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<01/17/1972 – 11:32 | Tilsit Port, Gulop Region, Sprawn Valley>
Despite what was already on their minds, Danny couldn't help but force himself to relax a little. A sudden overcast of fast moving clouds rolled in. They were purely white and puffy, nowhere near close to creating precipitation. Each cloud was scattered apart enough to provide momentary casts of shade for the beach that went on and off as the time passed. It actually felt great since the temperature of the day was going up before then.
Only five minutes after Jane left for the research facility, it was actually Taylor's suggestion that they finally stop somewhere to eat, but instead of following her nose, Danny found Taylor searching her heart for the ice cream stand that was said to be here. It didn't take very long to locate it either.
Danny found it rather annoying to have to dig into ice cream when his stomach was already so empty; it just isn't natural to eat a desert as if it were the course of a meal. Before they even made it to the stand, Taylor gave Danny a penetrating stare that said it all. It was a demand to buy her and himself ice cream, not even a question. If he refused to pay for it, Taylor would have surely been upset...
With a slight nod unshared with Taylor, Danny found himself at the very front of the line that had yet to gather behind them. The salesman waiting at the stand greeted his customers as usual, asking if they wanted to buy a cold refreshing cone of sweet delight to compliment the dry heat of the sun. That certainly isn't how Danny would have put it, but the guy was smart for describing it that way in his very first sentence, brilliant marketing techniques that even went far enough to persuade Danny to indulge himself to get double scoops for his hand and another for Taylor's.
From the sparkle in her eyes when she took the second cone carefully from his hand, he'd think Taylor was dying all year long to have one of these. They sold plenty of ice cream in Kalamo. Even though they were right between a standard and luxurious commodity, it was never difficult to save up for one.
"He-he! Now that's more like it!" Taylor forgot to thank Danny for the treat, instead occupying her mouth with the vanilla flavored ball of sugar milk encased in cream. It has been too long since she was allowed to eat something so delicious! All of this was thanks to finally having some currency in this place.
Even though it was just a tasty sweet, Danny found it less usual to see Taylor this way. She was just so happy and blissful, enjoying herself as though everything were completely normal. Right now in this moment, Taylor was being herself before all of this crazy stuff ever happened to both of them. Before arriving to this insane land, before falling off that cruise, and probably before getting mixed up in this Banshee Empire nonsense, part of her behavior was just an act. It was moments like this one now that brought a much needed nostalgia back to them.
Danny let himself relax as a result. Taylor was too busy to talk right now, but it didn't matter. Danny just remembered where he was, on a nice and peaceful beach full of fun things. Though he felt nervous and homesick a day ago, this scenery and this moment totally blocked it all out. The sudden rush of occasional winds, the smell of the salt and sea, the shifting heat from the sun playing hide and seek with the clouds, and the noise of playful youngsters amongst the shoreline controlled his every emotion and thought. Magic, battles, even Jane was totally wiped away from his chain of thoughts. All that was left were the current surroundings.
Taylor finally regained some self-control after getting used to the tasty desert. It looked as if Danny was quite relaxed too. All they have done so far was swim, but nobody took time to enjoy what else was here.
"Dude! I told you it would be worth it!" "Ah give it a rest."
Danny and Taylor both turned slightly to the nearby group of men walking up to the ice cream counter. They were all aged between seventeen and nineteen years old by the looks of it, and still somewhat dripping from the air after what appeared to be a surfing session. Danny of course had no possible way of identifying the board they were carrying. Surfing was alien to himself and to Taylor, and Jane certainly didn't mention it. All four of them were quite buff though, obviously maintained in fitness given the constant activities they do here on the beach.
"Yeah, I'll have a single Malta." The male with brighter hair ordered something specific as though it were casual, and then turned around halfway to continue focus on their previous chatter. "Anyway, that's all that needed to be done out there today. The waves tomorrow won't be anything special."
"We know, Desmond. You already rubbed it in our faces. Let's just go find Bailey and call it a day."
Desmond, the man who ordered the caramel colored ice cream cone swiftly replied to his buddy with a hint of concern. "You're still crushing on that chick? You realize there are plenty of other fish around, right? Take that beautiful young girl there for example. I bet she's far more decent."
Desmond was actually pointing directly towards Taylor, and as a result of paying attention to the four of them directly, Taylor's surprise to the remark forced her to accidentally swallow a big chunk of the ice she still held inside, giving her a slight moment of brain freeze. They were talking about her now, knowing nothing about who she is!
Whoever the esteemed guy was, it sounded like he was having problems with another chick by the name of Bailey, but what mattered now was their sudden attention on Danny and Taylor. Danny shrugged and chose not to care a bit, already realizing they were just bored. Besides, if they walk up to them, it gives Danny an excuse to ask what that board thing is. There's a short fin on the bottom of the design, so it can't possibly be for the ground or the sand. Is that thing designed to float in water?
"Ah don't mind him," the gentleman replied. Incidentally, he walked calmly over to the two younger teens, a gesture simply designated as a greeting. As he approached, the others followed behind with the same intentions in mind. "I'm Greston." The guy gave up his name just before allowing Danny and Taylor to shake his hand. "Can't say I've seen you both around before."
"Ah-well, we're sort of new." Taylor did her best not to sound bashful. For their age, their bodies were built up well, just as their height was healthy. This actually seemed more similar to a situation back in Kalamo. Danny often had difficulty blending in with this type of crowd, even though he would try his hardest. Still, Taylor could only think in a broken loop right now, her throat tightening.
"I wasn't sure until now whether people actually live on the beach, but it seems I've learned my lesson."
What a weird thing to say! Danny's doing that thing again. Even if he does sound so calm and relaxed in talking to total strangers, he's just being awkward.
"Well it's true that people live in the houses built on the upper shoreline of the beach, but for people new to Tilsit Port, I'm a bit shocked that you knew we were permanent settlers. But that's a given. We were made to surf."
Danny momentarily ignored the unknown terminology, since he could get back to it later. "You just said you've never seen us before, so that obviously means you spend all day in Tilsit Port all the time. I can certainly see why..." Danny let an intentional pause slide by, now turning his gaze to the beach during a moment of shade. "I guess there is more to do around here than what I've heard."
