired woman had brought a bowl of water to Amy, and demonstrated her power by making it rise out of the bowl, and slowly rain back down into it.

Amy wasn't entirely sure how to copy her powers though. With Cieve, it had all been a rush of emotion and adrenaline. Now, she stared blankly at a bowl of water, trying to will it to move.

One minute went by, and nothing happened.

Two minutes.

A minute and a half.

"*Yeaaaaaah* I don't feel any change." She said with a sigh.

"Did you feel one before?  With Cieve?"

"Yeah, I did...it was like....foreign?  And wrong and kind of...it felt like I had extra magic that wasn't supposed to be there. I could feel it inside me, that's how I knew I could do all that-"  she waved her hands around vaguely, "...stuff."

"What do you think triggered it?"  Leonar asked.

She was pretty sure she knew.  "I was angry." *Understatement.*

Suddenly, something yanked at her cape, but she snatched at it just before it could be pulled off.  A cold feeling filled her as she whirled around in a fluid motion, her free hand shooting out to shield herself.

A wall of water followed it, sweeping out of the bowl and creating a glassy, liquid barrier between her and....

"Cato what are you doing?!"  Eirlys snapped. The man smiled in return.

"Testing a theory.  Her mimicry is triggered by emotional outbursts.  A bit infantile, but she should be able to harness it without needing to be pushed.  In time." He looked her over calmly. "Are you still sane?"

Amy paused, now that he wasn't trying to pull her cape off, she calmed a bit, though she was still irritated, and kept an eye on him as she returned to her seat.  "Yeah.  I'm sane."

"Good.  You're holding up the water magic well enough. If you move it, will it drop?"

She wasn't entirely sure how to 'move it', but waved a hand slowly.  The magic flowed through her, adding a certain grace to her movements that matched Eirlys'.  The shield melted into a floating stream that followed her hand, though it trembled slightly, and she wasn't sure she had a good hold on it.

"How do I keep it up?"  She quickly.  The longer she held the water in the air, the heavier and more slippery it became, even though she hadn't touched it once.

"Create a mental surface for it to lie on, from a bowl or valley in your mind and let it rest there."

Amy tried to picture a fishbowl, round and glassy, and imagined poring the floating water inside.

It followed her wishes, molding into the round shape of the bowl, but hanging in the air in reality, lighter and easier to manage.  She couldn't help but grin.  "That's how you do it?"

"It was, when I was younger and the water was heavy and unstable." The woman replied, smiling fondly at the memory.  "I use different tricks now, but that is the easiest to grasp initially."

Amy nodded.  Curiously, she decided to experiment.  Mentally, she shook the fishbowl, her hand twitching slightly along.

The water sphere shook as it should, though not quite with the force she intended.  Amy frowned curiously.  "That was weaker than I was going for."

"Try using your hands." Leonar suggested.  "Children learning to use their magic tend to use their hands to direct it easier.  Since this isn't your natural power, you might need to work from the bottom up."

She considered this a moment, and then tried lifting her hand and waving it in time to her thoughts.

The water followed her orders more precisely this time, and it seemed more like a part of her than an object she was playing with.

Amy smiled in wonder.  Her magic - her *real* magic, was beautiful. It let her see what it was like to have all sorts of powers, feel the change inside her, play with the possibilities, learn from everyone...

But it was also very dangerous. Cieve's power had taken control of her instead of the other way around. It used her and tempted her and made her do things she wished she hadn't. It was amazing, her magic, but without help, without training?

It could be deadly.

## CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Butterfly Weed

[The Butterfly Weed means "Let me go"]

Amy was released from testing a few hours later, with the knowledge that she could copy someone's specialties and signiture for as long as she was looking at them, and could keep ahold of that magic for up to a half hour after turning her gaze elsewhere.  The Six seemed amazed at this new ability and it's potential, and were already discussing the possibilities when they shoved her toward the door with a pat on the back and a suggestion to take it easy for a while.

Amy huffed, crossing her arms and stuck out her lower lip in a pout.  Sure, use her and toss her out.  Whatever.  She kind of signed up for that, but *still*.

At least she had some time to relax without the immediate threat of questioning or shadow attacks. Or someone ripping off her cape.

