Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The quiet beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound in the dim hospital room. I numbly watched the line on the machine pulse in time with the sound. This was all I had done for the past week or so and I could tell that my unresponsiveness was worrying the doctors. Even now, I could hear my father arguing with them. They were pushing for me to be moved to a facility outside of the city. My eyes drifted to the door as my father’s voice raised in a shout.

“I’m not putting my daughter in a mental hospital!”

While the doctor wasn’t shouting, his voice was also raised. “We can’t keep her here if we aren’t treating her! You were lucky that Panacea was available to heal her otherwise we would be looking at months of treatment for advanced sepsis.” His voice softened and I had to strain to hear the end of the conversation. “We were able to keep her for a few days after treatment for observation purposes. Physically, she’s completely healthy. However, she hasn’t responded to anyone or anything. She refuses to speak and the only time she moves is to eat or if she needs to use the restroom. 

The doctor paused for a moment, but Dad didn't respond. I was certain that he was standing before the other male with his hands fisted and his jaw clenched. 

The doctor sighed. “Look, I know that the thought is… distasteful… but you honestly need to think of what will be the best for Taylor.” More silence and, after a few minutes, my gaze returned to the screen of the heart monitor. The door opened and my father stepped in. Daniel Hebert looked far older than his forty-three years, worry and stress having aged him drastically. He sat down heavily next to my bed before rubbing his face tiredly.

“I’m sure you heard that.” His voice was quiet. 

I didn’t respond.

“Taylor, I-I can’t even begin to imagine what’s going through your head right now… I know that I wasn’t there when you needed it most, but I’m here now. Just, please…” He took my hand from where it had been lying limply on the bed and held it between his own. “Show me that you’re still in there, Show me that you’re not… broken .” 

The room fell silent, once again only broken by the steady beeping of the machine nearby. My fingers twitched and I felt, rather than saw, my father’s shocked gaze as I slowly curled my hand around his.

His sigh of relief came out as more of a sob and he nodded his head. “ Okay… okay.”

I was discharged that afternoon, dad had immediately left to retrieve the paperwork and I was soon released into his care. A nurse guided me into a wheelchair and wheeled me down the hall to the lobby. The sweatpants and t-shirt I was wearing had been provided by the hospital as the clothes I had arrived in were considered to be a biohazard and had likely been incinerated. The old Hebert pickup had been parked next to the exit for outgoing patients and my dad gratefully continued wheeling me out of the hospital when the nurse offered him my wheelchair. The door was opened and I climbed into the warm cab of the truck before staring at my father’s back as he returned the chair.

The interior of the vehicle was familiar and I occupied myself with staring at the cracked and worn cushions of the bench seat. After a minute or two, the driver’s side door opened and my dad climbed into the truck. I silently buckled my seat belt as he started the engine and slowly pulled out of the hospital’s drive before turning towards home. 

The buildings of downtown flashed by as we made our way back home. The area we lived in was an older neighborhood in one of the less populated areas of the city. I felt myself growing infinitesimally lighter as we drove down familiar streets and small splashes of green began popping out from between the grey buildings. This part of the city bordered on an old forest and ancient oak trees were a common sight in the yards and gardens of the homes here.

Many of the houses we now passed had large curtains of ivy spread across their walls and in the spring the grass of their lawns would be carpeted with wildflowers. Despite the beauty of the area, fewer and fewer people choose to spend their lives here. It was an unspoken consensus amongst the few people that remained that the houses that were left abandoned in the wake of moving should be allowed to be reclaimed by the nature surrounding them.

The truck finally turned onto our street and I gazed out into the trees that framed our home as dad slowly pulled into our driveway. Our house was on the street that bordered the forest proper. The property behind our backyard was technically owned by the city, but the area had become a sort of unofficial nature preserve through the actions of the neighborhood. Wildlife was common, things like deer or foxes could be regularly seen amongst the underbrush and there were always copious amounts of birds and squirrels present. 

The trees swayed in the chill breeze coming in from the bay and late afternoon sun shone down through the bare branches. The truck shut off and I opened the door and slid from the seat. I kept my eyes downcast as I made my way into the house, skipping the broken second step out of habit rather than conscious thought. I stepped inside and made my way upstairs to my room. Dad didn’t try to stop me, I think that he could tell that I was still very detached. 

I entered my bedroom and allowed the door to swing shut behind me. The fact that it was unchanged after having been away for a week was a relief, even if it was small. All I wanted to do was curl up in the comfort of my bed, but instead I turned to my closet and carefully pushed aside the various coats to reveal the paneled wood at the back of the space. My fingernails dug into the barely visible crack and pulled away the false panel to reveal a hidden shelf.

The shelf was mostly empty save for a few faded pictures, the case of my mother’s-now ruined-flute, a collection of sea-glass from the beach, and a shoebox. A fine layer of dust covered everything except for the box and I removed it before setting it on the floor..

I re-secured the false panel and crawled backwards out of the closet after scooping up the box. The clothing was once more methodically arranged to conceal the hidden space. I’d known about the hidden nook for years but had never had a reason to utilize it until the beginning of Emma’s campaign of torment against me. It had quickly become the safest place to hide my most valuable possessions as, for some reason, I had never gotten around to telling Emma about the location before her betrayal. I was glad. I wouldn’t put it past her to lie to my dad and pretend that we were still friends in an effort to ruin what I considered to be my final safe haven.

I placed the box on my desk and removed the lid. Inside were several notebooks containing meticulously taken notes about the past miserable two years. All of the entries were hand written and dated save for the printouts of various emails that had been sent to me. 

Pulling out a pen, I opened the topmost notebook and dated it for the first Monday after Christmas break. I didn’t want to relive the incident so soon after it had occurred, but I knew that I had to record it while it was still fresh in my mind. I took a deep breath and began to write.

The Locker Incident:

I don’t normally title my entries, I prefer to stick to simply dating them as there are too many to count and most of my encounters with the trio tend to be relatively similar. However, I felt that this one in particular qualified for the dubious honor. I shook my head at my strange train of thought and resumed writing.

I was able to tell that the trio had one of their more vicious pranks planned the moment I set foot on campus that day. Nearly everyone I encountered was whispering and giggling to one another. Many of the teens followed me through the halls as I approached my locker, though none of them made an effort to stop me or harass me as I passed.

I should have recognized the lack of confrontation as the warning that it was.

The first thing I noticed was the smell. The hallway containing my locker was downright rank . I remember that the foul smell was making my eyes water. Emma and Madison were nonchalantly leaning against the far wall. Sophia was nowhere in sight.

Another warning that I ignored.

When I reached my locker I quickly realized that the stench filling the hall was emanating from within. My first assumption was that they had somehow managed to dump garbage into the bottom of it and I hastily undid the lock, planning to see what the damage was before reporting it to a custodian.

Why did I think that would help?

The door swung open and I ended up gagging at the sudden intensifying of the smell. As I was doubled over, trying to resist the urge to vomit, I was abruptly shoved into the locker and the door slammed shut behind me. I was unable to see the face of my attacker, however I am certain that I heard Sophia’s distinct laugh before it was joined by Emma’s and Madison’s as the lock clicked shut.

She tried to kill me.

I quickly realized that what I had thought was mundane garbage, was instead an enormous amount of used feminine waste products. Judging from the smell and the copious amount of bugs I could feel surrounding me, I’m fairly certain that they had been left there for the entirety of Christmas break. 

Oh God, the bugs .

I immediately lost the battle with my stomach and my own sick joined the horrible mess surrounding me as I began beating on the walls and door, screaming to be let out. Insects were crawling all over my body and I could feel the disgusting substances seeping into my clothes and in my hair. I heard the bell for first period ring and the fading sounds of their laughter. My panic rose as I realized that they planned to leave me there .

Emma… Did you want me to die?

I’m uncertain of the exact amount of time that I spent in the locker. All I know is that I had screamed until I physically couldn’t anymore and clawed at the walls until my fingers bled. I vaguely recall hearing the bell for second period but at some point between that and third period I must have passed out. Dad told me that I had been found by a custodian that had been sent to find the source of the smell at the end of the day. That means that I was trapped for at least eight hours.

What did I do wrong?