"Ah, you're a city boy then? Must not be from Gross to stay away from here this long."
Finally giving his greeting, Danny decided to pursue the knowledge around the unusual board. "Name's Danny. And the one to my right is Taylor."
"Huh." Greston carefully observed the girl in front of him a second time. Taylor... She's a bit young, but no more than Bailey going by looks. Still, Taylor seems quite shy and quiet, totally opposite to Bailey. The difference is striking, and this person can rock a bikini really well! If these two are a couple, then Danny sure is lucky!
"If it's no bother," Danny started, "I'd like to know more about your water boarding events." Danny chose the words carefully. Even if his terminology was not the best choice of words, his confidence in that would make it all the more normal.
Desmond decided to answer after a short sip into his Malta. "Oh, you mean the surfing competitions? That just got wrapped up man. You'll have to wait three months before trying to enter the preliminary rounds. Surfing is no ordinary plaything though. You have to ride the waves like a pro if you're ever going to get anywhere." Desmond barely spun left and right the board in his hands.
Danny understood it now, though he felt it unbelievable that he didn't know about this sport. It's not like they have recreational beaches available in Kalamo, so this was excusable. Still, this surfing sport seemed like an entire exercise in itself, and he just spoke about riding the waves; riding on water using that primitive board must be the idea behind surfing itself. It is made for the water, and it probably functions similar to that of a skateboard. If surfing on water is like skating on land, this was something he could easily get drawn into. However, they just said that competition was over with. "I'll just have to look into it another time then."
Taylor couldn't pinpoint what she should be feeling, baring too much of a shock. Danny wasn't saying anything moronic or rash anymore. He was completing whole sentences, and without messing up any of his maturity in the process. It's the opposite of what she always saw in Kalamo with strangers like these. How is Danny doing that? He just made four potential friends on the spot!
"Aye men, just drop by the lifeguard post whenever you want to set up a surfing profile. They know us well enough, so we won't steer you wrong. You'll want the best boards available, not some cheap plywood imported from wherever."
"I'll be sure to look into that. Thanks man."
"So this is where you've been wasting time?!" Danny, Taylor, and the other four surfers all drew their focus to the sound of a high pitch annoying voice obviously from some pushy girl. The teen was no older than Taylor by the looks of it, perhaps a full inch shorter in height.
"I already told you where I would be, Bailey." Greston had to be direct, though he seemed tense at this appearance.
So this is the infamous Bailey? Danny surely wasn't impressed. If he were to go ahead and rate some of the girls on this very beach, this chick would be nowhere near first place. Jane certainly would blast her out of the water for sure. But what is she looking for now?
"You know what time it is already!" Bailey reminded. "And to think I'd find you here flirting with some other girl."
"I haven't even spoken to her yet, ya moron!"
Desmond decided to step into the argument momentarily. "You may want to watch what you accuse people of." He was directly speaking to Bailey, proving so by standing in front of Greston. "The four of us were just meeting two new arrivals here, and they were interested to learn about the living habits of Tilsit Port."
"You really think I'd buy that story?" Bailey exchanged a glare at Taylor, who wasn't hard to look at in perspective. Did Greston really think he could just replace her with a shadow substitute?
"But it is true." Danny didn't mind interjecting between them as well, giving validity to Desmond's lesson. "Taylor and I know little about Gulop. They were just explaining to us how the inhabitants of the beach live in nearby houses hiding on the upper shores to the east and west, while the people here actually make their living by finding jobs on the beach, or by traveling to Gross City during week days."
Taylor was again further impressed. Danny was being sharper today than he usually is. Not one of them actually pointed out the connection that the houses were on the east and west sections of the coast line of Tilsit Port, but in thought, it would have to be the only logical position for such living space. In further thought, Danny went out of his way to quickly analyze the situation regarding how people can afford to just live on the beach and have fun every day. They either have job positions such as lifeguard duty, building maintenance, or selling ice cream. Or, they have jobs in Gross City, and travel to and from on work days since the walk isn't that far. But to make that connection so fast, what is he trying to prove?
"That sounds like a boring conversation," Bailey taunted. "Oh well. Can't blame you for being so lame. Let's just get to my lunch-in already."
Taylor felt that something was off about miss perfect behind her, but she never realized until now that this Bailey was a total stuck-up brat! It was amazing that such refined beach lurkers would date idiots like her! Well, Greston was the only one anyway, still...
Greston remained firm in his response. "You have a lunch-in twice a week. I'm only required to cater to birthdays and anniversaries. Though I can get tired of those too, given certain circumstances."
"What circumstances?!"
It was clear as day to Danny and to Taylor that this couple had some things they needed to work out, and it may soon get loud. Danny decided to just branch off without being too rude about it. "Well, I can see you all have some things to discuss. So we'll just be going now. Come on Taylor."
Taylor didn't hesitate to turn around and walk alongside of Danny, leaving the growing argument behind them. After all, she nor Danny were part of that, but it still infuriated her to no end.
After packing enough distance to keep up a conversation without having them hear, Danny shared his thoughts with Taylor. "They sure have interesting stuff going on, and I want no part of it."
"What a terrible girlfriend," Taylor paraphrased. "That guy should have dumped her ass ages ago, in the rudest way possible!" Danny nodded with a mumbled "Hm-hmm," and let her continue. "I would never be so snooty like that no matter how much I had going for me."
Danny slowed his pace severely, causing Taylor to slow down and face him directly. With her ocean blue eyes paying attention, Danny let his thoughts out naturally. "I'm glad." With a long blink, he complimented the behavior. "Not only do you have such good manners, you're dedicated to being a good girlfriend. No doubt you'll have luck in that someday. And with all of the great dress spheres you keep picking out..." Danny stopped himself. What he was saying made sense, but why was he saying any of it?
Taylor smiled softly, after which she put her hands behind her back and slumped slightly. "Even the bikini? I'm shocked you'd want to have me keep trying on outfits, even ones like these."
