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<03/15/1972 – 14:33 | Manhattan, New York, United States>

Nyar wasn't giving up in his silence during the car ride back home. The drive there was awkward in total, but he and the others all knew what was to come upon entering that front door again. Danny had his arms crossed over his chest, not glancing over at Nyar even once. Jane avoided eye contact as well, but even if this has depressed all of them, it's better they learn the truth.

Nyar thus waited until he was the last one inside of the house, shutting and locking the door behind him to continue the conversation he left off on, this time with somebody more important. Danny and Taylor let themselves in without a direct destination to head to, and Danny was already pacing around in the living room. "Okay. Family meeting time right now."

Danny stomped in Nyar's direction to hold his position and get everything off his chest. "Let's just cut right to the matter." Danny felt so pumped and heated, but Nyar wasn't out of the blame yet. He pointed to his uncle for clarification. "You're the one who thinks people from Sprawn Valley are tainted somehow; that if anyone uses magic for any reason, they're a disgrace to society!"

Nyar figured Danny would still be this upset, but he has yet to crystallize everything Nyar was trying to explain earlier. This was his chance to put everything into perspective. "People who use magic as a replacement for their entire life span; their whole reality is misguided. That's what I know."

Shaking his head in disapproval, Danny continued his disagreement standing in place, while Jane and Taylor bobbed their heads between whoever was talking, paying such close attention. "You know, I was able to get over this only because you kept your mouth shut. Both my mom and my dad have already learned that lesson."

"Am I not supposed to speak what I believe boy?"

"You don't get to push your way into other people's business and tell them they're entire life choice is forfeit! Jane practices magic because she loves it. It's her decision! And you will accept that!"

Nyar sighed, realizing that Danny was far beyond any sense of recovery. His feelings are too mixed up. He cares far too much about Jane's life, and who knows why? "What about your life choices, hm? Do you have plans to do the same, to head into Sprawn Valley and drown in that illusion?"

Danny packed two steps forward, lowering his voice while firm. "I don't know what I want to do with my life just yet, but I have the freedom to decide whatever I want. If I really wanted to, I could go back into Sprawn Valley right now, and become a lifetime Leray wielder. And what if I do? You're saying that you would hate me for making that choice?"

"I never implied that I hate people who chose magic as their life style."

"Tch! Could have fooled me!"

"Think back by a few weeks," Nyar ordered. "To all three of you, when you arrived in America, you hardly knew where and what everything was. Nobody is blaming you for that. But even as you are new to the outside world, you are also new to the way the world is supposed to work. Making a living for yourself requires personal and economical responsibility."

"Did you forget that I've been working my legs off at that Laundromat?"

"You know I haven't. But this news should apply to all three of you, and nobody wants to understand the possibility that I've seen firsthand."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Danny wished Nyar would just be clearer. Whatever message he wants to get out, nothing has changed.

"Look at it from my perspective. I see kids growing up in Sprawn Valley, having fun with their magic battles. Hell, even adults do it too. At first glance, there is nothing wrong with that. But then take all of that magic and fun away, and what are you left with?"

"A place that sucks from here to hell."

"I see it must be a shock," Nyar explained, "to see that the outer worlds run things differently. Life is hard out here, and I'm not saying that I very much enjoy that difficulty. But think about how incompatible the people in Sprawn Valley become, when faced with the reality that they need to grow up, get a job, make a living for themself, and accepting all of that responsibility all while learning everything. In Sprawn Valley, that sort of life lesson is totally bypassed, all because they have magic to fall back on."

"And that's supposed to be such a bad thing?" Jane drew attention to herself by popping the question between their argument, but it was worth finding out what Nyar really thought about it. Is living life with magic really such a bad thing because it's different from the outer worlds?

Nyar didn't care whom he answered to, since all three of them are right here. "I don't want anyone to travel outside of their comfortable home, unprepared for how differently things are. You can't just waltz into another country and assume the rules are all still the same. Sometimes I tremble to imagine what would happen if all the magic in Sprawn Valley one day vanished, the chaos and anarchy that would follow."

Jane didn't have a response, not that she needed one. Danny was still upset by this though. Nyar really is a piece of work. Who here ever said the rules were all the same? This was made clear from day one! "Well you certainly painted the picture out here that you wanted to. You think Sprawn Valley is such a horrible place, but the way I hear and see it, especially coming from you, America sucks a whole lot worse. Kalamo too. All of them!"

