Trip to a Fae Realm: A collaborative Fairy Tale (by invitation only please)

Allyson walked along the corridors of the Castle of Dreams, following their impromptu tour of the castle while being escorted to their quarters.  It was everything and more that she had dreamed about.  Rich, hand-made tapestries depicted beautiful scenes of forest glades, elves, fairies, and other mythological creatures frolicking or fighting.  Allyson paused for a moment, looking at a tapestry of a richly appointed room with a beautiful woman standing and smiling at the viewer.  She admired the craftsmanship of the tapestry, of the highest quality like everything else she had seen, wondered why the woman looked so familiar.  

She realized that the person in the tapestry look uncannily like Krystal!  That’s when she finally realized that all the scenes in these tapestries weren’t of “mythological” creatures!  They actually existed and weren’t fantasies at all!  She has spent the past two years associating with Krystal and just now realized that Krystal is an actual fairy princess! Allyson needed a moment to adjust to this fact.  

Intellectually she knew that Krystal was Fae, but she had never connected to that knowledge like she did now. Before this moment, saying that Krystal was Fae was like saying Usain Bolt was African or Queen Elizabeth was British.  It was only a “nationality,” if you will, to Allyson before.  Even though she dealt with alternate dimensions every day because of who she was, realizing that one of the people you look up to as an example of not only how to be a hero, but how to be a confidant and successful woman in today’s world, was not only from another dimension, but she was from one of the myths you dreamed about as a child...it was a difficult feeling to resolve.


The room she was assigned was richly appointed, a four poster bed with a mattress that you just sank into – better than the finest waterbed or memory foam mattress the real world had to offer, hand crafted tables and chairs and dressers of such beauty and craftsmanship that it was pure joy to run your hands along the intricately carved scrollwork adorning them, a polished wooden floor so smooth and shiny you could see yourself in it, and hand-woven rugs that put the finest Persian rugs to shame. All this for a guest of no particular importance from a comparatively barbaric dimension.

A knock on the door interrupted Allyson’s musings and she quickly snatched her hands back from the delicate carvings in the arms of the chair at the dressing table.

“Um...Yes? Please enter..,” Allyson stammered.

The door opened and Alexis stood in the doorway, looking every inch the Fae warrior that he was.

“May I enter, Allyson?” Alexis urbanely asked.

“Of-f-f-f course!  please do!” Allyson stammered again.

Alexis strode in confidently, smiling reassuringly. “Please be at ease, Ally!  You are an honored guest here.  I know that this is all a little overwhelming.  Okay, possibly very overwhelming, but you have nothing to be nervous about.”

“But this room is so opulent and...and... just...” Allyson didn’t even know how to continue.  

“We of the Fae court owe you reparations for the depredations of one of our own people,” Alexis told her in all seriousness. “This room is just one of the ways we begin to repay what was done to you.  The room itself may seem extravagant, and in truth it does contain some of the finest examples of Fae craftsmanship that we have.  That being said, we have had thousands of years to perfect our individual crafts, so we have an unending supply of ‘the finest examples of’ to furnish any number of rooms.  Of course, there would be nowhere better to display them than in the guest rooms of the royal castle!”

So don’t worry if it seems we are going overboard with the extravagance of it all.  Every guest room is similarly appointed.  Even the cell that Chaz is currently occupying is the nicest cell he’s ever going to be held in.  We are not barbaric, after all.”

“Okay, I’ll try not to worry about it,” Allyson tried to calm down. “But this is all so new to me.  I’m from a small town in Louisiana and have seen a castle before...well I guess that’s not true.  I have seen a Japanese castle up close and pictures of British, Irish, and Scottish castles....but this is so different!”

“You’re young. You’ll get used it,” Alexis assured her. “I started out as a simple guard in the barracks. It was many years before I worked my way up to my current position and it took me several centuries to get used to living in the castle.  However, I am still a simple man at heart.”

“So do not fret about our hospitality.  It is what we require of ourselves to make amends,” Alexis finished, smiling kindly.  “The reason I am here is to brief you on what was decided in regards to Morganna’s sentence and punishment,” stated Alexis with a slight grimace.

“As her actions and schemes caused the psychological suffering and embarrassment of a total of 87 people, including yourself, It has been decided,“ Alexis continued, “that the punishment should fit the crime as closely as possible this time.  She has been sent to another dimension to serve out her sentence as the familiar of a wizard.  As my Lord King has decreed, the wizard we chose is young and inexperienced. However, they show great promise.  A familiar is tied to their wizard for the lifetime of the wizard, so this should give Morganna plenty of time to reflect on her actions.”