Danny could easily hear and detect the teasing energy in Taylor's voice right now, but what was she trying to say? He had a few moments already today when directly facing her made him feel nervous inside, but it's only been any time during today at the beach, specifically after they had all changed into swim suits. Danny never said anything about it, so Taylor couldn't have meant that, right? "You know what I meant." Even Danny didn't know what he was talking about before, but it would deter Taylor from getting the wrong idea.
"Hey, Jane is missing all the fun." Taylor let her last words slip into the sound of a pout, and noted that she has been gone for a long time.
Danny partially regretted thinking about giving Taylor the information, especially since he had actually been having fun for the past hour, without ever using any magic too. Beaches like this should exist in Kalamo, but that will probably never happen. The thought of Jane however brought back everything regarding magic, since the two are so closely related. If Taylor misses Jane so soon already, who is he to step in the way of that? "She's still in the research institute. It's that strange looking building near the light house."
"What's she doing in there though?"
"Whatever she wants."
What an under-detailed answer. "You know what I mean," Taylor retried.
Danny at least gave into Taylor's unhealthy attachment for Jane, or rather magic. Man, what is with Jane these days? If Jane went one full day without saying the term Leray magic, or something related to such, she would probably die from detachment. "She's researching whatever she thinks is wrong with her; at least I think that is what it's about. But if you want to find her, I'll just stick around outside a bit longer. No need to rush anything."
Taylor felt uneasy all the sudden. Maybe Danny was having more fun out here than she initially thought. It's great that he finally had something he could be so attached to, especially since he still wasn't all too heavy on Leray magic. Come to think of it, he hasn't seemed this happy in any of her previous memories. All of those years just trying to fit in, but leave it to sand and water to make all the difference. "Fine, I won't take long."
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Chapter Theme Shift: Synchronous Drive ~ FFXIII-2 OST
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Minutes passed by as Jane obtained access into the research center. Not just anybody is allowed to walk right in. The staff here checks to make sure that anybody doing research remains quiet in the building and handles the equipment with care. It was annoying, but Jane got past them, having already logged into the computer network.
She sat near the far side opposite of the entrance. The facility only had one floor, but the size of the room was bigger than any major grocery store, resembling a large library. Shelves decorated sixty percent of the place, shelves all full of old books containing loads of information. Their material mostly pertained to the history of Sprawn Valley or history of specific spells, but the research institution also had computers installed and set up with the intranet, archiving everything. For a massive building with all this room built on a beach, hardly anybody was here to visit. The silence here was loud in Jane's ears. The large space somehow felt tighter and smaller than expected, though perhaps it was just the fact that nobody was around.
They don't let anyone eat in here, but Jane snuck in some of those snack bars she took from Danny. They're easy enough to open and eat without making a mess or a sound. Jane had some time to think before the system finished booting up the operating system. All of this, everything she had been going through was being messed up by this unknown curse. She thought she knew what to look for at least. The symptoms would be the best place to begin. Wherever Danny and Taylor are right now, at least they know not to worry for her. They must still be having fun on the beach, or probably stuffing their faces right about now.
Jane covered her face in agony. All of those past battles... Not only did she lose to her opponents, but they were public battles as well. One of them was recorded on SN Live network. Millions of people would be watching that channel, watching Jane's mistakes up close and personal. Instead of getting closer to her dream, the world was now judging her as a weak and sore loser. She has probably become the laughing stock of the entire Gulop region by now! Such is unavoidable.
Though, only her classmates from her training facility, as well as her other friends were the ones who knew enough about Jane to understand how tough she was in the past. Through all of that training, Jane competed with a lot of her opponents. That is to say that everybody who was near her knew and feared Jane's unstoppable skill. She was fast, well-coordinated, strong, and practically unbeatable in a battle. But what about now? Everybody will see her constant failures. What will they think then?
Jane couldn't deny how embarrassing this was for her, but at least nobody was around to judge her in the moment. It's all thanks to this stupid curse! That's all it is! Whatever magical rule or principle that is affecting her is some sort of curse, cutting her normal endurance into just a fraction of what it was. It isn't right! And I'm going to fix this! Jane had the thought in her mind, as determined as ever. Instead of proving how badly she battles over and over, might as well target the source of the problems right here. If anything can tell her what is going on, that would be the unlimited information stored in the servers of the research institute. It's a network only connected within Sprawn Valley, but that network is constantly updated with information. Anything remotely related to this land's history or Leray magic is recorded into the archives forever.
Jane took another bite out of her protein bar, typing on the keyboard with her free hand. It's a simple OS to navigate around, equipped with only one online browser. As soon as the window opened on the digital monitor, it was time to type something into the search box. But what? Jane knew where to begin, but not what questions to ask. Recap! She told herself. It may not be called a curse, so that can't be a keyword. Endurance is lowered, and permanently too. What sort of magical things can do this?
Jane decided to go with "magical influx" into the search bar. Only this term and magically induced passive abilities would score something for her. There must have been over a hundred search results. As it figured to be, the first few results were totally unrelated to anything typed. The search engine isn't that intelligent; all it does is gather any website link that contains the key words chosen. Jane scrolled down with the mouse, trying to read down the list and look for anything that might be related to her search.
The screen was lit up with answers alright, but not the right ones. The only thing that came close to the search were the descriptions of elemental abilities, the history of Leray magic's foundations, and temporary effects from magical auras and spells. Jane still clicked on a few of those links, opening new windows, but after minutes of reading, she hadn't learned of anything new. Jane sighed, wanting to give it a break already. It wasn't that long, but this searching and coming up with nothing was frustrating.
The silence near her was suddenly shattered by the whisper of her name. "Pst!" Jane looked up for the source, but it nearly made her jump. She just remembered how loud the slightest sound could be after spending enough time in the silence. To Jane's surprise, it was Taylor. She was wearing something different too. That must mean that swimming time was over.
Taylor had changed back into another one of her dress spheres, but she came to this place to check up on Jane. Danny didn't come with this time. Sure enough, Jane was doing just fine. She looked bored though, and still strikingly dusty after her last battle. Jane really didn't care about the way she looked right now. Her mercenary outfit was cool and all, but after being tossed around in the sand outside, it gave her entire body a dusty and gritty kind of appearance. "How's your research?" Taylor didn't know anything about what Jane was looking for, other than the stuff Danny told her. Danny didn't know either, but he cared to take a wild guess.