Due to the nature of what was left in the locker with me and the fact that I had open wounds from attempting to claw my way out, infection quickly set in. Sepsis was the most immediate concern, however I overheard the doctors mention the risk of HIV exposure. I was also suffering from copious amounts of insect bites and a ruptured voice box due to my screaming. I was lucky that Panacea happened to be at the hospital and agreed to heal me when I was brought in.

She shouldn’t have bothered. I flinched at the internal voice that sounded remarkably like Emma’s and bit my lip so hard I tasted blood. My hand was shaking as I gently set down the pen and closed the notebook. I was nearly hyperventilating after forcing myself to relive that nightmare and the rapid breaths sounded suspiciously like sobs. The notebook was once more placed in the box before I lifted another object from within.

In my hands was an old and tattered teddy bear, claimed by my infant self many years ago through “rite of drool” as my mother had once jokingly referred to it. The toy had obviously seen better days; its once soft fur was worn and patchy and one of the glass eyes had long since been replaced by a large button. 

In the past, the bear accompanied me everywhere. However, as the years passed and it grew more delicate, it eventually found a home in this box and was only brought out when I desperately needed the comfort that the familiar toy could bring. My mother’s passing, Emma’s initial betrayal; both were times that I needed the lingering security of childhood. Now, I needed that feeling more than ever.

I held the bear in the crook of my arm and made my way to my bed, toeing off my shoes as I went. I ensured that my curtains were shut as tightly as possible and climbed into bed. Curling into a ball while clutching the teddy bear to my chest, I pulled the blankets over my head and allowed myself to acknowledge the heart wrenching feeling of despair that had loomed over me since I first woke up in that hospital bed.

I sniffled, then let out a dry sob as I realized that this was truly the death of Emma’s and my friendship. Even if she burst into my bedroom right this moment and begged for forgiveness I would never be able to trust her again. Before the locker, I had always held on to the tiniest hope that maybe things could return to the way things used to be. Now I knew for a fact that we could never go back, no matter how much I wished otherwise. 

Tears ran down my face and I sniffed again before hugging my bear more tightly as I finally faced the fact that I was truly alone. Sure, Dad had said that he was here for me but the past few years had shaken my faith in him. When Mom died he was a shell of himself, barely able to function as a human being let alone a parent. How could I be certain that he wouldn’t do that again? 

I’m not sure exactly how long I lay there wallowing in my misery and self doubt. The bear was a bittersweet comfort. Many happy memories were attached to it, however, a significant portion featured Emma as well. Eventually I fell into an uneasy sleep filled with dark dreams of a foul smell and taunting, hurtful words spoken by the voice of a friend.

Maybe dying would have been better than this…

The sun was setting in the Great Forest of Niwen and the clear winter sky was tinged orange and purple as the first stars of the evening began to glimmer above the trees. A soft blanket of snow covered the landscape and all trees were bare save one. Golden light shimmered as the enormous tree swayed in the gentle evening breeze. He contentedly watched the inhabitants of the forest settle down for the night and smiled inwardly at the sight of his children as they assisted various creatures. Spirits had once again found a home in Niwen. 

It had been many years since the day he had merged with Seir and, though the forest had forgotten the name of the spirit that had saved them so long ago, the Great Spirit Tree still thought of himself as Ori. He felt warmth and happiness emanating from where Seir rested cradled in his branches as another light seed was caught by the breeze and drifted to the forest floor below.

A screech sounded from high above as an owl passed overhead, winging their way towards the Silent Woods. Ku had grown and eventually became a mother herself. She and her mate had chosen to roost in the Silent Woods after Ori’s light had revitalized their ancestral home. Her descendants still lived there today, and it was common to see a spirit or two clinging to the backs of the great owls as they glided above the treetops.

The Great Spirit Tree had been saddened at the passing of his youngest family member and missed her, Naru, and Gumo greatly. There had been a time when he despaired at the thought of outliving the other members of his family, however Seir had soothed him and he took comfort in her words. “The ones we love never truly leave us.” She whispered as his heart wept at the sight of Naru, her fur greyed with age, breathing her last at the foot of his trunk with a peaceful smile on her face. “They live on in our hearts, through the memories we made together.”  

Her gentle words bolstered Ori and as Naru was laid to rest beneath his roots, followed by Gumo and eventually Ku, he dreamed of days of joy and laughter long passed as the forest flourished under Seir’s golden glow. Decades passed, then centuries, and now he stood as tall and as proud as the Great Spirit Tree of his homeland of Nibel. 

Night had fully fallen by now, and the stars glittered overhead. Seir bathed the valley where Ori stood in a gentle light, making the snow shimmer with hints of gold. As the nocturnal denizens of the forest began to wake, he felt a peculiar sensation. The feeling was familiar, a soul crying out in loneliness and despair. The Great Spirit Tree had felt this cry twice before. Once in Kuro, Ku’s mother, as she screamed out in rage at the loss of her children. The second was in Shriek, the owl born in silence and thus changed by it.

Compared to the deafening voices of Kuro and Shriek, this voice was naught but a whisper. Even so, he reached out to it. The soul was young, little more than a child, and he mourned the fact that it was facing such pain at such an early stage of life. 

During his observation of the pained soul, Ori felt another presence reach out to it and he shuddered in response. The presence reminded him of the blight that he had long since purged from the Silent Woods. The blight stretched towards the soul, drawn by its suffering, whispering promises of power and vengeance. Ori came to a decision.

[EXCHA-

No.

The Great Spirit Tree flared his light and the horrid presence shied away from his brilliance. Golden light surrounded the little soul and cradled it gently, soothing the cries of fear brought about by dark dreams. After the young soul was calmed and dreaming gentle dreams of the Welspring Glades in spring, Ori turned his attention to the thing that he had defended it from. 

It hovered at the border of his reach, hiding in the shadows between light and dark, still seeking to claim the young soul he now protected. Ori considered this. It was obvious that the moment he withdrew the presence would continue the task he had halted. He would not be able to protect the soul indefinitely, as that would leave Niwen vulnerable, instead he reached out to the soul’s homeland hoping to encourage its guardian to protect the young soul in his place.

Upon connecting to the soul’s homeland, Ori was aghast. The blight that he had protected the soul from covered the world nearly in its entirety. The guardian that Ori had hoped to reach out to was nowhere to be found and the blight ran rampant and unchecked.

Despair and hopelessness seeped into the earth like a poison, infecting each and every one of the world’s inhabitants, and the blight seemed to thrive on it. It claimed soul after soul as they succumbed to the darkness tainting the very air they breathed and the Great Spirit Tree knew that more drastic measures had to be taken.

Still gently cradling the tiny soul with his light, Ori awoke Seir with a mental nudge. The light stirred slowly and glowed a bit brighter at her return to the waking world. She sent him a feeling of confusion. In response, he showed her the soul that he was still safeguarding from the blight of its homeworld. Seir understood, as Ori knew she would, and sent him feelings of agreement followed by curiosity. “What do you plan to do?” She asked softly.

It has been nearly two centuries since a new voice of the forest was born, this world is in need of the light that one can bring.

Seir hummed, quickly understanding Ori’s plan. Each of the Spirit Trees that guarded the forests of their world could occasionally produce a wisp. Wisps were usually only created when a light faded and a land needed to be revitalized. The idea was to use this ability to send a wisp to the blighted world, where it would merge with a spirit and become the world’s guardian. “A wisp needs a spirit to bear it and that world has none. While a light can pass between worlds, a spirit can not.”

Leave that to me.

The Great Spirit Tree returned his attention to the young soul, gently refuting Seir’s curious probing. The Golden Light huffed, and Ori could feel her amusement. “You’ve become cryptic in your old age.”  He sent her the equivalent of a mental chuckle in response before focusing on the task at hand.

High above the forest of Niwen, Seir’s golden glow began to brighten. The inhabitants of the forest that thrived in the darkness rather than the light took the warning for what it was and quickly escaped to their homes and burrows as the light became blinding. Seir flashed once, twice, three times before fading as motes of light were drawn to a point above her and coalesced into a much smaller point. After several moments the night returned to its natural state and a tiny orb of gold floated above Seir, who was exhausted yet pleased.

Ori spoke to the new light.

You are Seia, Hope of the Forest, and you have a difficult task ahead of you.

The light bobbed up and down as if to show that it was ready for the challenge and Ori chuckled.

You will be traveling to a world that has no light of its own. Become the light of that world. Spread hope across the land and halt the advance of the blight that consumes it.