“Oh, and we have put her in the form of a cat.”

Allyson, who had maintained a serious expression throughout Alexis’ explanation, burst out in a merry peal of laughter at that statement.  It took a few moments for her to regain her composure.  

“Do you have any questions about her sentence, Ally?” asked Alexis.

“Umm, yes. What is to stop her from just escaping and causing troubling again somewhere else?” Allyson asked worriedly.

Alexis smiled reassuringly, “There is no worry about that, we have restricted the use of the bulk of her magic – she is only able to use enough magic to act as a familiar to a wizard.  Nothing more than that.  She also cannot communicate telepathically with her wizard.  She can understand and follow the directions of her wizard, but she cannot whisper into her mind and influence her in anyway.”

“What about doing something that could bring about the death of the wizard?  She could just kill them by tripping them as the go down a flight of stairs,” Allyson replied.

“Morganna is under a geas to always act in the best interest of her wizard.”

“Wow.....looks like you have thought of everything.”

“Well, to use a phrase from your world – ‘This ain’t our first rodeo, pardner!’” Alexis said in a very awful western accent.

Allyson laughed and begged Alexis not to do that again because it totally interferes with his image of a great Fae warrior.

‘One more thing, Allyson,” Alexis state with a serious expression. “King Oberon left it to Alex, Krystal’s mate, and I to choose the dimension and the wizard to shackle Morganna with for next 70 years or so.  I can show you what Morganna’s situation is right now, if you’d like?”

Alysson was quiet for a moment as she considered the offer, then she sighed heavily.  “I’m afraid that if I see Morganna, even in cat form, I may just lose it and attack her.  She invokes such a rage in me at the mere mention of her name.  It’s something that me and my therapist are working through.”

“I understand.  However, we would only look in on them; we would not actually travel to their dimension or physically visit them,” Alexis reassured her.

“Okay...,” Allyson said doubtfully.


“This is something that you should be able to do yourself with your powers.” after saying this, Alexis rose and murmured an incantation. Suddenly, a window opened up in the space in front of Alexis and Allyson.  The window was filled with a riotous display of colors for a moment and was suddenly filled with the image of a tidy little thatch roofed cottage nestled up against a welcoming forest. The scene was not static, Allyson could see the branches, leaves, and grass moving in the breeze and a bird or three flitted from branch to branch. There was even sound as Allyson could hear birdsong and sound of cattle lowing in some unseen area.

“This is what you can do, when you almost create a portal,” Alexis explained.  “While my process uses incantations and not your mechanism of portal creation, I can’t see why you shouldn’t be able to do this with practice.”

“It never even occurred to me!” Allyson exclaimed.

“Instead of opening a portal for physical passage, this is a portal for visual and auditory information only,: Alexis continued. “It can be one-way or two-way, enabling communication across dimension or different spatial locations in the same dimension. You can also move your portal, like so...”

The scene in the portal moved towards the tidy little cabin.  It went right up to the door and passed through without pause.  The interior of the cabin was exactly as you’d expect from a it’s outside appearance.  White-washed wood paneled walls and plain, but well-kept wooden furniture.  A couple of doorways indicated other rooms in the cottage.

The room they were in seemed to be the main room in the residence. A fireplace took up the center of one wall with a doorway on either side.  There were two cushioned chairs in front of the fireplace, a table with two chairs in the corner, pots and kettles hung from hooks near the fireplace, and assorted throw rugs covered the floor here and there.  On one of the rugs in front of the fireplace lay a cat in apparent slumber.  

The cat suddenly opened its eyes and stared straight at them.  Its eyes narrowed and it made a little hiss. A voice suddenly said. “I know you’re watching me, Alexis.  It’s very rude not to announce yourself.”

Allyson shivered.  She knew that voice.  She could never forget the haughty, superior tone of Morganna the Sorceress. Looking at her current form, Allyson was almost sorry for the witch.  While they chose the form of a cat for her, they also chose to make it the most bedraggled, mangy, flea-bitten form of a cat Allyson had ever seen, yet Morganna tried to project the majestic splendor that she believed she deserved. It was a pitiful sight and Allyson did not take as much joy out of it as she thought she would.

“I do apologize, Morganna,” said Alexis. “I did not expect to come upon you while you cat-napped. I assumed you would be out and about, catching mice or something for your mistress.”

