The two walked until they got to the hotel. As promised, they made a stop by the cafeteria so that Winston could eat his fill. Nezani watched impressed as he took down a few burgers, pizza and a slew of desserts.

“I missed his cooking; I promise I usually eat a more balanced meal. I was just locked in there so long, eating healthy things that grow. I started to think I would never be able to eat these things again.”

Winston shifted in his chair seeming to get a bit overwhelmed by the thought of being locked in the arboretum again.

“You seem like you’re a big shot mana user, why didn’t you just use mana? Kind like how Otis uses it?” Nezani said gesturing toward Otis.

“Everyone has their talents Nezani. I’ve read a lot about mana, about manipulating it for defensive and medicinal purposes. I guess I thought using mana to make a burger was childish, took it for granted. But you’re right, I won’t be making that mistake again. Being stuck in that arboretum taught me that every type of mana manipulation has a purpose.”

Winston took the last bite of his third burger let out a sigh as he patted his stomach happily.

“Alright, shall we head to Madame?”

----------------------------------------

“Rose! Rose!” Winston began shouting as they stepped off the elevator into Madame’s space.

“Sir?” Madame spoke from behind them. She stood looking puzzled at Winston. “I thought, didn’t you……” finding it hard to find her words she continued.

“I thought you died in the attack, they never found your body but I just thought maybe that thing, you don’t even want to imagine what I thought”.

She walked toward him tears beginning to run down her face, the pair embraced and held for moments far too long for Nezani’s comfort.

“Pardon the intrusion, but how do you two know each other?”

“Sir helped raise me, taught me everything I know about magic, and also about how to use it defensively and offensively in a fight.”

The two continued their reunion and for a moment it felt like they had forgotten that she was even there. Noticing her begin to shift in her stance Winston cleared his throat and begin to speak.

“Ah Rose, we have ample time to catch up. I’m afraid there is something pressing we must discuss. Go ahead and tell her what you told me” he said scooting Nezani by her shoulder to the center of attention.

She looked up to see Madame staring back at her with a raised brow, no doubt in part because she had disappeared inside her families sanctuary for so long.

“Well you see” Nezani began to speak nervously telling Madame about what happened to her when she touched the case containing the chaos and the dreams that followed every night since.

“I see, so that’s why you ran out of here and disappeared for so many moon and sun cycles.” Her eyes softened and she pulled Nezani into a warm hug.

“I’m sorry that you had to see that, what a terrible thing to witness” she let go and looked at Winston.

“So what do we do?” Madame asked Winston. This shocked Nezani a bit, this is the first time she had seen Madame ask someone else for direction.

I guess even the person who knows and does all needs someone to look to for direction.

“Well first I want you to take me to the chaos so I can lay eyes on it and collect data. I’ll use the data I collect to go back to our family library and see if there is anything I can find out” He turned and looked at Nezani.

“I think we both know what she needs to do”

“Tee Birdy” they said in unison.

Madame and Nezani left to see Tee Birdy while Winston stayed in Madame's quarters to collect data on the chaos.

Madame grabbed Nezani's arm and they pair dissipated into the air, peicing back together in Tee-Birdy's space.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"Howdy, to what do I owe the pleasure" Tee Birdy said sarcastically bowing her head to Madame.

"There's a particular dream of hers we need help accessing" Madame spoke.

Nezani was too lost in her surroundings to answer.

This view will never get old.

She looked around the room looked around. There was water everywhere. Water in bowls, water coming down the wall, a small pond in the center of the room, water in vases. There was water flowing from places where water shouldn’t be flowing.

Never having the opportunity to ask about it prior Nezani questioned.

“Whats with all the water?”

“It helps me see and keep my mind and dreams clear” Tee Birdy answered.

“Water in its natural state is clear and is one of the purest manifestations of life and mana that exist, it is able to receive hold and clear the energy that surrounds it.”

“Water flows like mana which is why I am able to harness its powers and awaken people’s senses to the real world around them”

“But my life’s work is in the dream realm, and the only way to enter into the dream realm is with water” Tee Birdy said as her eyes began to shine with excitement.

“But for you, young one, young in mind and spirit we will have to use a safer method for you.”

Tee Birdy sauntered towards Nezani, her white clothes seem to catch wind like the sails on a most perfect breezy day.

She poked Nez’s now hard and pronounced new muscles “Amazing what an awakening of a royal can do for the body. Come sit here child” She pointed at a marble chair that was at the bank of the pond.

On the other side of the pond directly in front of the chair was a weird looking marble wall. There was something engraved into the surface, but Nezani couldn’t tell what it was from her position.

“Have you heard of a third eye child?” Tee Birdy asked as she walked over to a table and opened a jar.

Out of the jar she plucked out what seemed to be a piece of candy, and she walked back over to Nez.