The orb bobbed once more, almost solemnly, and sent Ori a feeling of readiness. He smiled inwardly and light once again flared across Niwen. When it faded the little light had disappeared.

Ori gazed once more at the young soul he had rescued. It had calmed now, and was basking in his light radiating a sense of security and contentment. Seir had been right. A single spark could be easily snuffed out and a tiny light like Seia needed a spirit to protect her. Unfortunately, as they were the physical embodiments of light, spirits were unable to cross worlds. An already existing soul would have to be altered to be compatible with Seia, and Ori had the perfect candidate.

Inside the smallest bedroom of a house next to a forest, a girl slept peacefully with dried tears on her face. She dreamed of a beautiful clearing in a forest protected by golden light. Joyous laughter escaped her as she danced among simple huts of grass and bark and found herself playing amongst the trees. She played hide-and-seek with small dark furred creatures with large eyes, larger ears, and long tails. She ran through the glade, racing white figures that shined in the sunlight and glowed in the moonlight. 

As the dream faded into the darkness of true sleep, the girl found herself resting in a pool of golden light that protected her from the fears and regrets that colored the waking world. The light pulsed and Taylor Hebert smiled in her sleep as a warm glow spread across her body and her bedroom was suffused with light.

Dawn has broken in Brockton Bay.

Chapter Text

Delighted laughter rang through the trees as several sets of paws pounded the forest floor, racing the shadows that glided above the treetops. Leaves rustled violently as white figures wove in and out of the underbrush, dashing towards the enormous waterwheel looming over the forest. The sound of rushing water became deafening and the group of spirits burst from the bushes and into the clearing with joyous shouts before diving into the clear waters of the Wellspring. 

The youngest members of the group played with reckless abandon under the watchful eyes of their elder siblings as several young owls perched in the shade of the trees lining the large lake. Delighted screams and gasps of awe rang out as one of the spirits who made her home in the nearby Luma Pools displayed her swimming skills for the land-favoring spirits who chose to live in the forest proper. 

Several pairs of luminous black eyes and one pair of green watched, mesmerised, as the spirit dove into the water only to launch herself dozens of feet into the air with nothing more than a flick of her tail. The other spirits immediately began to attempt the act, to limited success, laughing and splashing in the cool water. After a time, the oldest of the group guided the newest spirit to the nearby trees and began teaching her the basics of climbing and leaping from tree to tree.

The young female’s green eyes were odd, but she acted the same as any other spirit so the elder took great pride in how quickly she took to his teaching. The newest spirit’s limbs were long and willowy, allowing her to leap great distances between trees, and soon she was outpacing her teacher in their mock races. She took to climbing just as easily, and seemed to enjoy racing to the tops of the trees to play with the owlets that were watching her lessons with great interest. 

Finally, the older spirit taught her the simplest utilization of the light granted them by the Great Spirit Tree. After several minutes of careful instruction, the young spirit attempted to use her light to bounce in midair. It took several tries, but eventually she learned that if she curled her body just right she would ricochet off of her light to leap even greater distances. Upon completing her first successful double jump all of her older siblings tackled her in joy before racing off towards the enormous tree in the distance, their green-eyed sister amongst them.

It quickly became obvious that her older siblings had been careful not to outpace the youngest in their initial race to the Wellspring, for now that she had learned to climb, they took their race into the treetops. The group leapt and swung through the branches of the ancient trees and the youngest child of the Great Spirit Tree smiled as they emerged into the sunlit field where the enormous tree stood. Here in the forest guarded by gold, she was free.

The feeling of warm light, almost like sunlight, shining on my face slowly roused me from the peaceful feeling of deep sleep. I shut my eyes more tightly and turned to bury my face in my pillow, attempting to return to the wonderful dream I had been having. I remained that way for several minutes before sighing heavily. The last remaining vestiges of sleep had unfortunately slipped away and I was fully awake. Oddly enough, instead of fading with sleep, my memories of the dream remained and it was as if I could still hear the happy voices of my siblings and the rush of the wind through the trees. I frowned slightly, wondering why I had referred to them as my siblings rather than my friends . It felt… right.

Now that I thought about it, the dream in general had been… odd. The places that I had seen were almost too fantastical to be real and the creatures even more so. Weasel-like creatures with large ears and dark fur, living in hanging huts made of grass and bark? 

Moki , my mind supplied, they’re called Moki.  

I frowned harder. What about the other ones? The white ones that I couldn’t help but think of as family? 

Spirits!

I abruptly realized that the mental voice was far too cheerful to be mine. I tensed up.

Aww…. Don’t be like that!

The voice was very obviously pouting, though that didn’t bring me much comfort. I was fairly certain that telepathy wasn’t a parahuman ability, which meant that the voice inside my head wasn’t a cape. The thought wasn’t reassuring since the other option was that I had gone mad.

I’m not in your head, silly! I’m above you!

I bolted upright before toppling off of my bed with a thump as a sudden wave of vertigo washed over me. I didn’t move from my new position on the floor and waited for the sickening sensation of spinning to stop before I sat up once more. Slowly this time. The voice giggled, a sound that reminded me of wind chimes.

You’re funny! You didn’t hit your head, did you?

A bright light zipped into view, hovering just in front of my face, and I recoiled from the blinding sensation with a shocked trill. I froze at the strange sound and the light took the opportunity to drift closer to me once again, though much more slowly. I ignored the oddity that was my voice for the moment and allowed myself to inspect the odd light that was now bobbing gently in front of me.

It seemed to understand that I was observing it; as it’s movement stilled further and it’s bright glow dimmed slightly, allowing me to get a decent look at its shape. The base of the strange little light’s form was a ball of golden energy, so tightly condensed it appeared nearly liquid in nature. The surface of this orb swirled in complex patterns and fractals, seemingly at random, that caused the light it radiated to shimmer. It was beautiful.

I blushed, realizing that I had accidentally said that out loud, and once again wondered at the strange new quality of my voice. The light replied with a pleased, yet bashful, Thank you… as I experimented by making various sounds. My voice had softened in pitch and was now closer to the tone I had as a little girl. Additionally, it had gained a strange echoing effect that caused nearly every sound I made to have an almost musical quality. My range had also increased; many of the sounds I made were far beyond human capability and varied from trills and purrs, to an odd clicking sound that reminded me of a dolphin.

“Am I a parahuman…?” I wondered aloud, still marveling over my new vocal quality.

Of course not! You’re a spirit!

“...Huh?” I look at the light blankly. “You mean like from my dream?”

Yep!

“You’re joking.”

Take a look if you don’t believe me~

The light zipped over to the far side of the room and hovered next to the mirror on the back of my closet door. I cautiously got to my feet and ignored the foreign sensation of a tail swishing behind me, certain that it was a phantom sensation lingering from my dream. However, as I stepped in front of the mirror, I was unable to deny the change that I had been subconsciously aware of since waking.

The face and form staring back at me from my mirror were unlike anything I had ever seen. The first thing I noticed was that I was covered from head to toe in luminous white fur that glowed in the dim light of the room. My limbs were long and graceful and my movements were almost cat-like. My hind legs were digitigrade and, while I was most comfortable standing bi-pedal, I knew that I could just as easily transition to running on all fours. My fore paws were rather hand-like and had retained their opposable thumbs, a fact that was quite a relief, and I awkwardly grabbed my tail in order to inspect it as well. The tail was somewhat prehensile and incredibly fluffy, and I let out a quiet coo at the softness.

I reluctantly released my new tail after spending several seconds admiring the soft fur and returned my attention to the mirror. This time, my inspection was devoted to my face. My head was angular, a combination of fox and cat-like features, with a short snout and a large nose. My ears were large and could be moved freely, and I amused myself by flicking them up and down several times. The fur on my head was slightly longer than that of the rest of my body. It stuck out in odd tufts in an imitation of my hair as a human and my large almond-shaped eyes were the same shade of green that I had inherited from my father.

I look up at the orb of light that hovered nearby. She-the voice was feminine, though I’m not exactly sure how light has a gender-seemed to understand my shock and had waited patiently as I examined myself and came to terms with my sudden, and drastic, change. Now that my attention had returned to her, she drifted close to me once more.

I am Seia, Hope of the Forest, and the Great Spirit Tree chose you to be my guardian.

My head tilted as I looked up at her in confusion. “Guardian? From what?”

There is a blight consuming your world. Seia’s voice had taken on a somber tone. If it is not stopped, it will perish. I was sent to prevent that. 