“Please, she is not my ‘mistress’ she is my jailer and she is an insufferable idiot.”

“Come now, Morganna.  Even you must admit she has great talent and skill for magic.”

“I admit nothing.  I sense someone with you....oh. Her.  The little hero,” said Morganna with more than a little disgust. “Well get a good look, hero. When I get out of this prison, I’ll come looking for you.  You’ll probably be long-dead by then, but I might have to study up on my necromancy to get my retribution on you.”

“Now, now Morganna, don’t make threats and we won’t have to add time to your sentence,” warned Alexis.

“Oh, believe me; it wasn’t a threat.”

Suddenly the door to the left of the fireplace opened and out walked a young woman wearing a white blouse embroidered with wildflowers with a brown, woolen skirt embroidered on the hem with the same pattern of wildflowers.  Soft leather boots adorned her feet and her long brown hair ran down her back in a single braid, tied off with a white ribbon.  She was the picture of a medieval peasant girl.  Except for the staff she held with the glowing crystal on top.

And she looked exactly like Allyson.

“Oh, my!” Allyson exclaimed. And then she began to laugh long and hard.

Alexis dropped the portal and said with a smile, “We thought the irony was poetic justice.”

"So, what is it we have here?"

Chaz slowly opened his eyes after overhearing a new voice in the room. A medium height man casually leaned in the doorway. His build was average, nothing that would stand out in a crowd, but that would be the only unremarkable aspect to him. A face that looked both young and ancient at the same time, eyes that twinkled with the brilliance of diamonds struck by sunlight while still retaining an unnerving coolness of ice, and silver hair streaked with every color of the rainbow. Combined with the fact that he hovered a few inches off the floor clearly indicated that he was the kind of person who liked to be noticed.

"What are you doing here?" Futurina said with a weariness that spoke volumes. "I didn't expect to see you anywhere close to the courts, let alone inside the castle, Puck."

"Oby and Titty and I have been getting along alright for the last few decades. We've managed to put some of our old ways behind us and annoy each other with less frequency." Puck said. "I heard about the latest proclamation he made about your situation. Got to admit, it's about time. You should have mind-spanked them centuries ago."

"And what good would that have done?" Futurina asked. "Me acting against them wouldn't have made things any better."

"No, probably nothing other than making you feel good. Sometimes the river has to rage against the bank, doesn't it?"

Chaz never really thought on who he might run into in the Fae Realm. He had heard mention of the names Oberon and Titania, but they were less known in his home dimension than the mysterious Puck. Or at least the King and Queen of the Fae courts didn't have a big part on the TV show "Gargoyles" that Puck did. Pop culture always seemed to favor the more colorful characters and based on his clothing and hair, it would be very difficult to find anyone more exuberant than Puck.

"Why are you here now?" Futurina asked.

"To see you, for a start. I was wondering why this mortal you are with stinks of my magics?"

Collette raised her head in acknowledgment as Krystal entered Silver Paladin's quarters.

"He has been resting quietly... no further incidents.", she said.

Krystal nodded solemnly.  "Please continue to monitor him as I begin."

Krystal took a seat by the head of the bed.

Brushing her hair back with her hands, she closed her eyes for a moment.  When she opened them, Paladin's eyes opened as well. Both heroes' eyes were glowing with a golden-hued nimbus.

Krystal turned her attention away from here-and-now, following the paths of memory within Paladin's mind.
She had read the incident report, so she already had a rough idea of what she was 'looking for.'

She 'saw', as if looking through a visor, the villain known as 'Dr. Morphon' as he lowered a weapon from pointing it at Chaz, then swung it to cover Catalyst. The scene from the incident report unfolded just as Alan had described it. Stopping the scene, Krystal used the viewer's peripheral vision to examine minute details of the incident. She noted the shard embedded in a mirror, which displayed a strong aura of magic to her senses. She noted the sprinklers coming on, and the recording padd in Chaz' grasp.

Krystal now had a theory to work from.

As the glow faded from the eyes of the heroes, Krystal looked up and grinned slightly.

Collette inquired, "Something amuses you?"

Krystal, grin widening, said, "Quite so... an agent of Chaos has entered the Castle... one who means no harm to any here, and whose power is quite well known to me."

"What do you mean I stink--," Chaz lifted his arm and sniffed, "--of your magics?"

"He is a mortal from the realm of Earth. Chaz Hamilton, this is Robin Goodfellow, or as you have likely heard of him, Puck," Futurina said. "Magics, similarly to psionic powers, often come with a signature of the person who crafted the spell. What spell did you cast on him?"