Jane responded to Taylor but with a low voice level. There wasn't a need to feel shy either. Taylor seemed like she was doing fine. Danny however was absent. "It's going to take me some time. I think we should stay here for tonight. I haven't even decided on what to do or where to go next."
Stolen story; please report.
"That makes sense." The thought put a smile on Taylor's face. Telling anybody that they can stay on a popular beach full of fun would make them happy.
"I'll show you the living quarters later. By the way, where is he?"
"Huh?" Taylor at first didn't understand. It's not every day Jane calls Danny "he," but it made sense to ask. "Danny? He's outside, flirting with the chicks." Taylor's voice changed so quickly, her tone diving straight into a sense of annoyance and pity. "He'll be fine," she added. Danny wasn't really flirting with anybody to her knowledge, but it's best that Jane thinks so for now.
Jane laughed quietly at Taylor's remark. Danny checking out the girls? It has to be driving Taylor crazy, even though she would never admit it. It wasn't surprising; that's Danny's personality to a letter. He might care about Taylor with all his heart, but even Jane has learned that he can be so dense at times too, like today apparently. Jane dropped the subject in her mind, knowing it would only antagonize Taylor further. "When I find what I'm looking for, I'll explain it to you."
Taylor didn't expect Jane to be so formal. She must be so bored. All Jane seemed interested in right now was figuring out if she really does have a disability in magic. Taylor didn't mind with the idea of staying here tonight; as long as she isn't on the move, than nothing that dangerous or stupid can be on her mind. "Come find us when it's over?"
Jane nodded, eventually coaxing Taylor to walk away out of the building. Once again, Jane was left alone to try and figure this thing out. Her last search ended in failure, and so quickly too. There has to be something affecting her, but what? The question stung in her mind like a dagger. The real question was why it was happening to her. Why? Why at the start of her journey did this curse affect her so?
Jane had to rethink her steps. What other than magical auras and infusions can change magical set parameters? In the quick moment, the answer came automatically, forcing her eyes wide open as her expression lifted. Leray spell bombs! That has to be it! Spell bombs are the most common way to change all kinds of attributes for a person during a battle. Of course that means that it must have happened during a battle somehow. Jane didn't rely all that much on spell bombs, but what if one was affecting her, in a permanent kind of way? What if...
Jane gasped aloud, "That's it!" Impossible to believe, but there wasn't any other explanation. Jane was being affected by a spell bomb, but not any kind someone could pick up from the store. The idea quickly reminded her of the incident that took place in Blue Port Town, before her training had officially been completed.
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It happened so fast yet it seemed so long ago now. Jane traveled to Blue Port Town with Danny and Taylor in tow. All they needed to do was run some errands for their teacher, Eliza, but when Jane's friends took off to explore the town, Jane stumbled across a strange man who was being pursued for a particular item, an unusual spell bomb prototype. That man gave the large orb to Jane, telling her to hide it. He said it was dangerous, even before explaining what the device actually does. He also said that the effects were permanent, but he never spoke of what those effect were. Because of the danger, he was being chased down for it, by some unusual men neither of them knew about.
Jane did a little more than hide the unknown device from everyone. After that man left to lead the pursuers away from the orb, Jane initiated an illegal Leray battle with Taylor, all for the sake of using this unknown spell bomb on herself. The next thing that happened was absolutely unbelievable. Jane never could recall the full moment, the events that happened afterwards. When she tried to use the spell bomb on herself, a gigantic holographic symbol formed in the sky. According to Taylor, the next thing that happened was - a beam of light more powerful than anything ever seen descended from the moon, after the magical spell successfully turned day into night. The moon was exposed earlier than it should have been, and from it a massive white beam of pure light slammed into the earth. The target was Jane and Jane alone.
The effects of the blast knocked her out. Jane became unconscious then, but even right before the blast, everything was a blur in her memory. After that, Danny and Taylor rushed Jane to the medical facility back in Fronas for evaluation and treatment. Still, nobody to this day knows what exactly happened out there. The spell bomb was completely consumed because it was used, but after Jane had taken that deadly hit from the sky, nothing noticeable changed. Jane remembered that she got really sick for a while afterwards. Somehow an illness blocked her from using all Leray magical abilities completely, putting her very health in jeopardy. Then one day, Jane wasn't sick anymore, and everything eventually became normal again.
Even then, Taylor was convinced that her illness back then was directly associated with whatever the unknown spell bomb did to her. It could have been anything. Jane used a dangerous spell bomb not meant to be used on anyone, and for that, she was blasted from the sky by pure moonlight. After nearly getting killed, nothing seemed to change post recovery.
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That's what she thought. The battle between Jane and Taylor wasn't really a battle. It was only a medium used to activate the spell bomb in the first place. Jane never thought about it before, but what if her endurance changes happened after that blast of energy? Sure, the curse was noticed after leaving her home town, but during training exercises, there were no actual practice battles. Even Jane's moment of evasion therapy would not count, since she never took a hit during the exercise anyway. Jane could still use her abilities after recovering, but all they did in that facility then was test their strength, their magic. Nobody thought to test their endurance. There wasn't a need to then. Because of this, Jane's endurance problem may have started much earlier than she thought. Whatever that spell bomb was, it did affect her in some undetectable way, and now Jane had to find out.
It was obvious now what to type into the search bar, legendary spell bombs. That was the closest thing she could get to right now. It was an unknown spell bomb altogether, but now that Jane understood the after effects, she could add that to the search box and cross reference the data shown. It was a worthwhile attempt. It took many refines to come up with those effects. An unknown spell bomb that for whatever reason cuts down endurance...
One result found. It was a stretch only having one result left, but Jane clicked into the link anyway, testing her luck. She could not take her eyes off the screen once the page loaded. Jane knew she was getting close after realizing what may be. The page opened up into a new window, displaying a lot of text with only a few pictures, which in the end turned out to be just drawings. As Jane read the info, she summarized it in her mind.