I bit my lip and found myself unconsciously hugging my tail for comfort. I wasn’t sure what Seia meant by a blight , but I wouldn’t be surprised if she was talking about the Endbringers. They certainly caused enough destruction. “But why me ?” I asked. There were hundreds of heroes spread across the world to choose from. The Great Spirit Tree should have picked someone like Dragon or Alexandria, not a fifteen-year-old social pariah.

Seia booped my nose to snap me out of beginning a self-deprecating spiral. It was a peculiar sensation; since she was literally made of light, the orb was incorporeal. So rather than physically booping me, she sent me the feeling mentally. It was an effective, if slightly odd, strategy and I looked at her quizzically. The golden orb’s voice was gentle as she spoke.

Out of all the souls in this world, both powered and mundane, your voice was the one the Great Spirit Tree heard. He heard you crying out in despair and reached out to soothe your pain. In doing so, he discovered the danger that your world faces and decided to step in.

Memories of the night before flashed into my mind. Nightmares of the locker and a mocking voice, effortlessly cast aside and replaced with a sea of golden light and a gentle embrace as warm and loving as my mother’s. I shook my head violently, long ears flapping as I chased away the memories like errant flies. “Okay, but that still doesn’t explain all of… this. ” I gestured to my body.

You, uh… Got forcibly adopted.

“What?!”

Calm down, calm down! Seia bobbed up and down frantically at my alarmed shout. Sorry, I could have phrased that better!

I glared at her, choosing to ignore the fact that it was likely more adorable than menacing. “Explain. Now.”

Alright, so, I am a Wisp. Eventually I will become a Voice of the Forest but two things have to happen before that can occur. First, I have to mature. I’m brand new, I don’t have the power needed to sustain a large area yet. I can grow, but it’ll take time. Second, I have to merge with a spirit. 

I nodded, understanding so far. The little light seemed to relax slightly, realizing that I wasn’t angry at her verbal slip, just alarmed. She continued.

This is where you come in. As a Wisp, I am a spiritual embodiment of light. Spirits are the physical. While-

“So like a body and soul type deal?” I asked. “Spirits are the body and Wisps are the soul?”

Not exactly , but it’s a somewhat accurate comparison.

I nodded. “Okay. Sorry for interrupting, please continue.” 

Seia swayed slightly and I got the impression that she was gathering her thoughts before continuing. While spiritual bodies like Wisps or souls are capable of traveling between worlds with some assistance, physical bodies are not. So while the Great Spirit Tree could send me to this world, he could not send a spirit as well. Plus, since there were no naturally occurring spirits here…

“One would have to be formed from a body that already existed here.” I finished flatly.

Exactly!

I sighed and made my way over to my bed, noticing for the first time my rather drastic height difference. Instead of my former height of five-foot-teen, I was now barely pushing four feet standing upright. I climbed back onto my bed and scooped up my bear, idly wrapping my tail around both it and myself. In my mind, I compared my new height to that of the spirits in my dream. I quickly realized that while I was now rather short by human standards, I was tall for a spirit. Fully grown spirits stood just above four feet while juveniles ranged anywhere between that and about two and a half feet tall. 

Seia drifted over and rested herself on one of the corner posts of my bed. I wasn’t sure how she managed it, and I didn’t plan to ask. We sat together in silence for several minutes as I contemplated my change and what effect it would have on my future. Eventually, Seia spoke up.

You know, you’re taking all this really well.

I burst out laughing.

After my laughing fit at Seia’s idle comment, my stomach loudly protested it’s lack of sustenance and the two of us made our way downstairs. It took some trial and error to prepare a meal that I could actually eat. My new body was unable to consume a significant portion of what we had in the house as the highly processed foods made me incredibly sick.

As I dug through the various cabinets of boxed and canned food that we had on hand, Seia asked me about Earth Bet. I told her everything I knew about parahumans, heroes and villains. Which honestly wasn’t much. The conversation then evolved into an exploration of the gang politics of Brockton Bay and Seia was horrified by my description of the general state of the city.

Eventually, I found a dusty bottle of olive oil in the very back of the pantry and I was able to fry some eggs with it. I ended up needing to drag a chair over to the stove so that I could stand and cook comfortably. The eggs were supplemented by a cup of yogurt, which I spat out again almost immediately (It seemed like I could no longer stand dairy products. A shame, I would miss ice cream.) and copious amounts of fruit, which seemed to be a spirit’s preferred food source. Spirit’s were obviously omnivorous, however, plant based foods seemed to be the bulk of their diet. 

Seia recommended that I ask some of my older siblings about it when I returned to Niwen. I found her phrasing odd and I asked her what she meant as I worked my way through my third banana of the day. There were only two left in the fruit bowl and I had already devoured all four of the pears that had been there.

When the Great Spirit Tree changed you, he also formed a body for you in Niwen and formed a link between them. This allows your soul to travel between your world and Niwen freely. 

“‘Ow’s tha’ ‘ork?” I asked around a mouthful of banana. Seia didn’t answer. I could feel her disapproving gaze and I blushed under my fur before swallowing heavily. “Sorry.” I said sheepishly. “How does this ‘soul link’ work?”

It’s fairly simple. When you sleep, your soul will travel between your two bodies. So if you go to sleep here, you’ll wake up in Niwen and vice versa.

I blinked in surprise. “So my dream last night…”

Was your first day in Niwen, yes.

“ Why though? Why give me two bodies?” I was honestly confused by this.

The Great Spirit Tree knew that you would need to be taught various skills, just like any new spirit. 

She paused, hesitating, and I gestured for her to continue.

When in Niwen, you are simply a spirit. One child among many. Your only worries are what game to play next and which fruit tree to pick for your next meal. The Great Spirit Tree seemed to think you’d appreciate it.

It sounded like paradise, correction, it was paradise. I thought as I remembered the previous night. Despite my foreign origins, the other spirits had treated me just like any other. No bullies, no having to constantly look over my shoulder, just family and friendship. The Great Spirit Tree had been right. I did appreciate it. 

I finished the last of my banana and hopped off of the chair to toss the peel in the trash. The fact that I could apparently only eat organic food now would put a serious dent in our finances. Things that were ‘all natural’ tended to be much more expensive than stuff that had been pumped full of preservatives and chemicals and Dad’s salary wasn’t the best. I voiced my worries to Seia, who was unphased. 

Plant a garden! She chirped. My light will make whatever you plant grow faster and stronger than ordinary crops!

“That won’t hurt you will it?” I asked worriedly and she laughed.

Of course not, that’s what Wisps do! As my light infuses the nearby flora and fauna, it forms connections to me. The more connections that form, the stronger I get and the more I grow!

I nodded, relieved by my new friend’s confidence and chose to ignore the fact that I had grown incredibly attached to her at an alarming speed. I made a mental note to ask Dad to pick up some seeds the next time he went to the store and I froze. What the hell was I going to tell my Dad?

Seia senses my rising distress, and floats over. What’s the matter?

“How on earth am I going to hide this from Dad?” I asked with rising panic. “We were lucky that I was still asleep when he went to work, since our meeting wasn’t exactly quiet , but he’s going to get home sooner rather than later and-”

Why do you want to hide it from him? Seia’s bewildered question interrupted my panicked rambling and I looked at her in shock.

“I-I…” My ears drooped and, once again, I found myself hugging my tail for comfort. “If I tell him about all of this…” I make a vague gesture to her and myself, “I-I’m afraid that he’ll close himself off again…” 

What do you mean?

“About three years ago, my mom was in an accident. Sh-She died and my dad… h-he didn’t take it well.” I inhaled deeply and ignored the way my breath hitched. “He started working more and what little time he spent at home was spent passed out drunk on the couch.” I looked down and could feel my ears drooping as my mood darkened. “We don’t really talk anymore. We’re more like two strangers who just happen to be related.”

Perhaps this is your opportunity to reconnect with him. The Wisp’s voice was gentle, and I looked up at her in confusion.

“Huh?”

The Great Spirit Tree has given you the chance to have a fresh start with a new life in Niwen. Why not give yourself the chance to have a fresh start here as well? I was silent in response and Seia gently nudged my head, though I couldn’t feel it. Don’t worry, I’ll be right beside you.

I nodded shakily and hugged my tail more tightly in response.