"I've not visited his realm for quite some time now. Ever since that charming William stopped writing his marvelous plays, it doesn't hold the same interest for me it once did." Puck lifted his legs and sat cross-legged, floating in mid-air. "He captured my nobility best I think."

"Are you talking about William Shakespeare?" No college graduate majoring in writing didn't know of Shakespeare and his story A Midsummer Night's Dream. Chaz's eyes grew wide, curious about several theories his former professors professed about the playwright. If Puck knew the legend personally, then he might be able to ferret out the truth and turn the college English department on its ears. "What can you tell me about him?"

"Oh, please," Puck rolled his eyes as he scowled. "Don't tell me this is the reporter who has a schoolboy crush on K'rystallyn'ne..."

"Hey--" Chaz said, but his voice was cut off by a wave of Puck's hand. Chaz continued as if he were speaking, but nobody else heard a word he said.

"Mortals rarely admit to their baser drives. How have you fared living with them for so long? Don't they tax your patience, Theressolae?" Puck snapped his fingers and an image of Silver Paladin coalesced next to Chaz. Puck  floated closer to the illusion of Silver Paladin's unconscious form. He took out a long quartz crystal flecked with green and waved it over the hero's body. "No need to interrupt the princess while she plays doctor."
 

    "Considering I grew up around them, and only visited here on special occasions, I know them better than the elves," Futurina commented.  "Why do the elves want me gone?  That's what I've always wondered."  She grinned at Puck.

    "Do they know you sleep levitating?" Puck asked.  He was still looking at the image of Silver Paladin and surveying Chaz.

    "Just my adopted daughter and a few select gentlemen," Futurina replied.  "Was it the mirror that caused this or the ruby shard?"

    "Congratulations, I heard you had adopted another human.  A female this time?  The men must be boring you," he chuckled.  "Maybe a bit of both?" he pondered the idea.

    "Stop teasing me," she smiled and nudged him on the shoulder.  "I don't adopt the men.  I seduce them.  It's not like I haven't had children before.  She needed me after she was exiled with her awakened powers."

    "That doesn't sound like the Terror of Trolls I remember," Puck stated.  "I suppose you mellowed out a little after retiring this time."  

    The door to the room opened and Krystal Fae entered.

"I do have to say, this intrigues me. I've heard about these Morphon particles that have been introduced to the Earth, but I never examined them first hand," Puck said. "I may need to visit the planet and familiarize myself more with them. I might make them my new pets. They seem quite marvelous."

"So it was the Morphons," Futurina reapeated.

"Did you bring any other specimens here with you? I would love to see the variety of gifts they can bestow." Puck waved his wand between Chaz and Silver Paladin's image repeatedly. "And it wasn't simply the Morphons that created this amalgam. It would seem that the, what is the mortal term I've heard used by them??? Ah yes, the perfect storm. A perfect storm of the right wrong things colliding at the same time."

"There are others here, but we didn't bring them here as playthings for you," Futurina said. "They are our friends."

"How small you have allowed your mind to grow, my dear," Puck tutted at Futurina. "This idea of a singular nature. This is this and that is that. There is no reason that your companions can't be both, now is there?"

With that, Puck faded out of sight. Futurina sought out his mind, thinking he might have become invisible, but she soon realized he was no longer present.

"Where did he go, Krystal? I didn't think that teleportation was allowed in the Castle of Dreams." Futurina asked.

"If you think you can convince him that he is bound by anything beyond of his own interests, you would be heralded as a miracle worker here and could likely ask any reward from Oberon," Krystal said. "He has the curiosity of a child, the mind of a lawyer, and the cunning of the slyest puppet-master. Magically, he didn't specifically cast a teleportation spell, despite the effect being exactly the same. His mastery of the most ancient of magics is unprecedented."

"Where do you think he went then?" Futurina asked.

Krystal shrugged.

*****

As Crossroads traveled with her duplicate, a spectral, incorporeal Puck floated unnoticed beside her. He waved the same wand over her and faded away, only to reappear beside Gerri while doing the same. After a few waves, he disappeared again.

*****

Puck reappeared in the room with Chaz, Futurina, and Krystal Fae. "Quite splendid. So much variety. Their alterations and abilities are so different from one another." Puck waved his wand before Krystal. "And to you as well. And to your baby. Congratulations, my dear. You're in for a handful. I see a little bit of me in it."