“Stick your tongue out” She ordered to Nez

Apprehensively Nez complied with Tee Birdy’s request and stuck her tongue out with her eyes squeezed shut.

She braced herself for whatever pungent, sour flavor was going to fill her mouth.

Tee Birdy placed the piece of candy on Nezani’s tongue and gently pushed up on her chin to close her mouth.

Nezani began to swish her tongue around in her mouth. Her distorted face relaxed and she breathed a sigh of relief as the taste of a somewhat bitter chocolate coated her palate.

“Is this one of those things where you give candy before you stab a child with a needle?” Nezani asked half seriously.

Tee Birdy chuckled “That’s really up to your mind” She said “However, raw cocoa helps to unclog and activate the third eye.”

Tee Birdy walked over to the pond in front of New and used a marble chalice to collect some of the water.

She walked back over to Nezani and said “I require some water from your body”.

Confused by this request Nezani’s thoughts went right to bodily waste.

“So barbaric” Madam said, reading Nezani’s mind.

“Just take it from her, you know how” Madam instructed Tee Birdy.

Tee Birdy gently touched Nezani’s hand and said “Cry”

A single tear began to roll down Nezani’s cheek. Tee Birdy pressed the marble chalice to her face, catching the tear.

“That should do it” Tee Birdy sighed.

She slowly walked to the other side of the pond where the marble wall was, and she poured the tear tainted water slowly over the wall.

Steadily the not so visible grooves in the stone began to fill with the now glowing water.

As the water trickled down Nez now could see the outline of a woman sitting at the base of a tree with something she couldn’t describe on her forehead.

“What is that thing on her h-“

Before she could finish the statement Nezani felt a weird tingling pain on her forehead. Like someone was tattooing ever so softly.

She tried to reach her hand up to touch it, but her hand was slapped back into place by her spirit guide who was now present, human sized and holding Nezani’s left hand.

Nezani looked at them and felt calm and knew that even though this was scary and new she would be okay.

A beam of light began to make its way from the marble wall and over the pond, stopping halfway.

Nezani noticed a beam of light coming from her forehead.

The beam met up with the light from the marble wall.

As soon as the two connected it shot down into the pond creating intense rippling in the water.

Figures began to pop up from the water and move.

“Try to remember your dream Nezani” Tee Birdy whispered into her ear.

“Try to remember what you saw, how you felt.”

Nezani focused on the dream she had and her feelings.

Her dream began to take form in the pond in front of her, all the figures made from water.

“My baby is graduating!” She heard one of the figures say. She knew it was her dad’s voice.

She began to cry.

“Yea, well if you drive any slower she’ll be graduating from college by the time we get there” She heard her mother respond.

Laughter erupted from the figures in front of her. It was the first time she had heard the voices of her family members since they had passed.

“Don’t go, turn around, don’t go…Mom, Dad, DJ”

Nezani began to say as the tears rolled down her face.

Her eyes widened as a large figure appeared in front of the figures of her family.

“Mom, Dad! Whats that” She heard her brother scream

Nezani watched the figures that represented her parents turn to DJ and say the words

“You are protected, don’t worry.”

“Take this” the figure of her dad placed something in her brother’s hand.

“Tell your sister that we love her, we are sorry and to go to your aunts house and find her real aunt, she isn’t walking around” Her parents said in unison it seemed.

No sooner her parents finished the figured hurled itself at them.

“NO!”

Nezani screamed as she saw the two figures disappear from the water. Her brothers figure flew. But didn’t disappear.

All the figures disappeared from the water and the light began to fade back to the marble wall and into Nezani’s third eye. Tears rolling down her face Nezani sat confused by what she had just witnessed and also by the message her parents.

Find my aunt…she isn’t walking around?

“What does this all mean?” Nezani asked looking up at Madam and Tee Birdy.

“What are my parents talking about?!”

Her throat begins to close and her chest starts to tighten.

“Sit down take it easy Nezani” Madam said

“When she catches her breathe walk her back to her room, keep her safe” Madam said to Spirit.

"When you've calmed down a little I want to take you somewhere I think might love to see. As soon as your ready just call out for me I'll come and we'll go exploring. No scary stuff I promise" Madame said holding her hand up in a verbal oath to Nezani.

She sat for what seems like hours before Spirit helped Nezani to her feet and began to walk back to her room.

----------------------------------------

"Where are you going to take her?" Tee Birdy asked.

"Her fathers lab and office, I think it might be comforting to be in a space that was curated and used by someone she loves. I'm hoping it will help when I tell her that she's got to fo this again, probably more than a few times" Madame said looking back at Tee Birdy wondering if she was pusing Nezani too hard too soon.

"For the good of the people, right?"

Tee Birdy shrugged walking toward her seat.

"I hope so".