It was after dark when my father pulled into the driveway and by that point I was a nervous wreck. I paced back and forth in the kitchen, shaking with anxiety, and called out when I heard the front door slam. “Dad?”

“Taylor, is that you? You sound… strange.” My dad’s voice was confused and I heard him walking towards the kitchen. 

I darted behind the basement door, grateful that I had thought ahead and opened it earlier, disappearing from sight just as my dad rounded the corner. I was unable to do anything about the bright glow that my body naturally gave off, and he paused at the light shining from behind the door.

“Uh, Taylor? Are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine dad.” I took a deep breath and tried not to let my voice tremble. “L-look, something happened and I’m not really sure how to explain it so I’m just going to show you instead. So, please, please try not to freak out. Okay?”

“Taylor, you’re scaring me. What’s wrong?” I could hear the worry in his voice as he took a step towards the door I was huddled behind. Before he could get any closer, I hastily stepped from behind the door. Seia hovered over my shoulder and I watched his jaw drop in shock. He opened and closed his mouth silently for several seconds before he finally seemed to find his voice. “T-Taylor?” He asked weakly. 

I nodded hesitantly. My tail flicked, betraying my anxiety as I took a step towards him. “Hey Dad…”

He dropped heavily into a nearby chair, still staring at me with wide-eyed shock, as I approached him slowly. I was obviously ready to bolt, tail flicking nervously and eyes jumping from my dad to the door and back again. “Y-You, wha…?” He stuttered intelligently. Seia giggled.

Your dad is just as silly as you are, Taylor!

The cheerful Wisp zipped out from behind me and Danny recoiled as the energetic little light flew around his head and I let out a snort at my dad’s bewildered reaction to the floating orb. Dad’s eye’s snapped back to me at the sound and I could see the wheels turning in his head as he started to comprehend the situation.

He ran a hand through his hair, something he only did when he was stressed, and sighed. “You’re a parahuman, aren’t you?” He asked.

I cringed. “Not… exactly.”

She’s a spirit!  

“What?!"

My dad’s shout was alarmed and I rushed to reassure him. “No, no, no! It’s not what you think Dad! I’m not a ghost!” I look at Seia, who did a very good job of looking contrite for a floating ball of light, and sighed. “Seia, the term spirit means something completely different than it does in Niwen. Here it tends to refer to ghosts, lost souls of the dead that linger in places. That sort of thing.”

Ohhh… Uh, oops?

I groan and Dad takes the opportunity to interrupt our little exchange. “So just to clarify, Taylor, you’re not hurt at all?”

I shake my head. “No, just… Different.”

“Okay.” He takes a deep breath in an obvious effort to steady himself. “Alright, now why don’t you sit down and explain what happened. Slowly.”

I sit down in the chair across from him and Seia returns to her preferred position of floating just above my right shoulder. “So last night, I had a nightmare about the locker…” I proceeded to tell him all about my dream from the night before and about the golden light that saved me from the personal hell that my subconscious had created. I told him about the time I spent in Niwen and my new, extremely large, family. He listened intently, an unreadable look on his face, and when I paused, he gestured for me to continue. I did.

My description of my tumble out of bed during my first meeting with Seia drew a huff of laughter that quickly faded as I described the reason she was sent here. His face darkened at the mention of a world-ending force consuming Earth Bet, but he didn’t interrupt. He didn’t speak for several minutes after I finished talking and was obviously deep in thought.

“So what you’re saying,” He said after a long and uncomfortable silence, “Is that my daughter is going to be fighting some unmentioned blight that is slowly consuming the world?” His words were obviously directed at Seia, and I could tell that he was working very hard to keep his tone even.

Well… Yes, and no. At my father’s raised eyebrow the Wisp rushed to explain herself. Yes, she’ll be fighting the blight, but not in the way you’re expecting.

Seia now had my attention as well. “What do you mean?” I asked.

The blight that infects this world feeds on despair, hopelessness… Taylor will work against it by spreading hope , not through fighting.

“But wouldn’t the best way to do that be defeating villains? Fighting crime? Cleaning up the streets?” I wouldn’t deny it, the thought of becoming a hero was appealing, but my dad protested.

“You will not be going out to fight super-villains!” It wasn’t quite a shout, but his voice was very firm.

“But Dad-” I started to argue, but Seia’s exasperated voice interrupted me.

You don’t need to fight to spread hope. Both of us look at her in confusion and she continues. Sure the villains are a problem; but hope isn’t usually needed by the strong, it’s needed by the weak. It doesn’t take much to spread hope. Little things like returning a treasured item to someone or healing someone who’s injured are all it takes.

My arguments died in my throat at those last words. “I can heal ?” I asked in wonder. I may not have known much about parahumans, but I did know that healers were rare .

You’d have to find an older spirit to teach you, but yes. Spirits can heal both themselves and others.

As I let that sink in, my dad decided to speak up again. “I’m still not very happy about my daughter being turned into a strange cat-thing, but believe me when I say that I’m happy that she won't be doing any fighting.” He sighed and gave me a half hearted smile. “Well, it looks like I’m going to be calling the PRT, we can get you enrolled in the Wards and-”

“No!” I blurted out and he looked at me in shock. For some reason, the moment he mentioned the PRT and the Wards a sense of wrongness crashed into me. I wasn’t sure why, but the thought of revealing myself to the PRT filled me with dread. I swallowed. “Don’t call the PRT, Dad.”

“Why? Wouldn’t that be the best thing to do?” He asked, looking at me in confusion.

My fur was standing on end at the thought of calling them and my ears flopped as I shook my head violently. “I can’t explain why, but I know that it would be a bad idea for me to get involved with the PRT. All of my instincts are screaming at me to avoid them right now.”

He frowned. “What are you going to do then? I don’t like the thought of you running around the city alone.”

“I’m not planning on going out for a few days at least.” I reassured him. “I want to learn to heal first. The most I’ll do is go for a run in the forest.”

He seemed relieved by that and nodded with a sigh. “Alright. We’ll revisit this later though.” 

The kitchen fell into an awkward silence and I struggled to find something to say. This had been the most that Dad and I had spoken to each other in a long time and I wondered if my change was affecting him as much as it was affecting me. I was slightly shaken by how much my change had altered me mentally as well as physically. After the locker, I was nearly comatose. I had neither the will nor the desire to do anything beyond eating, drinking, and sleeping. Even before that, a heavy cloud of depression had been constantly weighing me down due to a combination of loneliness and bitterness brought on by the copious amounts of bullying I had to endure. 

I wasn’t sure if it was Seia’s presence, or my time in Niwen, or possibly a combination of the two that had caused it, but something in me had changed. I felt… lighter, less beaten down by the world, and I desperately wanted to share that feeling with my dad. “Wanna see me give physics the finger?” As soon as I voiced the question I cringed and blushed at the odd look that Dad gave me.

“Pardon?” His eyebrow was raised. I was grateful that my fur hid my embarrassed flush and I reddened further as the sound of Seia’s giggles filled the air. 

Instead of attempting to better phrase the question, I hopped up from my seat and grabbed his hand to pull him up as well. Our new difference in height was incredibly obvious as my father’s six-foot frame now towered over me. “C’mon.” I muttered as I tugged him towards the back door.

He followed me obligingly, pausing long enough to grab his coat, and we stepped out into the cold January evening. The temperature barely phased me, while my dad shivered at the breeze that picked up. The sky was overcast, black clouds completely blocking out the moon. The air was damp and cold and I wouldn't be surprised if we got a few inches of snow before morning.

Seia and I were the only two sources of light in the yard and I left my dad standing on the porch as I dashed into the open with a joyous laugh. I was eager to try out my new climbing and jumping abilities in this body and immediately scaled one of the large trees bordering our yard. I ran out on one of the thick tree limbs and called out to my dad “Watch this!” as I leapt from the end of it. I ignored his cry of alarm as I twisted in mid-air, using nothing more than my inherent light to leap a second time at the apex of my first jump. I landed neatly on the roof of our house before dropping back down to the backyard soundlessly.

When I saw the look on my dad’s face; I burst out laughing, with Seia joining in. Dad was staring at me in stunned silence, looking dumbfounded at the fact that I had just performed a literal double-jump. Eventually, he started laughing too. His quiet chuckle made my heart soar. It had been a very long time since I heard him laugh.

“You were right,” He said after a few seconds. “You definitely gave physics the finger.” He was obviously making fun of my word vomit from before and Seia giggled again.