The page thus displayed information about something called The Aggressor Orb, otherwise known as The Amahar spell bomb. The Amahar spell bomb is a legendary type of orb, only developed once as a prototype weapon for Leray battles. The orb was said to grant the user a total overhaul in magical power and strength, but it came with a price; the user's endurance would somehow be cut into a third of what it once was. Renamed to the aggressor orb, the spell bomb became an item of conversion. Sacrificing one's defense significantly, all in the name of tripling strength and power.
As Jane continued reading what she believed was the one and only answer, there was some disturbing news. The Amahar spell bomb's effects were temporary, to be cut off soon after battling. Due to the cost and integration levels, the spell bomb in general would not be worth all the trouble only for a temporary solution to surpassing one's own power level. Thus, the development of the item was canceled over hundreds of years ago, never to be refined or produced ever again.
Jane still made a comparison. This sounded very close to what she was going through. Her defense was absolute garbage lately, even though it normally shouldn't be. It was said to triple her power as well. At first, it was hard to believe; hard to believe that Jane was fighting at triple the power she normally fights at. All of that training she had done was the reason she could use so many abilities and knock down her opponent's HP so quickly. Then again, some things otherwise defied gradual leveling. Ever since Jane recovered from that moon blast in the sky, one ability in particular had gotten a lot stronger. It made little sense to her at the time. In order to power up a Leray ability, one must use that ability in succession, over and over for many years and uses. Using an ability more times increases its potential and strength, but it takes a lot of time, practice, and training to notice this particular effect. However, when Jane uses her Shadow Wave attack now, it is much more powerful. It overcame opponent's spells, and brushed through just about anything, but Jane didn't practice the ability for more than six months. It's hard to accept, but the transition happened overnight somehow. Could it really be?
Something obviously wasn't fitting. The spell bomb that the masked man gave to Jane wasn't known. Based on the description on the web page, using it had nothing to do with lights crashing down from above, or changing the time of day from day to night. Yet the effects were somewhat similar to an Amahar spell bomb, only permanent this time. What the hell was that spell bomb she used on herself? What was it doing to her?
Jane calmed down, immediately realizing that there isn't a need to get worked up by this. It's a dead end already, but even so, what was happening to her is real after all. She had forgotten about the incident in Blue Port, or tried to anyway. Turns out that moment was key to her sudden losing streak. How to fix...
Curses! Spell bombs are most often temporary. Their effects on a person wear off after a battle, but this one was a permanent spell bomb. Permanent spell bombs carry over the effects of what they have after the battle for as long as that person lives in Sprawn Valley. That means this burden will be on her for the rest of Jane's life!
There is no way Jane was permitting that kind of thought. There has to be a way to reverse this nightmare. Something she said earlier tugged at her subconscious. How to remove a permanent spell bomb's effects... It felt to her that Jane knew this answer, like she already explained it to herself once before.
Jane gasped again, remembering in full. She made a random explanation to Danny and Taylor upon arrival at Blue Port Town; the only one way in the world to reverse the effects of a permanent spell bomb or any other aliment. That would be going to the Den of Purity. The Den of Purity is said to be a sacred place with a powerful mage living there who can reverse the effects of lingering spells such as spell bombs. Problem is, the Den of Purity lies all the way in the Outback, the most northern open and wild lands in the north corner of Junon. It's a long way there, but that's the answer! If Jane can go to the Den of Purity and reverse this cursed spell trapped to her, her battling style would become normal and great again. It isn't fair to be tossed aside in Leray battles all because of some stupid curse she didn't ask for. Despite having no full answer to what was affecting her, there was still the means of removal. "I have to go tell the others about this." Jane stood up out of her seat. Turning off the computer or logging off wasn't important right now. Finding Danny and Taylor was. She finally acquired the sufficient evidence she needed; and even if she didn't, even if there was no way to identify what spell bomb affected her that day, the Den of Purity could remove any sort of permanent spell effect from the body, no matter what. It was meant to be. After all, Jane knew her journey would one day take her deep into Junon. So why not start now?
Jane began walking towards the exit of the building, which was also attached to the entrance. Danny and Taylor would be somewhere outside, or perhaps shopping in the nearest Leray store, but she would find them for sure. She had her answer now!
Jane had to adjust to the outdoors again. All of that time researching stuff in the library and archives passed by half an hour or so. The strong winds and breezes were still at large, but it was so bright out compared to being back in that building. The sun overhead was coming much closer to setting already, proving the time spent before now was longer than what she realized, and that meant it was getting late. As soon as her eyes adjusted, Jane began looking around for her two followers.
Something else caught her eye instead. At first, it didn't seem all that important. Right where the Lighthouse entrance was, there were three guys standing just outside of the door. They were causing come kind of small commotion. At first it seemed like two of them were arguing with the one, but with little time passed, the guard let the two strangers into the entrance, all three of them wearing strange white robes that concealed their identities.
It's not like this was surprising, but one thing about this bothered Jane in particular. The lighthouse is technically a well-established communications center for Gulop to Eldora and a few other places, as it also supposedly stores sensitive data of sorts. As a result, the interior is incredibly restricted to any and all outsiders who don't work there. If it weren't for that fact and the people coming and going constantly from the only entrance to the facility, Jane would have just shrugged her shoulders. Why is this even important right now?
"What the hell?" Jane couldn't believe her eyes. She glimpsed the last person going in, who had a small glyphring charged around his wrist. Jane could barely see it at all in the brightness, and only for a split second, but that was defiantly a magical charge. This can't be right! Where's the official officer she saw before? Why are they letting wielders into a heavily restricted area where no magic is allowed? Jane knew it wasn't her business, but this all seemed too suspicious for her. She took a breath to calm herself, hoping to just be jumping to conclusions. She just got outside, so what she just saw could have been any phenomena. The guard she saw before without a robe may have just swapped shifts with this weirdo. Yeah, that's all it is.
Jane looked around again. Nobody seemed to notice that there was a real threat or commotion going on at the entrance of the lighthouse. So perhaps there wasn't anything wrong in the first place... Still, there would be plenty of time to locate those two. Unable to deter her good conscious however, she at least decided to ask about it. Jane was supposed to find Danny or Taylor, but this would only take a second, and she had the intentions of asking the guard about something to put her conspiracies to rest.