She fiddled with the hem between her fingers to reassure herself it was still on.

Looking around, Amy's eyes found the tunnel they'd used to get here in the distant wall.  She sort of wanted to take it back to the surface. Not that she was having second thoughts - it was a bit too late for that - but as a Summer citizen, she missed the sunlight on her skin and the warm breeze in her hair.  Underground was cool and constant, no wind or visible signs of day or night, no fields to run through or beach to sink her bare feet into.  She didn't want to leave, but she *did* want to go outside.

And really, who should stop her?  She wasn't a prisoner here, right?  She was a student, test subject, and guest, and surely she would be allowed a little fresh air...?

No one had told her otherwise, so she'd take that as a 'yes, you may go outside'.  With a smile, she made her way to the exit.

She wasn't sure why she felt nervous as she walked along the streets, not making eye-contact with any of the other Thysticals as she left.  Maybe she was still embarrassed from the incident earlier, or the lingering feeling of *you aren't supposed to be doing this*, but that wasn't going to stop her.

She was a good ways into the tunnel to the surface when she remembered the maze it had been on the way down.  Leonar had been guiding her and she had *still* felt lost on that trip.  Now she didn't have a tour guide, and as she looked over her shoulder, she realized she couldn't see the way she'd come in.

Amy's pulse spiked, but she forced herself to stay calm.  This was fine, a minor setback.  She wasn't going to die in a cave, and she was not going back now anyway. She had her mind set on sunlight and she was going to see it if she had to dig her way to the surface with her fingernails.

She could handle this.  She wasn't lost. She just didn't know yet how to get where she wanted to go.  Or how to get back to where she'd come from. But she was *not* lost.

"Relax, you have magic." She reminded herself.  Looking around, she didn't see any plants, and she didn't want to cause a cave-in by trying to grow the roots in the earth around her.  The last thing she needed was to be buried ali-

*Nope!  Not going any further with* that *thought!*

She took a steadying breath and reassessed her options. Plant magic was out. She had no one here to copy, so other Specialites were out too.

But what about the standard Thystical powers?   The ones they all shared?  Eirlys had told her about them during the tests....what were they?

"Changing your appearance and voice.....talking to and controlling animals......invisibillity.....enchanting......and......."

Her brown eyes lit up as it hit her.

"Teleportation!"

She had no clue how to do it, but she was certainly going to give it her best shot.  Besides, if Cato's logic was worth anything, life-threatening situations were the best way to unlock hidden magic, and that theory had worked well enough last time!

Well, until she almost killed someone....

But there was no one around to kill now so it would be probably fine!

With a grin, Amy took a breath, closed her eyes, and imagined herself up on the land, in the grass and sun and air and not surrounded by rock and soil.

She counted to three and opened her eyes to-

  - rock and soil.

Amy tried again, this time waving her hand and saying "Teleport," under her breath, just to give her magic the hint it obviously wasn't picking up on it's own.

Still nothing.

Amy tapped her foot impatiently, soothed slightly by the satisfying, rapid click of her shoe on a stone beneath her.  She was *not* going to call for help.  She just wasn't.

"Ugh, I wish I could just, like, walk through some magic doorway to the surface or something." She muttered. Then she blinked.

"Enchantments...."

Worth a shot!

Amy turned to the dirt wall beside her, looking at it intently.  "Listen up, soil: I want to go to the surface.  Just straight up from here will do.  So pretty please just like, zap me up there nice and gently and I'll be very appreciative." She said, feeling a bit too frustrated to be embarrassed about talking to dirt.

The dirt was unresponsive. She decided to interpret this as it being open to the idea.

"Okay, maybe magic words?  Like.....take me to the surface please?" She flashed the wall a grin.

The dirt did not grin back.

Amy glared at it, jabbing a finger at the wall.  "Listen here dirt! I - woah!"

The second her finger touched the wall, it phased through the earth into something beyond, someplace open and warm.

Amy pulled her hand back quickly, looking at the otherwise unsuspecting wall in surprise.

"Huh.  The dirt listened." She said, before hesitantly stepping through the wall, instantly greeted by warm sunlight and singing birds on the other side.

*I think I'm getting the hang of being a Thystical*