    As Gerri entered her quarters assigned to her, she was taken aback by the tapestries adorning the walls.  They each depicted a story from her book the Tome of Elvish Lore.  Specifically, they depicted stories of her ancestor Gerraxia Goldenstar.  The green and gold motif pleased her.  

    She saw the early golden chainmail that her ancestor wore.  The magical green cloak.  The tapestry depicting the golden Armor gifted by Santa, known in the texts as Lord Claus.  This made her smile.  There was nothing special about the chainmail.  It had just been dyed gold.

    She did wonder about how the others were doing.  She hoped there would be a solution to Silver Paladin's problem.  She hoped Crossroads would find some useful information.  She also hoped someone could tell her more about her powers.  Specifically how her ring allows her to access the old powers, and exactly where do the old powers come from?

    She still wondered why Collette was there other than to monitor Krystal's condition.  There had to be another reason, but Gerri didn't want to pry.  She lay on the bed and opened her book.  How much information was lost because the old elf king had an issue with Theressoelae?

    There was a knock on the door...

*During the few minutes Puck was physically out of the room, Collette had come in having sensed his magic and unsure of his intentions towards Princess KrystalLynn. Now upon his return she addressed him. "High Lord Puck, mightest thou naught to realize that thy  magic may not be beneficial to the princess and her unborn child?" She asked beginning in Shakespearean English and ending in the common language they all spoke.

"The one I serve known as Aphrael asked me to accompany the princess back here. I was unsure why at first but now I can understand she must have had intuitive insight that you might be visiting. Maybe you can help us determine the best way to keep her and her child safe until she is ready to give birth?"

"As for the phenomenon known as Morphons they transcend the barriers separating physical, magical, technological, elemental, mental and supernatural capabilities in everyone affected. Both good and evil uses have been found for them but we are still in the beginning processes of understanding how exactly morphons bond with humanoids as well as all other kinds of lifeforms."*

Puck squinted at Collette, as if taking note of her for the first time. "My dear, you will find few who have more knowledge about what potential magic has. If your concern is over the use of this simple tool to divine information about the health and alterations made by these Morphon particles, you can put your pretty little mind at ease. It effects them with less effect than sunlight kissing the skin. But I will thank you for the knowledge of how Morphons seem to grant their boons."

Collette watched as Puck waved his wand around with a deft final snap and created an illusion of great detail, showing not the typical medical functions of Krystal's body, but patterns of auric relevance. Parts of her body, such as her head and the unborn fetus glowed with shifting colors. Several places on Krystal's body where she wore or carried magical items also gave of faint emissions of light.

"She is of remarkable health currently, and if you look here-," he zoomed into a section of her torso where a ribbon of light stretched from the tiny baby to Krystal's core, "-you can see the umbilical bond between mother and child. This is very similar to the one that binds this... reporter and your unconscious companion. The bond between mother and child is natural and in Krystal's case, is very healthy. The one between these two is artificial and as you can see, porous to magical energy that is currently overtaking the one being's natural balance."

The illusion shifted to a view of a silver cord with holes stretching from Chaz to Silver Paladin's body in the other room.

Futurina surveyed the connection with curiosity. "I'm familiar with astral connections such as this and I can see elements of that type of bond being present, but it isn't connected to parts of Chaz's mind as I would expect."

"No," Puck said. "It is engaged in his subconscious portal to the Dream Dimension. But, that isn't important at the moment. Collette, you spoke of a threat to the princess. Whatever is it that you mean? I believe her fiercest adversary is currently imprisoned. I don't believe that there are many in the kingdom who could be a threat to her or her child, lest they invoke the wrath of all of Fae-re. Is this Aphrael addled? I've met in my years many beings whose insights are vague and cloudy at best. If there were a threat to-," Puck giggled while grinning at Krystal Fae. "- Acidburn, I think we would know of it."

Before anyone could speak, Puck sidled up to within inches of Collette's face and broke into a winsome, charming grin. "And of course, if you would care to accompany me, I would be pleased to discuss this privately as we share a meal. I haven't met many of your like and would appreciate knowing more about you."

    Futurina had known of the dream realm.  There is a psychoportaion technique that utilizes it.  It's mainly for a group of adventurers to go to a place together, so she rarely used it.  Exoteleport  and regular teleport worked so much better than travel through dreams where if a companion is killed in the dream they awake so many miles from their destination.  She knew Puck would enjoy it, but it was not something she liked.