"You know," Nyar reminded himself and his nephew of the moment where times were different, "if you and Taylor had remained on the Tidal Max during its entire cruise, if you both arrived without learning about the secrets of Leray magic and Sprawn Valley's practices, I know for a fact that you both would have been able to adapt to this place easily. You might have even been happier with the way things go here, and dare I say, more motivated to make something of yourselves in the world. But ever since you involved yourselves with that magic, I can see that you've come too close to its influence. Your minds have been poisoned by this idea that a place like Sprawn Valley could really ever make someone happy. Even if it could, do you really think such strong peace would last forever?"

"What did you just say?"

"Tell me!" Nyar barked to Danny. "Tell me that everything in Sprawn Valley is perfectly fine; that there are no criminal organizations threatening the lives of their own people. Tell me that there aren't dangerous conspiracies lurking beneath the cover-ups of their own council. Tell me, that there is absolute certainty that nobody, even under perfectly normal circumstances, are unable to die under the protection of the veil."

Danny knew none of those hopes were true, but it was almost threatening seeing Nyar's face and his voice shifting in tone. His eyes were becoming glossier, and his arms and legs were stiffening with anger. "You really don't believe that the people in Sprawn Valley are totally unaware of what's going on?" Danny remembered everything from the beginning of his adventure in Fronas, where there would be at least some cause of concern. "I'll admit," Danny allowed. "I have met a few people who don't realize the possible dangers that magic can't save them from. But I've also met people who learn magic, including myself, specifically for self-defense. We can adapt magical power to ourselves in Sprawn Valley to help each other out. And if it comes to that, fight for our lives, even against those who try illegal dark magic. It never was a perfect system Nyar."

So he knows and admits to such contradictions! But being brave doesn't solve anything. "I'm actually proud that you decided to learn magic only for that reason Danny. You had every right to realize any potential danger in that zone."

"Oh, shut up!"

Nyar didn't hesitate for a moment. One way or another, Danny of all three of them must understand the truth. "But do you honestly believe for a moment that you were somehow invulnerable to danger because of those skills?"

Danny threw his arm aside his chest, casting Nyar's assumption aside. "What difference does it make?!" The guy doesn't understand a fraction of what it's been like. "You really have no idea what the three of us have been through. I never got around to finding the time to explain it to you. I figured you didn't want to know."

"We already spoke about—"

"No, we did not! I never told you how much danger we were in from time to time. My skills and powers grew with practice, but if left by myself, I would have been injured or worse against such dangerous and convoluted people. Hell, Jane would have too if she were by herself, but the three of us stuck together, and it made us that much stronger." Danny saw Nyar giving him that look of dismay again. "It might not be pretty, but the people there will stick up for themselves, and risk their lives for other people. I don't care if that mentality is dangerous or not."

"Well you should."

"What are you saying Nyar? That it would have been better to surrender our lives to those assholes who tried to ambush us? To just let the Scarlet Cult get away with whatever they wanted to?"

"It's not your job to play a hero of foreign countries!" Nyar was shouting, but he didn't care how it might sound. "The Leray agents are there to protect their own people, and this includes investigative teams, gradyents, or elites on assignment! The champion himself is supposed to clean up those messes, not leave it to their own citizens!"

Jane didn't want to get in between Danny or Nyar. With what he just said, Nyar sort of had a point. But even right now, Danton and his team are perfectly aware of the situation, and they aren't having the easiest time dealing with it. More importantly, how does Nyar know about Leray gradyents and elite assignments?

"I disagree," Danny defended. "It's the job of every single person who embraces Leray magic, to protect what it means and what it stands for. Sometimes it takes more than the force in uniform to handle something as big as national threats."

Stolen novel; please report.

Nyar held his head in distress. "I can't believe what I'm hearing. It's like you think you're all real soldiers, even right here where your powers don't exist."

"You want to say that again?" Danny turned his threatening attitude into action, by picking up one of the thirty-pound weights he left in the living room from Nyar's gym equipment last night. When Danny lifted the weight, he held it eye-level to himself using only the muscular strength in his right arm. When he spoke, his voice wasn't stressed by the usual force it would need to hold a heavy device for a period of time. "Is this not supposed to be real?"

"What? You've been benching some more weights?"

"Not at all," Danny explained. "The average sword weapon you can find in Sprawn Valley is actually right around twenty pounds. To a total newbie, that's quite heavy... But given enough practice and training, this small thirty pound weight feels right at home with me, maybe on the lighter side."