You really should think before you speak, Taylor.

I give her an affronted look. “Like you’re one to talk!”

I have no idea what you mean~

Her innocent act didn’t fool me and I opened my mouth to list all the times she’d blurted something out carelessly, only to be interrupted by my dad who was chuckling quietly at the exchange. “I hate to be a spoilsport, but not all of us have fur to keep up warm. I’m going to head back inside, you coming in too?”

I hummed in thought before shaking my head. “Not yet… I’m really enjoying the fresh air.”

He nodded and opened the door as I returned to the yard, running back and forth with Seia in an impromptu race. I laughed and leapt several feet into the air and latched onto the trunk of a tree. I scampered up the side of it before repeating the maneuver I had shown off for my dad and landing on the roof of the house. I sat down on the peak of the roof and looked out at the city as the first few flakes of snow began to fall. Nothing could hide the smile on my face.

Danny Hebert shut the door behind him quietly. He didn’t bother taking off his coat as he gazed out the window at the shining white figure that was his daughter. He had mixed feelings about the change. On one hand, some ancient power had changed his daughter into some kind of mythical forest guardian. On the other, Taylor seemed far happier than she had been for a long time.

For nearly two years Taylor had been closed off, unhappy. She barely spoke, never smiled, and spent most of her time in her room. It was a far cry from the happy, cheerful Taylor that he had known. He admitted that hadn’t been the best father for those two years. He’d noticed her change in personality, but hadn’t sat down to talk to her about it or tried to see what had caused it.

Then came that horrible locker incident. He’d been at work when he’d gotten a call from the school saying that Taylor had been taken to the hospital. He had immediately dropped what he was doing and rushed to Brockton General. Danny was ashamed to say that his temper had gotten the better of him when he was told that his little girl had been locked in her school locker with an alarming amount of feminine waste and then left there for hours . 

His shouting had drawn the attention of Panacea, who had just walked in for the beginning of her shift, and she had asked what the problem was. Upon hearing the story, the healer had offered to see to his daughter. When Taylor had woken up, Danny had been beyond relieved and had sworn to himself that he would reconnect with her. 

His heart had shattered when he saw the broken look in his little owl’s eyes after she had woken. She spent four days in the hospital under observation and didn’t speak a word. Danny knew that he had overreacted when Taylor’s doctor had suggested she stay at the nearby mental facility for a time but he didn’t want to believe even for a moment that his daughter was beyond recovery. 

Shortly after he had brought her home from the hospital, he had peeked into her bedroom and found her sleeping on her bed. She was clutching her tattered old bear from when she was little with a pained look and Danny made the decision to take some time off of work to help her recover. The only reason he’d gone in that day was to make sure all of his appointments had been pushed back and that the DWA would function for a couple of days without him.

When he’d returned home, he’d expected to find a Taylor who was a gaunt-eyed, broken shell of the girl he used to know. Instead he found a small white-furred creature that glowed with an inner light and had his daughter’s eyes. 

Danny found himself smiling at the sound of his daughter’s laughter and his eyes returned to the window, where he could see Taylor chasing that tiny gold light, Seia, around. The Wisp was friendly, if chatty, and Danny was happy that Taylor seemed to enjoy her company.

He pulled his coat off slowly and hung it on the coat rack before making his way back into the kitchen. He closed the basement door that had been left open and sat down heavily at the table, resting his head in his hands. As he listened to the sounds of joy echoing from the backyard, he couldn’t help but wonder what the future would hold. “Oh, Annette….” He murmured. “What am I going to do?”

Chapter Text

Large green eyes blinked open to see bright sunlight pouring into the little hut shared with two of her siblings and Taylor yawned as she sat up and stretched languidly, enjoying the sensation of the building rocking in the breeze. Her home in Niwen was a simple affair; a frame of sturdy branches were curved into a rough sphere and tied tightly with strong vines while long grasses were tightly woven between them. The structure was then suspended from the branches of a large oak tree to keep the ground of the clearing open. In the event of a storm, the hut could be lowered to the ground for the safety of its inhabitants.

Paws thumped on the wooden floor as she hopped out of the hammock she had slept in and brushed off a few stray pieces of the soft dried grass that served as her bedding. Two more hammocks hung close to hers, decorated with feathers and various other objects like shiny rocks or brightly colored shells. While Taylor didn’t have any decoration for her sleeping space yet, which she planned to fix as soon as possible, her hammock hung the highest and she quite enjoyed having the ‘top bunk’ so to speak.

On the floor of the hut was a low wooden table and a few stools. There was a bowl full of fruit on the table and Taylor smiled as she plucked an orange fruit that was the same size and consistency of a plum from it. She padded over to the window, little more than a gap in the grass and branches that formed the hut’s walls, and peered out while gnawing on her treat.

Though the sun was only just beginning to peek over the horizon, the Wellspring Glades were already buzzing with activity as Spirit and Moki alike prepared to start the day. Scattered groups formed and prepared to go out into the forest and Taylor watched them curiously. At the foot of the large hollow oak tree, several Moki pups were playing under the watchful eyes of their parents. A group of spirits approached them carrying baskets and Taylor could hear the pup’s shouts of joy as they were led off to go berry picking, much to their parent’s amusement.

Near the Glades’ western entrance stood a large group of Moki carrying simple fishing rods made from water reeds. They were obviously planning to spend the day fishing and Taylor considered joining them, idly wondering if they were going to the Wellspring or the Luma Pools. She was shaken from her musing by the sight of a familiar figure, Talu, the spirit that had taught her to double jump the day before. 

Abruptly remembering that she had planned to ask about learning to heal, the young spirit hopped up and sprinted out of the hut before taking a flying leap and latching onto the trunk of the great oak. She allowed herself to slide down the trunk and rolled to disperse her momentum when she hit the ground. It was rather odd; when she was in Niwen, it was her life on Earth Bet that seemed like nothing more than a dream. If she didn’t focus, she was likely to forget any plans she made while on her homeworld.

Talu paused when she called out to him and seemed amused by the way she rushed over. “What’s the hurry my big, little sister?” He asked teasingly. Talu was rather short for a spirit.  Despite being fully grown he only stood at about three-foot-five and, though she was far younger than him, Taylor’s willowy frame towered over him. A fact that seemed to amuse Talu greatly.

The green-eyed spirit huffed at him though she couldn't hide her smile. “Do you know anyone who would be willing to teach me how to heal?” She asked, trying not to seem too eager.

She knew that she had been unsuccessful when Talu chuckled at her. “It depends on what exactly you want to learn. There are several herbalists here in the Glades, most of them could teach you the basics, but if you want to learn true healing your options are much more limited.”

She frowned in confusion. “What do you mean by ‘true’ healing?”

“It’s the kind of healing that only spirits can perform. It involves the use of our light to mend the body. That’s all I know about it, I never bothered to learn how.” Talu’s reply was blunt and Taylor sighed. Of course it wouldn’t be that simple.

“Do you know who could teach me?” She asked. He hummed in thought.

“Your best bet would be Stel. She lives up north in the mountains of the Reach. I can take you to her, but I’ve got no clue if she’ll agree to teach you or not. She can get pretty cranky.” He winced. “Please don’t tell her I said that.”

She giggled. “I won't, I promise.”

Talu eyed her suspiciously before deciding that she was being truthful. “Okay then. The climb up to Stel’s den is long. You’re going to want to get a satchel and pack some food. I recommend bringing some marsh-clam soup. Unlike the Glades, the Reach is cold in winter.”

“...You wouldn’t happen to know where I can get a satchel, would you?”

Taylor’s dry tone drew a laugh from Talu. “Verta should have a spare! You can ask her when you pick up the soup.” She nodded and jogged off. “Make sure you get enough for both of us!” He called out from behind her, “I’ll meet you by the western trail!”

“Okay!” She called back as she scampered towards the other side of the Glades. The clearing was dominated by two enormous oak trees that were apparently as old as the Great Spirit Tree itself. The two ancient trees were separated by a stream that flowed from the Wellspring and connected to the Inkwater Marsh deep in the forest. 

Taylor scaled the easternmost tree and leapt onto the bridge that connected it’s uppermost branches to the cliff where Verta made her den. They had been briefly introduced when she had first arrived in the Glades the day before, however, there hadn’t been much time to talk during their brief meeting. After her lessons with Talu, Taylor’s first day in Niwen had been spent meeting the particularly noteworthy citizens of the Glades. By the time she had met them all, all she had wanted to do was fall into bed and sleep.

