[GFD] The Lost Girl & The New World

Rydia looked to Lucille who shrugged. "She reads alot of fantasy books, it would seem." was her answer to which Rydia chuckled nervously and sighed.

"I um do the basics, you know?" she held out the palm of her hand and an orb of flames would emerge in it. It would float above her hand as she transferred it to the other hand then repeated this a few times before tossing it up then lightly pointing at it as it fizzled out midair in a small burst equivalent to a pop. "And more. I also have little friends that exist...closeby...I can...summon..."

Rydia was staring at Lucille and her mouth went agape. She could see something. She scrambled to her feet suddenly and looked to Ignia, speaking cautiously "Master...? Why didn't you tell me?!"

Ignia looked completely lost and shook her head with a smile. "What do you mean? You look as if you've seen a ghost..."

The young girl looked panicked and huffy as she ran in place."You don't SEE it? It's right there! Next to her! Flopping about! You told us about them! I thought EVERYONE could see them!"

The Master looked at Rydia then to Lucille with a cocked eyebrow. It took her a moment as she closed her eyes and brought her hand to her chin in thought. She mulled over various factoids in her head and started to arrive at a conclusion that baffled her. Rydia pointed at ignia the moment Ignia's face came to look like Rydia's. "It...can't be. But it makes so much sense...how she could accomplish what she claims...and the light she now bears."

Rydia and Ignia looked at one another. "Must have enchanted itself to be invisible to untrained eyes. I can reveal it but still I..." The Master put up a hand to signal Rydia to hold off for the moment. If it were true then Lucille was more important than she realized.

Ignia looked to Lucille with a smile of bemusement "Lucille...you have a stake in this as well." She tried to make sense of it still and needed to know more before Rydia could reveal it."Lately...before all of this happened to you...have you felt at all stronger? Has anything strange outside of...those bad creatures happened to you?"

Her story made the two women eye each other with saddened looks. So THAT was how it went. Ignia feared the worst and the worst is what happened to Lucille. She figured it was still fresh in her mind and didn't want to pry. But she went ahead and told her story on her own. Didn't make it any less difficult to hear. Sounded like a standard if not calculated attempt by the Heartless to seize the light. But they didn't think; they acted. For them to make a coordinated attack with numbers plus a "commander" by the sounds of this larger one she spoke of, would mean they not only sensed it but were COMMANDED to find it by something far stronger. Likely a denizen of darkness. it was concerning but that matter could wait.

"Lucille, this shrine you settled up inside... it was a place very important to a Wielder. I had my suspicions when the Light I was looking for led me to it. " she recalled the markings and the pool and recalled something from a text her own Master from long ago had spoken of. "It was meant to house something. To keep something safe." She pointed right at Lucille's chest. "Rydia has confirmed it; that something has been following you and is the reason for your recent abilities...Rydia...if you would?"

The sorceress nodded and placed both hand before her. She closed her eyes and uttered words under her breath that were indistinguishable. Then they gradually quickened and as they did, a gentle wind arose from a sigil below Rydia's feet that also made her hair dance. Then she finished with a flourish of her arms, the wind gathering up in one final gentle whoosh that encircled a spot besides Lucille.

There was a billowing smoke that poofed into existence in its place followed by a wobbly noise.

Then the first sound Lucille would hear would be a whimpering yet energetic yip as a squat form could be made out from the smoke.



It looked up passionately at Lucille then attempted to reach her with one of its paws...only for it to fall sideways. It rolled on its back, making simpering noises as its rotund body made the motions to sit itself back up on all fours. Then it proceeded to ....flop about. it ran on all fours around Lucille and company, bouncing on its belly then doing little leaps as if showing off.

Ignia stood in amazement while Rydia cupped her hands to her mouth. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Oh my goodness...it's really one of them! It's so adorable!" squealed Rydia.

The Master looked upon it baffled. "We found one...it's been....thousands...since one has..." she cleared her throat and looked to Lucille with a hand presented to the creature adorably romping about. "A Dream Eater. It's been helping you and miraculously...has bonded with you...somehow..."

Where to begin? She had forgotten Lucille was not as versed in this subject matter as she. Rydia was only taught a bit about them and so she'd start by telling Lucille what she told Rydia.

"I assume you're aware of Keyblades and their Wielders. Well, in the beginning...ancient Wielders had with them Dream Eaters or rather Spirits that would aid them in fighting the Heartless; the creatures you likely encountered. When with their wielder, a Dream eater could empower them, giving them extra strength, agility, reflexes, and more. They could even tap into magical energies otherwise inaccessible to them. They are lifelong companions. However...from my understanding, when a great war broke out, many...many wielders were falling to darkness and this would affect their Dream Eaters, turning them into Nightmares. A safeguard had been developed by the Dream Eaters who would put to "sleep" their Wielder, sending them to an unknown place where Darkness cannot reach. In doing so, they would inherit the Heart of their Wielder and hold onto it, casting their bright light from within."