    "That is interesting, Puck.  How did the dream realm become entangled in this?" Futurina asked.  Puck had knowledge that she could never understand and she didn't dare enter his mind for the information.  Puck was secretive as well as a prankster.  If he didn't want you in his mind it was best not to enter.  She never met someone else so skilled with mind traps.

    She continued to study Chaz and the psychic cord linking him to Silver Paladin.  It fascinated her.  The complexity of the magic used she had never seen before.  She had seen a lot of magic despite not being able to use it.  Puck was a master at it.  Just as she was a master at her psychic powers.  Thus her name of Futurina.

    "Care to elaborate on the spell used on the mirror?" She asked Puck knowing he liked to talk about his spells and tricks.

Puck winked at Collette before turning his attention to Futurina. "Every human has a faint link to the Realm of Dreams. Some are able to tap into it more than others. This link is what makes humans such an interesting people, on the whole. Their ability to manifest their dreams and nightmares in methods that alter their world is rare. Overall, they can be rather dim at times, but you must give them credit for their ability to change the world around them so rapidly. Their short life spans make them press on much more diligently than Elves, for instance. No offense, of course, to present company."

Futurina had many, many years to compare the lives of humans to elves, as well as many other races. Humans did have an overwhelming tendency to abandon traditions and rituals quickly in the name of progress that other beings displayed. It was both a marvel to behold and a worrisome quality. Human ingenuity often left a wake of unrealized destruction behind it. They reveled in the short term where elves, with longer life spans tended to be more contemplative of their actions. Humans would build a city in a few years while Elves would take centuries to painstakingly consider every aspect of how it impacted the world before laying a single brick.

She never thought much about the human tendency to dream as part of their process, but after Puck suggested it, she saw merits to the theory. After all, most humans do spend a third of their lives unconscious, and of that time, a significant amount dreaming. "So you believe the magic you had on the mirror somehow reacted to Mr. Hamilton's daydream at the time he collided with it?"

"More than those two qualities, I would say. The traces I have detected in their bond have several impurities. Magic combined with a significant quantity of elemental water, these strange Morphon particles you speak of, and a powerful energy source released by a strange red crystal of some sort." Puck used his wand once more to highlight tiny red speck of light in the silver cord between the two men.

"Mythic power," Krystal Fae said. "From the ruby shards we were collecting at the time after the explosion in Fort Knox. Some of Lady Phoenix's power made it into the mix."

"Mythics? You will have to tell me more about these beings, my dear," Puck said. "It sounds like they might have a very interesting story to them."

"They do," Krystal Fae said. "I can share the lore about them with you later. For the purposes of the creation of Silver Paladin, they didn't have an active role in the process. The shards were from a broken gem that held her powers imprisoned at the time."

    An older male elf entered Gerri's quarters.  His hair was now silver though other than that he looked as young as always.  He smiled at the young elf woman.  His green eyes sparkled with recognition.  "By the gods, you do look just like your great grandmother," He said.

    That was when Gerri recognized him, "Great grandfather, Sir Nerian Goldenstar, I have so many questions."  She hugged him.  He bowed and smiled again.  She smiled as she looked him over.  He was handsome.  His white and blue clothes clearly marked him as a healer.  This was why he traveled with her great grandmother.  She had always wondered how they fell in love.

    "I see you prefer the green and gold of your great grandmother," he said as he spun her around.  "I know, being a healer isn't as glamourous as a warrior, but you'd think at least one of my descendants would follow me."

    "There's still hope, my younger brother hasn't chosen his path yet," Gerri assured him.  He smiled at that.  "What brings you here, Sir?"

    "Come, now, child, we're familly.  You don't call me Sir.  Only those who work under me as healers do that," He corrected her.  "I came because I heard my great granddaughter, who looks exactly like my dead wife, is here a long with an old companion, who still looks the same as she did the day your grandmother was born.  I'm sure that story isn't in you book there.  They erased her from the stories."

    "She was there when my grandmother was born?" Gerri didn't know that Futurina was there at that event.  Her parents and grandparents never mentioned it.

*As Puck uses his fae charms of beauty and attraction on Collette to try to make her more willing to lower her mental and emotional defenses, her jewelry began to brighten suddenly and the almost incoherent daze in her eyes vanishes such as suddenly. "You really should know better then to use your magic like that on me Puck," she said slowly. "Just because I am a healer mainly does not mean I do not protect myself from magic that could be chaotic even if the user does not have hostile intentions. Also, Aphrael who is my school's main deity, does not take lightly anyone calling her addled. But I can understand why you would say that as she is a seer of sorts who has had an uncanny rate of accuracy with her visions before the EA Wave so to speak etc.