“Verta?” Taylor called out as she stepped into her cave. “Are you in here?” 

“I’m up here Darling!” A warm voice called out from deeper in the cave. Following it, Taylor climbed the steps at the back of the room and entered a large kitchen area. Verta’s back was to her and she could see the large figure carefully stirring a pot that bubbled furiously. The heady scent of spices filled the air and the spirit’s mouth watered in response, it smelled heavenly . Verta carefully pulled the pot of soup off of the fire and wiped her hands on a cloth before turning towards the young spirit. “What can I do for you?”

Verta was a matronly being with a warm voice and bright eyes and her appearance somewhat resembled that of an oversized gopher. The fur on her face and chest was cream colored while her hands and back were a rich chocolate brown. Her friendly face crinkled in a smile when she saw Taylor. “Oh! Well if it isn’t the newest citizen of the Glades! Come in deary, have a seat.” She ignored her stuttered protests and gently but firmly ushered the spirit over to a nearby chair before settling herself down across from her. “Now, what brings you to my kitchen?”

“Talu is taking me to meet Stel who lives in the Reach.” The young spirit explained, slightly disconcerted by the female’s motherly manner. “He said that I should get a travel satchel and mentioned that you might have a spare?” Her final words came out sounding more like a question.

She chuckled and stood before making her way over to the shelves that lined the far wall. “You’ll be wanting some soup as well, then?” She asked as she rummaged through the shelves.

Taylor nodded before remembering that older creature had her back turned. “Yes, please!”

“Mmm, I thought so.” Verta returned to the table carrying a leather pouch, which she handed to the spirit. “I went ahead and filled it for you, love. There’s fruit, both dried and fresh, an assortment of nuts, and some fresh bread in there.” Taylor immediately tried to protest but the gopher dismissed her words with a derisive snort. “Don’t you worry about it, dear. I wouldn’t have done that if I didn’t want to.” She bustled away again, scooping up two moderately sized canteens and one large one and carefully ladled some of the fresh soup into each before firmly sealing each one with a cork.

The canteens were placed on the table alongside the satchel and the spirit inspected them curiously. The canteens seemed to be made using the shells of the very marsh-clams that went into the soup they contained. The shells were carefully cleaned and then sealed shut using a tree resin that hardened when exposed to heat, holes were then carefully filed in the top and sealed with corks. “This is neat.” Taylor muttered as she turned one of the canteens over in her hands.

Verta chuckled. “If you like, I can show you how to make them the next time you visit me!”

The look the spirit gives her is surprised, yet pleased. “That would be awesome!” She exclaims. 

Verta chuckled again. “I’ll look forward to it then! Now, go on, you don’t want to keep Talu waiting!” Taylor agreed and stood up. She slung the satchel over her shoulder, adjusting the strap until the bag rested snugly against her back, and scooped up the containers of soup. As she left, Verta called out to her. “That large canteen is for Stel. You tell her that she needs to come down and visit more!”

“I will!” Taylor replied as she carefully carried the containers of soup in her arms. She made her way back across the bridge slowly, not wanting to drop one of the containers on an unsuspecting Moki below. When she reached the trunk of the large tree, she chose to take the long way down rather than repeat her stunt from earlier that morning and risk spilling the soup. The green-eyed spirit stepped onto a small platform and untied the vine holding it in place. She crouched as the platform began to slowly lower. While she had been shown the lift system the night before, she hadn’t actually used it. 

The spirit breathed a sigh of relief when she finally reached the ground and decided that she did not like those things. The fact that she wasn’t the one in control of her descent really did not sit well with her. Scooping up the canteens of soup once more, Taylor resumed her jog towards the western trail. As she approached she could see her elder sibling waiting for her, his own satchel resting on a rock next to him. She hurried over and was relieved when Talu took the largest container from her arms. “That one’s for Stel.” She told him.

Talu seemed unsurprised. “Stel’s been around since Verta was a pup. She used to watch her while Verta’s mother was making the soup. I know Verta misses her.” Taylor looked at him in surprise. While Verta wasn’t old she wasn’t young either. The older spirit nodded, answering her unspoken question. “Yeah, Stel’s that old.” As he spoke, he turned and pulled some twine from his bag and tied it around the canteen in a rudimentary harness that could be looped over one’s shoulder. He handed the twine to Taylor and showed her how to do the same. “She’s currently the oldest spirit in Niwen. Most of us thought she’d fade ages ago, but she’s still around and crabbier than a snipper without its shell.”

Once all three canteens were secured, Talu scooped up his pack and secured it to his back in the same manner as Taylor. He then scooped up two of the soup containers and strode down the path. The younger spirit hurriedly placed the rest of the twine in her pack and slung her canteen over her shoulder as she rushed to follow. The two walked along the rough trail in companionable silence for a time until, finally, the younger of the two couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer. 

“Do you think Stel will agree to teach me?” She asked.

Her brother shrugged. “I honestly don’t know.” He replied. “Her temper has been a lot shorter recently. That’s probably why Verta gave you the extra soup, it’s Stel’s favorite and might help get her in a better mood.” Talu caught Taylor’s worried look and smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry about it. There are other healers in Niwen. If she doesn’t want to teach you, we can go somewhere else. Stel’s just the best.”

Taylor sighed and nodded before falling silent once more as they continued walking. She took the opportunity to admire the beautiful scenery with a smile. The section of the forest that was home to the Wellspring and the Wellspring Glades was in a sheltered valley, bordered by mountains to the north and the sea to the west. Even though it was winter, the valley was still lush and green as the mountains protected the area from the harsh winter storms. The warm breeze from the sea constantly blew in monsoons and, while not tropical, the area was a paradise.

Eventually, the pair turned from the path that would lead them to the Wellspring and began to head north. The ground began to slope upwards and soon Taylor could see her breath forming clouds in the rapidly cooling air. 

It was noon when they paused to eat a quick meal at the foot of the pass that would take them into the mountains of the Reach proper. Taylor’s fur was fluffed due to the cold, but she found herself enjoying the change in temperature unlike Talu. The older spirit was shivering and muttering to himself as he clutched his canteen of soup to his chest in an effort to absorb some of the heat from it.

His younger sister looked at him in concern. “Are you alright?” She asked.

He waved her off. “I’m fine, I just don’t like the cold all that much. It’s why I prefer to stay in the Glades.” She nodded at him uncertainty as she sipped her soup and her eyes watered. It was really spicy.

They continued eating in silence and before long were continuing their trek. The pair were now in the mountains proper and patches of snow were scattered here and there in the shadows thrown by the large evergreens that made up the majority of the trees in the area. The trail they were following winded back and forth as it made its way up the mountainside and there were several moments when the pair found themselves climbing rather than walking up the steep incline. 

The sun was just starting to set when Taylor spotted smoke rising from the next ridge and Talu breathed a sigh of relief. “Finally…” He muttered as he began to pick up his pace, eager to get out of the cold. 

The pair reached Stel’s home just as the sun dipped below the horizon. They passed through a low-walled garden and Taylor stepped forward to knock on the door set into the mountainside. There was no response and, after waiting a moment, she knocked again. This time, there was some banging and a loud crash as a voice muttered to themselves before the door was abruptly pulled open. “What do you want?”

The voice belonged to the oldest, and scruffiest, spirit Taylor had ever seen. Unlike Taylor and Talu, Stel’s ears were small and pricked up in an alert fashion and her eyes were sharp and narrow. Her fur stuck out in odd tufts all over her body and she leaned on a sturdy staff made from a twisted tree branch. This wasn’t what caught the youngest’s attention though. What drew Taylor’s attention was the light pouring from the old spirit’s fur. A spirit’s light grew in strength as the spirit aged, and Stel’s light was positively blinding . 

As Taylor stared in awe, Talu stepped forward. He knew how overwhelming the light from an elder spirit could be and Stel had never been the most subdued. “Stel,” He gestured at the younger spirit, who was still stunned by the strength of Stel’s light. “This is Taylor, she’s the newest of our siblings.”

The old spirit inspected Taylor, attention lingering on the peculiar coloration of the younger female’s eyes. She harrumphed and turned away, leaving the door open. “You’d better come in then.” She grumbled. “And make sure you shut the door behind you!”