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Chapter Theme Shift: {Action 02} ~ Advanced Battlegrounds OST
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Jane approached the entrance of the lighthouse structure. She was aware of the probability that she knew less about this superstructure than she thought to initially, but this was one of those things she had to be certain of. If anything, she could ask for the direct location of the Den of Purity to cut time. By the time she walked close enough to the guard in the robe, she drew in the man's attention immediately.
The guard immediately lifted his arm in front of him as a gesture to block the girl's path. "No civilians allowed! I'll have to ask you to step away."
He's not even going to let Jane speak with him? Jane didn't find that kind of attitude interesting or surprising, but she still couldn't get one particular visual out of her head. That man who charged a glyphring around his writ just before walking inside... Could he have just been showing off? Jane suddenly felt sorry for letting her mind go in such an odd direction, her previous paranoia breaking out from her thoughts. Still, Jane remained persistent only in searching for a particular answer to explain it all. "I just wanted to know if I could work here. The other guy said I could turn in an application. Also, directions to the Den of Purity if you can." It was a weak excuse made up on the spot, but the least suspicious one at that. Let's see how this guy responds to such a mundane request.
The guard remained vigilant in keeping Jane out of the building. "He's gone home for the day. I'm afraid you'll have to turn it in tomorrow. And use a map if you want directions. Please stay at least thirty meters from this building at all times."
"Okay," Jane replied. "Sorry for the trouble." Jane turned around and shook her head in shame. She wasn't even getting the remote chance of an answer, but that specific rule was what she was hoping for. They must have just made a dress code change. Maybe the glyphring she saw was just a fluke of her imagination. After believing nothing was wrong, Jane began to walk away from the facility, back towards the beach.
"Hey! Step away from the entrance!"
Jane had only obtained two seconds free of walking back when she heard someone call out to her, but the voice was different than the last male she spoke to. Jane only needed to glance to her left slightly to see another adult speed walking towards the lighthouse, holding a blaster weapon in his hand. Noticing the weapon, Jane drew her daggers immediately, trying to figure out what was going on.
"I'll have to ask you to come with me!"
It was in that moment based on the direction the agent was facing when Jane realized that the newcomer wasn't addressing her, but the guard standing in front of the entrance of the lighthouse. Jane wouldn't have recognized the man as an agent without that very specific standard issue energy blaster given to all Leray agents in training. She had seen Kain's once before after he was promoted. But if this is one of the beach's agents, who was the guy she spoke to a few seconds ago?
"No deal!" The guy in a white robe lifted his hand high in the air, activating an unfamiliar magical aura surrounding his entire wrist. Jane watched the whole thing unfold while the confrontation grew heavier. In almost no time flat, the activation of energy created an unusual teleportation symbol on the ground right under where the agent was walking, and his entire body just disappeared almost as instantly, along with that same symbol. The mage just made the agent disappear in a single spell, teleporting the person away.
Jane was at first surprised, not realizing that a teleportation spell could work on other people that way. Then the truth came to her senses. This guy, the man calling himself the guard of the lighthouse tower wasn't supposed to know teleportation symbols, let alone use them on other people approaching him. Even then, why defy one of the agents directly? No, this isn't right! It doesn't take a genius to realize that the lighthouse is being invaded by unauthorized people. Somehow this was happening without any public knowledge; it's a sneak attack at its finest.
"Hey you!" The mage in the robe pointed to Jane, who waited for her to point to herself for confirmation. "Get your ass over here and stay quiet. If you don't comply, you will be harmed!"
Jane felt all of her nerves trembling with the proof spread out before her. This is actually happening! The guy is a criminal, apparent now by his shift in decision and attitude. First he tried to deter her away from the truth, but after realizing that Jane witnessed that teleportation trick with an official port agent, they both knew that Jane learned too much. He won't let her go now.
"I said get over here! I will kill you if you don't comply!"
Jane knew that the man's yelling voice wouldn't be close to enough to draw unnecessary attention to this location given all the other noise to the west and the absence of other civilians nearby. The situation quickly devolved anyway. By the time the fake guard lifted his hand with a red glyphring surrounding his wrist, Jane knew she was about to be attacked.
The mage launched a Fire Ball attack, disregarding the possible attention the light from the effect could draw. Jane immediately reacted as quickly as she could to the growing threat, activating a blue glyphring around her wrist and shooting an Ice Bolt spell from the center, aimed at the oncoming projectile. In less than a second of time, both particles in the air collided with each other, canceling the effects out without one overpowering the other. Jane didn't even realize that she countered the man's spell without thinking; it was just a defensive automatic reaction to save her from potential damage. This was all the proof she needed. She was just now attacked by a malicious mage, something a guard or a Leray Agent would never do!
Realizing that the girl was a magic user herself who had also just resisted his every command, the criminal swerved his entire arm around to stretch, preparing to get physical. "That's it. You know too much already, and now you're worm food. Come here girl!"
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Chapter Theme Shift: Battle of BRS ~ Ryo (纯音乐)
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The man with a glowing magical aura started approaching Jane on foot, which caused Jane to back step slightly. Normally, she would just draw her daggers and fight back, but the instant memory of her cursed magic effects still haunted her even in this moment. If she went up against a powerful criminal with her endurance being throttled so low, it could lead to things worse than passing out. The very thought of it had Jane trembling in panic. There wasn't anything else to do but run away. Danny and Taylor aren't in her sights, and neither are any official Leray agents. The last one could end up anywhere after being teleported away like that.
In one swift motion, Jane shrieked her voice and dashed off to the west to try and escape, realizing that this only made the guy after her try to keep up with her pace, desiring to capture her and keep his activities quiet.
Very shortly after both of them took off in a spring, the mage behind Jane launched another magical attack so quickly, and Jane was forced to turn around and stop momentarily to defend herself. "Whirlwind!" The guy shouted the spell name at the top of his voice, unleashing Leray magic to generate a powerful force of swirling wind elemental magic that would damage and cut Jane up if it swallowed her. The visible tornado quickly zoomed in on Jane's physical location, but she already charged up some of her energy as well.