Rydia nodded, hearing the familiar story then adding to it."You say you visited this shrine for years? It must've been so lonely there...and you showing up frequently, it might have developed a camaraderie with you as I doubt it got many visitors and you were probably it's only companion and friend for like...ever."

Master Ignia went on. "It's been well over a dozen millenia since one was last spotted or heard of...to wait that long..." The puppy...cat...thing looked up at Lucille hopefully with its tongue hanging out. It looked positively ecstatic that Lucille could see it and nudged against her leg as if to confirm this is where all those pushes had been coming from this whole time.

The Master paused and thought to herself. Rydia was also quite curious as to what the answer might be. Wielders have been without Dream Eaters for the longest time. But here it was. It was unclear what it resurfacing meant for Lucille but one thing was for certain; its light was burning strong. Like it had never gone out after all of this time. It had persevered and waited out for all this time. Why?

"Rydia...find Chirithy."

"That won't be necessary, Miss Ignia." came a feminine voice from behind them all. Shorter than the rest but standing at equal height to the Dream Eater was another figure who waddled into view. "I'm already here. I could sense it."



It walked right up to the Dream Eater who regarded it happily. "Heh, I know I know...it's good to see you."

Ignia explained. "Lucille...this is a wild first day here I know but this is Chirithy...she's a manmade Dream Eater from the modern age made by my Master long ago. if anyone can understand what it wants and what that means for you, its her. And unlike most...well...she can talk."

The creature nodded. "Yup. Let's see what this one has been up to. Gosh...it feels so weird having an actual one to talk to it's overwhelming, hehe...AHEM! Uh...anyway..." They then begin speaking to the Dream eater who makes all kinds of noises to which Chirithy simply nods and replies with simple phrases. "Yup. Oh wow. Really? She does? Was it good? Oh...that's no good. I'm sorry." This conversation carried on for a bit until finally the Dream Eater stood proud. "Really? Alright, I'll let her know. You keep her safe now." The Dream Eater went to salute but rolled over on its back with a yip.

Chirithy waddled over to Lucille and looked up to her. "You're not meant to be a Wielder; lets get that out of the way. It just wants to be reunited with its old friend but it doesn't know where to start looking. You were their first friend in a very long time and it wants your help in finding them."

"But we aren't sure where all those sleeping Wielders are right now."

Chirithy nods. "I suppose that will be the mystery Lucille has to solve. Even Calaguru has no clue. Oh, yeah their name is Calaguru. And they think sticking by Lucille will help them remember. But it, like Lucille needs to grow."

Chirithy shook its head. "That's just it sometimes. We get thrust into situations we could never have foreseen and then we adapt. If we don't..." it hangs its head, "..we just fade into obscurity. Forgotten. Darkness overcomes us and we just cease to be." They look to the seemingly carefree Calaguru rolling about on its back. "Cal did their best. it didn't give up. It bonded with the first person that visited and entrusted their future in your hands, Lucille."

It gestured its little arm at Lucille. "You can do alot more than you realize. You may not be Keyblade material but you're definitely an Ally. As for how you find it, it's unclear...but its Heart seems to have an idea. And besides, there is an adage the Masters have around these parts."

Both Chirithy and Ignia hold their hand over their chest and say in unison "May your heart be your guiding key."

"If all else fails, you can always trust in your heart to lead the way. But I'll say this; you'll definitely need to get stronger and there's no better place to learn how to do so than in Scala Ad Caelum. "

"Oh dear..." sighs the synthetic Dream Eater. "Listen, kid. Cal chose you. It believes in you even if you don't believe in yourself. Cal sees something in you. A spark, maybe? Perhaps your Heart resonates with its Wielder's own and that's why it's attached to you."

Calaguru waddles up to Lucille and licks her hand affectionately before pawing on her side impatiently. Then it looks to Chirithy and purrs.

"Huh? Is..." they look to Lucille and waves their arms."Uhhhhh we're not going to throw you into the deep end and expect you to do it right this instant!"

Ignia chimes in. "Of course we're not. That would be insane. An Ally is one who supports a Wielder. They train and learn magic among other things in ways for them to grow strong and get a chance to explore other worlds. They may not be Wielders but they are still counted on and entrusted with tasks such as the one you are now seemingly destined to carry."

The Master nervously chuckled. It was still too early to decide things like these. "This must be...a bit much to digest right now. Why don't I show you to a place you can rest for the evening and think things over?"

Chirithy rubs the back of its head. "Yeah...sorry about alla this. It's just...a pretty big deal here." it bows to Lucille.