"But honestly she rarely uses that ability anymore since B.A.D.G.E. has the dimension of the Earth it is based upon so attuned to hostile disturbances from the Legion, anti B.A.D.G.E. organizations and supervillains, she has found it of better usage lately to strengthening herself and those at my school to better use our magic with Morphons. Also I never particularly said she predicted a direct threat to KrystalLynn or her baby but thought having me come was a good idea for a number of different reasons including to help out figuring how to sever safely the connection between Silver Paladin and Chaz Hamilton. But reasons beyond that I will need permission from her to explain because they deal with approximate to alternative versions of the school I come from and I would not want to confuse you."

"But if you truly insist on knowing what very few outside my League know of, very well. It began ages ago in a realm known as Faerun when two royal families who were friends became bitter enemies and now  versions of good and evil from a mysterious 'mirror' realm are threatening to escape and to wreck havoc and worse on all. That is the main reason Aphrael sent me here. To learn more information."*

Puck glowered at Collette after her admonishment and finally released a long, frustrated sigh. "Alas, the course of true love never did run smooth. Your time with the Ice Ray Academy and Aphrael has left you fearful and untrusting. I've used, nor intended to use, no magics or enchantment to try to sway your attentions in my favor. You wound me, my lady. Wound me to the quick."

He brought his arm to his face, covering his eyes with the back side of his wrist and drew in a long, pained, overly dramatic breath.

"You're laying it on a bit thick there, Puck," Krystal said. "I'm sure you'll recover."

"Of course I will. I already have. She means nothing more to me now than a passing memory." He twisted his hand in a spiraling motion and a weathered bit of parchment, wrapped loosely by a red ribbon, appeared between his fingers. "And I just happened to have a wonderful spell for bolstering the void between mirrored dimensions that makes direct travel impossible from one side to the other. A nice girl could have asked me for it-," Puck said as he released the roll of parchment, allowing it to drop to the ground, "-but c'est la vie."

He snapped his fingers before the sheaf struck the floor and it turned to dust.

"My good Robyn...", stated Krystal, "... you are hardly the only one who has access to that spell. The members of Ice Ray Academy have reason, and more so, to be wary of those who would attempt to influence their members... not that you would do so unless you felt that it was necessary... or entertaining."

Krystal grinned at Puck.

"And Collette, Robyn means no disrespect... he has had dealings with seers in the past, and has oft regretted the outcome... also, his power is such that it may be influenced by his own true emotion, he was never attempting to deceive you in this but may have allowed himself rather more latitude than is his normal wont."

"My good Robyn, it would aid our current issue if you would deign to assist in our endeavor."

"My good Robyn. My good Robyn," Puck chided as his face grew sour. "I thought you spent some of your time on Earth as a newswriter on Earth in your free time. Do you have to repeat yourself that much to get those mortals to understand you? How do you put up with it? It must be exhausting to make a point with them."

"I only repeat myself that much when talking to you," Krystal replied. "Or, must I say it thrice?"

"No, no, that won't be necessary. I'm already here," Puck said. "You know me. I'm always happy to help any way that I can. What exactly would you like me to do?"

Krystal smiled. "If you would be so kind as to help my friends who have been entangled in the magics you created. What was the spell you had on that mirror Chaz touched?"

"Nothing extravagant, I must say. It was a gift for a lovely queen I met back in the day. She was a lonely woman who needed a friend. A friend who could help advise her and answer questions she posed to it." Puck stroked his chin, as if lost in a memory. "I wonder what ever became of her. I seem to remember her kingdom had a problem with a dwarf infestation."

Chaz opened his mouth as if ready to say something, but thought twice about it and kept silent.

Puck stretched, bringing his arms up into the air and lacing his fingers together and pushing his palms to the sky. An audible crack snapped in the air as he rotated his neck from one side to the other. "Oh, why is it that whenever I come to this castle I find myself put to work. And nobody has come to offer me tea yet. So much for good manners."

"Did you let them know you were coming?" Krystal asked.

"Of course not. They hide things if they know I am coming. Not that I can't find whatever they might want to ferret away," Puck pouted like a saddened child. "But that means more effort on my part as well. Aren't vacations meant to be restful, not tiring?"