"Earth Glave!" Jane's brown glowing hands allowed her stored energy to release magic of her own, causing the sand in the ground to shoot up with boulders. Because of the sand's light weight, it wasn't enough to stop the movement of the Whirlwind, only enough to slow it down with the weight and gravity of adding shooting boulders to the mix. In failing to dissipate the enemy spell, Jane turned around again to get as far away as possible, plotting where she could possibly go or hide from here!
"Come back here!" The mage charged on foot towards Jane, dispersing his own Whirlwind since it wasn't going to be half as quick as the brat could run. He was speedy on foot too, keeping up in distance to the troubled girl. It would be too troublesome should she escape into the crowd, or find a Leray agent capable of interrupting his task. He was supposed to be guarding the entrance to the facility during the operation, but at least this way, he could become a diversion to buy more time.
Danger! This guy is danger! There wasn't any more time to think about it. Jane sped her pace up further by going into a full sprint, nearly panicked herself into a heart attack when an Ice Bolt and Electro-Ball projectile whizzed right by the side of her face, missing her by an inch or less. Jane kept running; it was all she knew she could do. To her left were just more structures, but this guy wanted her on a platter. Jane knew she wouldn't win against someone alone, not with her current luck. To her right, the only accessible area was one of the open docks. Though it seemed prone to trap someone there, there were two small boats stationed behind one of the smaller ledges, the vessels one large and one small. It's not a great idea, but right now, Jane had no choice being so far from the unaware populous.
Jane shifted in her feet to change her direction, almost slipping her shoes into the sand. She didn't even keep her eyes behind her, afraid of what that may reveal. As she dashed ever closer to the docks, she made out at least one person there, but he was obviously one of the sailors or maintenance crew working on the boats. He couldn't help her if she wanted him to. Now that she was going this way, the only remaining path to get out of here were the open waters ahead.
Jane wanted to scream in front of her, instructing the guy to start the boat, but she knew it wouldn't work. She would have to borrow one of these things momentarily. As for the enemy behind her... Jane risked a glance to her rear, realizing that the hostile mage caught up to her a bit more than before. He would be on top of her before she could even climb inside one of those water vehicles. "Stop it!" Since she was already about to step onto the wooden bridge connecting the sand to the docking station of the vehicles, Jane decided to try one more trick right before crossing over, turning around and slowing her pace to give her focus while more MP energy channeled from her hands. "Fire Wall!"
Jane unleashed another magical spell right as she waved her arm from right to left. The ground two feet in front of her suddenly ignited into a high wall of magical fire that burned heat in all directions that could be felt as soon as the spell cast began. The wall of fire spanned a length left to right by a massive radius of thirty meters, and it worked really well to force her follower to stop dead in his tracks. It would defiantly hurt him and slow him down just to walk through the flames, but the light from the massive fire wall suddenly existing also attracted a ton of attention from the people all around her. Jane could see the less detailed faces now directed towards her from the beach, while the sailor behind her began cursing to figure out what the commotion was about.
"What are you doing? Nobody's allowed to battle on the docks!"
Satisfied for the moment, Jane turned around again towards the open ocean, and dashed for one of the smaller units since it would be faster to start up. The boat in front of her was built more like a small raft, the material made of ordinary steal surrounded underneath by rubber supports and a small motor attached to the back of the ride to provide electrical energy and speed powered by the battery units. It would have to do for now, since Jane's Fire Wall spell would fade away in the next two seconds.
"Stop! You can't climb in there!"
Jane glanced behind her after climbing into the vehicle to see that the guy in charge of the docks was approaching her, obviously unaware of the real danger behind him. Even if he does think Jane is stealing a raft, it didn't matter now, since the Fire Wall suddenly stopped. The mage was still waiting to get closer.
Jane focused on getting the hell out of here, the further the better. By unhooking the line that connected the back of the vessel to the docking port, she would be able to leave. She then rushed to the front control panel that powers and navigates the entire ship, pressing on the ignition switch to power the entire machine. The roar of the sputtering engine came to life, blowing low bass noise back behind her. Jane still didn't understand any of the other controls or switches on the panel, since she never had to drive these things before, but the lever in front of her was the obvious thrust mechanism, and she went for that first before it was too late. Luckily for her, the boat's gear was already set into drive and not neutral. By slamming the lever down in forward position all the way, the speedy vessel spun the motor behind Jane and propelled the metal through the water at an intense speed of acceleration. This put her out of immediate danger, as she was now too far from the docks for anyone to jump in and commandeer her newly claimed vessel.
The moment playing out before her was unbelievable, everything happening so fast. The force of acceleration against Jane made it difficult to stand and keep her balance, but Jane couldn't think about anything else. All she had to do was to get away. Get away as fast as she possibly can! Now the motorized vehicle was doing its job. The engine became louder, and the boat tilted backwards as the propeller below pushed it forward further out to sea. Jane glanced behind her again.
There he was, the man who violently attacked her in the middle of daylight as if he was perfectly allowed to harm anyone. He stood at the edge of the pier staring her down in defeat, but he wasn't doing anything about it. He could have taken another clear shot, disable the vehicle and try to sink Jane in it. But he did nothing instead, standing beside the sailor who was already in shock. It allowed the guy to remain inconspicuous even as he was. Is he trying to remain covert at the same time, or pretend like Jane herself was the wrongdoer? Whatever the case was now, she had just stolen a small ship. It's only sizable to fit maybe four or five people on board, but it still seemed expensive based on the digital equipment the vessel packed.
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Chapter Theme Shift: Oath Brand ~ FFXIII-2
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As Jane kept soaring far away from the beach at top speed, she realized something. The immediate danger was now over with. For some reason, her attacker wasn't doing anything now. What was he up to though? It was enough to get her into some kind of trouble. That guy's reputation is still technically clear, and as far as the port guards are concerned, he could have just claimed to have been chasing a known thief. Jane realized she could return back to shore soon, but then what? What if that man is still pretending to work there? He could now make up any terrible story he wanted to regarding Jane, make it seem like she was a crazy thief that must be stopped. What about Danny and Taylor? Where were they in all of this? Oh, what did it matter? Jane's broken endurance would keep her at a disadvantage in any situation, even for an emergency moment.