Nyar shook his head in disbelief. "So you can lift more by swinging a sword."

"Among other things," Danny clarified. "I might not be able to use magic powers while I'm here, but all of my other skills, my training, my reflexes, they all stay with us even after we leave Sprawn Valley. And you know what, Jane might not look it, but I bet she could beat up three heavy dudes unarmed all by herself. She's fast, she's built up muscle, and nowhere can you call that an illusion of power."

"Danny, you—"

"No!" he stopped. "You listen to me! None of us has shown arrogance to the difference between New York and Sprawn Valley. None of us has denied taking responsibility for anything. If Jane wants to live as a Leray wielder, it's her call to make. Same goes for myself and Taylor. We've all been involved in things I never thought were possible. But now that we are, I won't abandon doing the right thing for the people I care about! And for what? Because you're scared it could be dangerous?"

"It is dangerous!"

"And I don't care," Danny rebuttaled. "Taking more precautions is one thing, but I won't turn my back on people who might need me, nor will I turn my back on what I really want to do. My freedom!"

Nyar shifted his attention to Taylor, who has been dormant in this argument the entire time. "And what do you think Taylor? What do you say to your boyfriend, who wants to willingly risk his life to solve other people's problems, friend or not? Are you okay if something happens to him?"

"I wouldn't let anything happen to Danny."

"That's not an answer," he warned.

"You know what I think?" Taylor heard enough already. Nyar had some interesting ideas about Sprawn Valley. It was at least made clearer to why he doesn't care for Leray magic at all. It's not about hating Leray magic; people really are afraid of the practice, not even the substance itself. "I think you've done a lot of hard work and planning to make a living for yourself out here, and I get it. People who use magic for a living don't work in the same thing; they don't have the exact same hardships that you have. But instead of simply being proud of what you've made for yourself here, you've let all of that hatred melt you mind instead." Nyar was about to speak and argue again, but Taylor lifted her forehand flat, allowing her to continue. "You already know that Danny and I got into tight spots in Sprawn Valley, and it was dangerous. But fighting for the right thing and risking our lives isn't an easy thing to do on its own. It's a different life style, but it isn't wrong just because we went to a different school, or learned different things."

"None of you understa—"

"Enough of your crap!" Danny interrupted. How could Nyar really stand here and go on after being talked down to by someone a fourth of his own age? "Taylor's right. You're stressful job or whatever it is that you do has blinded you to what's real and what's not. Or maybe you're just jealous that life is simpler in other places."

"As if," Nyar denied. He faced towards Taylor again, prepared to analyze her situation more closely and openly. "And I never expected someone in your position to understand. It makes perfect sense that you'd cling to Leray magic and Sprawn Valley with everything you have."

"It does?" Taylor tested.

"Well, with you being a Banshee to be and everything,"

"Enough Nyar!"

Nyar didn't take Danny's warning considerably. This is the truth after all. "It would be the perfect get-away. Why mock the only place in the world that might actually accept you for who you are?"

"I said enough!"

"See what I mean? Circumstance excuses everything. You just better hope that Sprawn Valley lasts long enough for you to avoid getting captured by the Banshee Empire."

Danny stepped between Nyar and Taylor, and took a defensive stance. How dare he bring up the Banshee situation in such a demining way! "Screw you Nyar! You... You'll burn before I ever let you threaten any of us again!" Danny lifted his right arm with his hand open, aimed at Nyar's face. And in his fit of anger, there wasn't anything else to think about. "Fire Bolt!" Though Danny expected nothing other than a red glyphring to suddenly surround his wrist and launch a sphere of fire energy from the center of the ring out from his open palm, the situation was met with awkward silence and pause. Taylor and Jane raised their eyebrows in surprise. Nyar just kept his disapproving look, and Danny was left to come back to the surrounding reality, remembering that no matter how badly he wanted to make Nyar pay, his efforts were thwarted by the lack of a veil, the lack of Leray magic. In a defeating realization, he lowered his arm, unable to think of some other way to make Nyar leave all of them alone.

"I'm very disappointed in you Danny." He actually tried to use magic against him! "You've only proven my point. You've forgotten what differences are between this world and the last, all because you rely on Leray magic too much to help fight for you."

"Fine then!" Danny leapt forward to throw a solid punch at Nyar's face, since that doesn't rely on magic, but Danny had a few problems trying. The fact that Nyar was taller by a whole foot did not help reaching as easy.