"I don't want to be rude or anything," Chaz finally decided to speak up. "But if you created the mirror I stumbled into in the Royal Arms museum, if there anything you can do to help Silver Paladin? We came here because we know that we are linked together somehow and wanted to find a way to be separate of one another, but I'd rather see him OK and on his feet than like this."

"Hmmm," Puck stroked at a non-existent beard on his chin. "How long ago was he created?"

"A little over a year ago," Chaz said as he looked at Krystal. "A year on Earth. Is that the same as a year here?"

Krystal opened her mouth to answer, but Puck waved for her to be silent. "Don't bother me with details. A year by your paltry understanding of time. Yes, yes." Puck waved a finger in the air as if holding piece of chalk, creating lighted mystical runes that hovered like fireflies as he scribbled. "Given that you are a human mortal, and the wonderfully masterful enchantment I created that was corrupted by such a ghastly confluence of events, the umbilical between the two of your life forces should be unnecessary for survival in no time at all."

Chaz beamed, excited at the revelation.

Krystal raised and eye, glowering at Puck. "Chaz. Don't get too excited. You're dealing with an immortal. Puck. How long would you expect no time at all to be, in your expert opinion. Measured in his,"- she pointed at Chaz, "-perspective of time, not yours."

Rolling his eyes, Puck scribbles a bit more. "31years, 4 months, and a fortnight, roughly. Do you need it more exacting than that?"

Chaz sighed dejectedly. "Is that all!?"

"Yes, unless you want to seed a piece of lifeforce to him, of course." Puck parodied putting a piece of chalk in a pocket. The writing disappeared. "Or think you can convince some divine being into making him a real boy." Puck chuckled. "Good luck with that."

    Futurina thought about her own problems.  Being rejected by the elves at such a young age.  Being raised amongst humans.  Training herself in the use of her psionic powers.  She remembered meeting Puck for the first time on Earth.  She always thought he was fun and entertaining, she also knew what he hid because she could feel it.  She never mentioned it, it wasn't hers to bring up.  She thought of Chaz and Silver Paladin.  If they needed to give Silver Paladin a piece of Chaz's soul.  How could she help?

    "Which piece of Chaz do we give to Silver Paladin?" Futurina asked aloud.  She formed her Psi-Sword in her hand.  The silver blue blade of pure psionic energy was ready to be utilized.  She wouldn't cause physical harm.  This would be psychic.

    "Wait," Chaz put up his hands, "where did that come from?"

    "It's my Psi-Sword," Futurina answered.  "It's the sum focus of my psionic powers."

    "Don't kill me," Chaz stated.

    "I'm not going to kill you," Futurina assured Chaz.  "What purpose would that serve?  I can do physical or psychic damage with my Psi-Sword.  Such as severing a piece of your soul to implant into Silver Paladin so the two of you can be separated.  What would you like to give?  The little bit of caution you have?"

"I'm not a Thanksgiving turkey, lady. You don't get to carve me up and offer up slices of me whenever you want." Chaz kept a few steps out of Futurina's reach. "I want to help the guy out, but there are limits."

"Oh, please, let her take a swing or three." Puck clapped with gleeful amusement. "There's nothing like using brute force, even psychic brute force, to fix a delicate problem. It's like watching a hurricane summoned to sweep a kitchen floor clean."

Futurina scowled. "I'm much more refined than a hurricane and you know that. Far more delicate than you've ever managed to be, that's for sure."

"Is that a challenge?" Puck asked.

"No. I never said you couldn't be precise. You simply prefer messy."

Puck whistled a lilting tune. "We all have our proclivities. A messy chink in our perfect candy shell that keeps the wonderful filling inside. I'll give the lad time to think, to consider his choices on how to proceed.  Krystal knows how to contact me when the decision is made. I'm curious to see which option he will choose."

With that, Puck's body began to cascade to the floor in a shower of colorful Skittles until all that was left was a floor covered in sweet treats.

    Futurina watched as Puck disappeared.  She allowed her Psi-Sword to dissipate.  She sighed, "Very well, I was hoping someone would offer a better option out of concern, but I guess we'll have to ask."  She smiled at Chaz.  "I really am quite precise.  I understand your concern, however."

    She looked around the room now that Puck left.  Her eyes settled on Collette.  "Collette, would you be willing to lend you medical expertise to help Chaz and Silver Paladin?" She asked knowing her shock tactic didn't work.  "I cannot command you, nor can I speak for you.  Since no one wanted to speak up and offer I made a choice to offer a very frightening deal.  Though, it would work if he opted for it."