*Beep! Beep!*
Jane was drawn to the control panel behind her after it just made noise. Lights were flashing in places they were not before, and the boat's motor was also slowing down, letting off on the gas automatically. Something had just gone wrong. Jane tried to take a closer look, but it was no use. So many buttons, lights, controls... She never drove a vehicle like this before, let alone learned what all of this means. Most sea vessels these days are computerized, designed to make maintaining the system easier and detect early on problems.
Jane had no intention of stealing this thing. She wanted to give it back, the sooner the better. The only other way to steer this boat is to use one of the more easily understood controls. The panel seems to allow control over manual steering through the left and right arrows and their power levels. Jane tried touching them, but they weren't responding. Were they even buttons? "What's wrong with this thing?" she panicked. The ship navigations were out of control, and the beeping lights were indication of some kind of technical problem.
The controls were not responding to a single thing Jane was doing. The lever that controls the speed and power of the primary motor was not very responsive either, now that she experimented with that mechanism. It didn't change except for turning off at zero percent power. Jane cranked it up again, but the engine was barely making any noise. It seemed to keep on propelling forward, but at a very slow speed. At that, the vessel was just drifting on the water. Where's a lifeguard when you need one?
Jane turned around again, noticing how far away the shore of the beach was getting from her position. Her boat traveled so far in just short of time, and now she couldn't even control the thing. "Hey!" Jane jumped up and waved both of her arms high into the air. "Need help!" There was no way anybody would hear her this far away, but maybe that commotion got people's attention. Jane suddenly lost her balance with a few rocks and bumps in the water, falling down on her butt. The motor finally came to a full stop, and the boat was somehow steering on its own. Jane didn't understand, and tried to mess with the controls again. That's when the whole board lit up, shooting sparks and blowing fuses left and right. Was this thing down for maintenance or something? The brightness of the sparks exploding in front of her forced Jane to shield her face in the scare. It lasted for a long time too, until one final blast to the circuit board lit up the area entirely.
Unbelievable! The board blew all its fuses - right in front of her! If there was any hope of controlling this thing, it was all gone now. Jane sat down, afraid and defeated by this tragedy. Her boat might not be driving itself forward, but she was still moving. The currents out here were finally strong enough to cause the thing to steer all on its own, and rock through the upsetting waves. She knew already that Jane had accidentally piloted the vessel far past the buoys of warning, which means the oceanic waves and currents here will affect the area now. Jane was drifting further away from the beach, and she knew it as well. And why? All in a panic to run, because she was just too weak to fend for herself in a single battle.
Minutes passed silently. The thought of Danny and Taylor went into her mind. Wonder what they are thinking after witnessing a scene like that. Were they even aware of what just happened to her? Someone was taking over the lighthouse, and someone wanted her silenced now. Did she witness something nobody was supposed to? "What happened back there?!" She flustered.
Jane crouched down, holding her knees in fear. She was all on her own right now, on a drifting hunk of junk that doesn't even have any control of itself. What were they thinking? What was she thinking before, taking off on a boat like this? She should have just ran to the nearest lifeguard and asked for help... But no. That wouldn't work. Lifeguards are not trained Leray guardians. They can't fend for themselves either with regards to Leray magic.
Great! Stuck out at sea and hopeless. This was all because Jane was a coward for one moment... No. Jane realized something. She had just learned about the nature of her most recent troubles, the reason she was so physically weak in battle. It was all thanks to this stupid curse. Now it made her weak when it counts the most, and that is why she ran away. If she had not been afflicted with this nonsense, things would have gone better than they did back then. Now she's lost. Where will the ocean try to take her?
The silence grew, the sea expanding. For as crazy as it seemed, the shore became completely invisible as a light fog roamed inward from the sky. The winds were picking up as well, bringing about much cooler air than before. Even if her boat does return to land, there are only two places it can take her. Back to Tilsit Dock, or if luck is ever on her side, all the way to Monoc Port, east from here. In this fog, east could be anywhere, and if her vessel crashed on one of the uninhabitable islands, it's game over. If she drifts into the internal barrier, the rocks will destroy the hull if she drifts too fast.
Jane curiously pulled out her map of Sprawn Valley again, studying the layouts of the Junon region. It was actually close to Tilsit Port, only accessible by means of transportation similar to her own, but she would have to drift there. Luckily, the currents in this place favor heading east during night time. It wasn't that time of day now, but it will be soon...
"Junon." Jane repeated. There, she will be able to get off at Monoc Port, and travel all the way to the Outback wild lands. If she can make it there and reverse her cursed spell bomb, she will become strong and healthy again. In doing so, she could find Danny and Taylor once again, and take care of her problems without any fear. They are not going to like that plan though. Jane knows it. If she could make it to Monoc Port alive, then she could legally take transportation there back to Tilsit Beach, finding Taylor and Danny as well, but if she goes back before resolving the endurance problem, there's no telling what she might run into. That evil man could have captured them, attacking everyone on the beach. Or maybe he had cleverly ruined her entire reputation, set up a trap just for her should she return there now.
No, that isn't like either of them. Danny and Taylor are stronger than that, strong enough not to let themselves be used like some tool, or convinced that Jane is some evil thief who made that commotion on the beach. They certainly would never let themselves get captured or injured in whatever that mess was back there. In fact, if she were to stay here in Junon just for a while, Danny and Taylor would follow in her footsteps without hesitation. Even without needing a single hint, they can find her there. ProCom news is sure to report this eventually, and that will allow Jane to decide on what to do.
"It's decided then," Jane agreed. I'll go to Junon, since I have no choice. If the news at Monoc Port reports one single casualty without revealing identities, I'll have to return to Tilsit to make sure they're okay. But if no injuries are reported, it means Danny and Taylor made it out safe, and I won't have to worry about them. Still, I need to make it to the Outback swiftly. Without going there, I'll be at a severe disadvantage. But once I'm done there, I'll find those two. Something's happening in Sprawn Valley, and I can't handle it in this state. They'll have to get over it when we meet again.