Nyar was of course prepared to see something like this coming. He narrowly dodged to the side without shifting his legs, and grasped Danny's slinging arm, only to take Danny for a throw over his shoulder. The slam to the ground was loud and likely hurt, but Danny was still struggling to get back up and try again, totally unfazed by the pain it could have caused.

"Come on," Jane begged.

Taylor as well didn't want either of them fighting like this, as dangerous as it was. "You guys, stop this!"

Danny managed to get back up, with Nyar holding Danny's arms slightly in an attempt to block any more incoming punches. Instead, Danny turned around swiftly, letting the back of his elbow drill through the air behind him. Danny didn't see it directly, but felt the force of impact with his elbow to some part of Nyar's body. When Nyar's arms let him go, he realized it was a direct hit to the face, hopefully on his nose.

Nyar stumbled backwards without dropping, and studied his face with his hand to sense the damages. Danny's elbow jab hurt like hell, right on his left cheekbone, barely grazing his nose. Before he could think to do anything else, Nyar's pager began beeping on and off. It was enough to stop Danny from coming at him. Nyar was curious too, since he was scheduled to have the whole day off. Nyar pointed down at Danny with his command. "Stay put, and don't move!" After reading the pager, Nyar picked up his personal cellphone, dialing the number to his office place. Right now isn't the time to come in and work a case.

After getting an answer on the phone, Nyar was allowed to talk out whatever was going on without further interruption, but their eyes glared at him with anger and vengeance. "I thought we had discussed that today was off limits... I don't care who called out! Didn't you try the others?" Nyar had to put up with this moron's explanation as usual, but this was ridiculous. "You've gotta be kidding me... Adrien? You owe me a special drink after this. And you're coming this time, understood? Good! I'll be right there."

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Chapter Theme Shift: Aerial Drift ~ Tigerforest

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Danny judged the situation as it was quickly while Nyar hung up in shame. "Can't even stick around long enough for me to kick your ass."

"We'll have plenty of time to kick each other's asses later." At least they were all capable of sitting tight and keeping out of trouble. "I want all three of you to stay put in the house until I get back. Same rules as usual. Is that understood?"

Despite a delay for answer, Taylor just let everything move on. "Sure, whatever." It was good enough for Nyar to leave. Even after he went out the door, Danny looked like he was going to kill him, but Taylor couldn't blame him for that anymore. Who knew Nyar was going to be such a pain?

Jane sighed that it was over, but nobody really made a lot of sense while screaming at each other. "I'm really surprised you thought Fire Bolt would work out here," she judged. "But I guess it doesn't matter either way. Nobody seems to accept magic these days." Jane slumped into the dining room chair, but her moping drew Danny and Taylor closer to her with their reassurances. They can't even just let her have her own thoughts about it all. As rude as Nyar is, magic really is a type of illusion, in its own way.

Danny knew Jane was still recovering from Nyar's toxic advice. Who knows how long he has been trying to convert her? If he did succeed, Jane would be nothing but a depressed failure. Why turn her into that Nyar? Why?! "Jane. You know that isn't true."

"When I got excited teaching you two everything I knew, I was deceived into thinking you both actually loved magic. And I was mostly wrong."

"Well sure," Danny explained. "I wanted to learn for defense, and to protect Taylor. She wanted to learn to protect her facade and appear as normal out there as possible. But my reason for embracing magic has changed."

Jane let Danny speak, studying his expression. It wasn't a surprise that they were both trying their hardest to cheer her up, but everything they've ever done is stood up for Leray magic. She never really knew why though.

"Like it or not, magic is part of this world. It's not an illusion, even if Sprawn Valley is the only place it can exist in. Everything we all went through in that place was completely real. Everything we've been through is important!"

He really means that, and Taylor appears to be happy with that explanation too. She's smiling on it right now, standing next to Danny, wrapping her arm in between his own... Right, they're a fully-fledged couple now.

"And living your life as a Leray wielder, or rather a Leray master; that's totally inspiring to me. If I have to risk my life to help a friend get the freedom to do just that, I'll help you out any day."

"Thanks you two." There he goes again, trying to bring JDT back together. Maybe that's not such a bad idea. Jane didn't want to ask Danny to return to Sprawn Valley, because he would be missing his parents... But it's possible that Danny would chose that on his own free will, asked or not. As for Taylor, it would go without saying how beneficial it would be for her to go to the same place. Let's face it; these two are inseparable. "I wish everyone wasn't so scared of Leray magic. If that were true, people like Nyar would be different."

"Most people anyway," Danny replied. He soon differed his attention to a side thought, his expression showing as much. "You know what; I used to think that Nyar hated magic simply because he was afraid of it."

"And now he's not afraid?" Taylor didn't believe Nyar changed at all from that argument, but Danny might mean something else.

"I doubt he ever was. He's missing the entire purpose of Leray magic in whole. Lots of people are both afraid and ignorant of magic, but for one reason or the other. I don't think magic scares that guy. I just can't convince him what magic is really about anyway."

"And what is it about?"

Danny felt a slight tickle from Jane's question. Her tone was happier yet pungent, trying to put him on the spot, though there wasn't a reason he wouldn't understand it. "Leray magic, though initially designed to have fun with Leray battles, it symbolizes so much more now. It's more than just a life style. It represents freedom for those who don't have it, a sport like no other, exercising the body and mind. Leray magic is so much more, and I think there are so many possibilities for what it can be used to do. For the three of us, it's our real freedom."

"You sound like you're getting interested in becoming a life-time Leray wielder," Jane pointed out.

"There's many more options than being a Leray wielder." With her attention again, Danny elaborated on his earlier statement. "There are Leray scientists, Leray inventors, Leray agents, Leray gradyents, Leray teachers, Leray archeologists, and I'm sure I could think of a few more. I might even come up with something new related to the field."

"If only you could also be a Leray scientist on symbology."

"No need to worry about all that." Danny knew he was right to sound confident. One day, he knew he would return to Sprawn Valley again, but before he does, Jane needs to know one thing. "There might be people that think you're some kind of monster just because you've been branded, but they don't know the whole truth; they have no perspective on your story."

"Thanks, but I'll be fine not making it a public announcement that I'm marked."

"Whether you do or not," Danny prioritized, "I'll virtually destroy anyone who hates symbol wielders who never asked to be branded in the first place. It's a misplaced hatred that has no place in any sort of country. And if you're ever on your own, I expect you to stand up for yourself in the same manner."

"And live with an irremovable symbol?"

"Live to do what you want, and to do the right thing. You don't have to punish yourself just because you can't remove that tattoo from your hand. I promise; it won't stop you from becoming a Leray master."

Jane rebuttaled her argument to the contrary, "I'm more powerful than Brash Danton. But I know that I shouldn't be."

"The only difference it makes is in how much energy it takes for you to invoke those powers of yours. Danton will work on whatever weaknesses you exploited. You've just raised the bar for him, that's all."

"You sure do see things optimistically..." Danny must know how stupidly valiant that behavior is. "But I guess it's worth a try."

Taylor congratulated Jane on taking her own life back regardless of symbols. "That's the spirit. Having that thing does nothing but toughen up the people you really want to defeat. And one day, we'll show you just how far that thing will let you go."

"Oh!" Jane lounged. "That sounds like a brave challenge."

"What, you forgot?" Danny had to be the one to remind Jane of this? "You and I, and Taylor are going to have our battle. Even if I lose, I'll defeat you one day Jane. With that symbol assisting you, it only makes me more psyched to finally defeat you and prove what I'm worth."

"Well then, I guess we'll just have to find out."

Taylor knew Danny was sincere in his words, but she was also glad seeing the effect on Jane's face. That glint of excitement in her eyes; she loves Leray magic so much. The thought of it gives her the thrills! Somehow, seeing Jane happy again is so refreshing for a change.

"And Taylor?" Danny hadn't forgotten about Nyar's other ugly comments to her on the delicate situation. "You don't have to worry about that Banshee situation. If I do head back to Kalamo to visit my folks, I want you there right with me. You can stay at my place for a while. I won't allow anything bad to happen to you there."

"Y-your place?"

"Point is, I'd never let that sort of harm come to you. I'll tear down the entire Banshee kingdom with my bare hands if I have to. I don't need magic to do that either. So you're safe with me."

How could a person stand up to a worldly problem without any form of magic? Danny sure is confident today... Taylor ended up laughing out loud from his statement, and apparently, Jane was laughing as well. His currently confused expression only made this funnier. She could imagine Danny going directly to the Banshee king, only to shout in curses and forbidden tongue. It probably wouldn't end well realistically, but at least he's serious about helping her.

"What's funny about that?" he begged. "You know I'm serious. There's nobody who will ever mess with me."

He never changes. Jane remembered every time Danny would bridge himself up like this in Sprawn Valley. It just feels right; this feels normal again... Yeah! What does Nyar know about anything?