Talu gently nudged Taylor, breaking her out of her stupor, and the young spirit hurriedly stepped inside. Her brother followed shortly after, and shut the door firmly behind himself. Stel’s home was a single large room that had been carved into the side of the mountain and sectioned off by large woven hangings draped from the ceiling. The small fire pit warming the room was situated under a natural crack in the stone to vent the smoke and a large table covered in herbs, both dried and fresh, dominated the center of the space. 

Stel settled herself in a comfortable-looking wicker chair with a groan before returning her attention to her visitors. “Well? What brings you to my humble abode?”

Talu nudged Taylor again and she flinched before stepping forward. “Um, Verta wanted me to bring you this-”

She’s cut off by a bark of laughter from the older female. “That heat loving youngster wouldn’t bring you all the way up here for that .” She scoffed and Talu rolled his eyes in response. “Tell me why you’re really here.”

Taylor felt rather intimidated. Stel was much more… brusque in manner than she had been expecting, despite Talu’s warnings. She did her best to push down her nerves. “I-I’d like you to teach me how to heal, please.”

The older female cocked her head in response, inspecting Taylor closely, and the young spirit attempted not to squirm under the weight of her elder’s stare. Doing her best to meet her gaze, something in Taylor’s eyes must have passed Stel’s inspection because the old spirit nodded in response. “Alright.”

Talu looked shocked. “What? Just like that?” He asked. “I thought you weren’t taking on any more students!”

Taylor turned to him with a frown. “If you thought she wasn’t taking any more students, then why did you bring me up here?”

Her brother shrugged. “I figured that it couldn’t hurt to try. Plus, I thought you might like to see the Reach.”

The green-eyed spirit sighed. “I wish you had told me just how slim the chance was, but I appreciate the thought.”

“Ah, but if I had told you that, you wouldn’t have had the courage to ask!” He replied with a grin and I rolled my eyes in response.

Stel watched our exchange with thinly veiled amusement before interrupting. “Just leave that soup on the table there, then go on and get some rest. I know that the trip from the Glades isn’t exactly a short one.” She gestures to one of the curtained off sections of the room. “I have some spare nests over there for the Reach dwellers who still use my services from time to time. Feel free to use them.” 

Taylor thanked her before following Talu over to the indicated alcove and ducking behind the hangings. Several shallow depressions had been worn into the floor and lined with soft hay, dried moss, and woven blankets. The area was dim except for the light that Talu’s fur emitted as he carelessly dropped his satchel off to the side and flopped bonelessly into the nearest nest with a happy sigh. The younger spirit giggled before carefully placing her own satchel to the side and settled down into another depression next to him. The hay was soft and sweet-smelling and she quickly found herself drifting off to the sound of the crackling fire and her brother’s quiet snores.

I did my best to stay out of sight as I leapt from tree to tree. This was quite difficult due to my fur’s inherent luminescence making me stand out like a sore thumb in the darkness of the winter night and I countered this by ensuring I stayed out of direct sight of as many windows as I could and sticking to the outer edges of E88 territory. I didn’t like being so close to one of the largest gangs in the city but Seia had suggested it. Purity, an incredibly strong flying Blaster type cape, was a known associate of the E88 and her most recognizable feature was the fact that her powers caused her to glow with a bright white light.

The idea was to let her reputation scare off anyone who might want to investigate the glowing figure darting from rooftop to rooftop and running along the bare branches of the trees. It seemed to be working for the most part. Tonight was my third night out and I hadn’t seen a soul. While there was a chance I could run into a cape, I was fairly confident that wouldn’t happen. Not only was I far away from any of the usual cape haunts, I was also ensuring that I caused as few waves as possible to prevent the possibility of someone being sent to investigate. Realistically, I knew that it was only a matter of time before I did run into a cape but I was doing my level best to make sure that wouldn’t happen until I was ready.

I paused as my destination came into view, and cautiously peaked over the edge of the low building I was perched on. The parking lot of the Happy Paws Animal Shelter and Hospital was completely empty and the windows were dark. I quickly leapt from roof to roof until I was on the roof of the animal clinic and approached one of the vents bringing in fresh air for the heating system. I firmly gripped the grate covering the opening and tugged as hard as I could. After several minutes of pulling and muttered curses, the metal mesh came loose and clattered onto the gravel covered roof. 

Seia darted inside. She had been carefully concealing her presence by remaining nestled in the fur of my chest and allowing my light to mask her own. Dad had recommended that we do our best to hide her existence and I agreed. My change could be easily disguised as a parahuman ability, Seia not so much.

I followed the little light into the clinic and carefully slid down the shaft by bracing my paws against one wall and my back against the other to control my descent. By the time I had reached the bottom, Seia had returned and I followed her as she guided me through the twists and turns of the ventilation system. The combined glow of Seia and I allowed me to see just how filthy the tunnels were and when I looked down at myself I cringed at the state of my fur. I’d have to bathe again tonight. 

It wasn’t long until we reached the recovery area where they kept sick and injured animals overnight and I quickly spotted a grate that would be large enough for me to fit through. Getting out of the vents proved to be far easier than getting in, as I was able to brace myself against the far wall before giving the vent cover a solid kick and sending it clattering to the floor below. The sound immediately set several dogs to barking as I carefully maneuvered my body out of the vent and dropped lightly to the floor.

I had been doing this since Stel had given me her blessing to begin healing on Earth Bet several days ago. The morning after Talu and I made the trip up the mountain, the old spirit had declared that I’d be staying with her until she was satisfied that I had learned all I could before literally chasing Talu off with her walking staff. I was rather impressed, I’d never seen my cocky older sibling run that fast. 

When she’d returned, she had grilled me about my origins and refused to teach me anything until I told her about my double life and how the Great Spirit Tree had claimed me as one of his children. When she was satisfied by my answer, she nodded and sat me down to begin our first lesson.

“I knew that there was something odd about you child, more than just your unusual eye color.” Stel said as she lowered herself to the cushion across from Taylor. They were sitting on a pair of flat, cushioned stones in the garden with the midwinter sun shining down on them. It was an unusually warm morning in the Reach, and Taylor was greatly enjoying the feeling of the sunlight on her fur. “Your light,” Stel continued, “Is unusually potent for one so young and you possess a startling amount of control over it.” She peered at her student, once more seeming to look through her rather than at her. “I’m unsure if it’s a boon granted to you by the Great Spirit Tree or if it’s simply the strength of your soul. Either way, it would be a crime to allow your potential to be wasted.”

The old spirit allowed her words to sink in for a moment before continuing. “Now the most important thing to understand about your light is that it is as much a part of you as your ears or your tail are. Your light is your life, your soul. If you use too much too quickly you will fade.” She fixed a very pointed and very firm look on Taylor, who quailed under the force of her glare. “As such, you will do exactly as I say. Do you understand?”

The younger spirit gulped and nodded furiously. “I understand!”

“Good.” Stel seemed to understand that she had gotten her point across and looked pleased. “Now then, I want you to close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Feel your light as it flows through your body and into the air around you.” 

Doing as the older spirit said, Taylor allowed her eyes to close as she breathed deeply and slowly. It took a moment, but after several minutes of concentrating, the young spirit began to notice what her sibling was showing her. Her light arched around her body, spreading throughout the area. It was almost like a sixth sense, she could feel the forest around her. 

“Feel how your light seeps into the life around us, restoring and energizing. Focus on the sensation, this is the most basic of our healing abilities and a passive effect of all spirits.” Stel continued to speak as Taylor felt herself connecting with the surrounding area. “Plants will grow more easily in your presence, animals will be more friendly towards you, sentient beings will be more energized in places you frequent; these are all effects of your light.”

The younger spirit opened her eyes slowly, allowing her focus to return to her teacher. Now that she was aware of it, her light’s influence was a constant sensation in the back of her mind and she had to struggle not to become distracted by the feeling once again. Stel looked pleasantly surprised. “Very good! I knew you had an incredible amount of control, but that was impressive. It usually takes a young spirit several hours of intense concentration to feel their light for the first time.”

Taylor flushed beneath her fur and hugged her tail bashfully. “Thank you…”

The older spirit chuckled at her younger sister’s embarrassment. “I wasn’t expecting you to grasp it this quickly, so I’m not prepared for your next lesson. Though I think we can manage.”

“What do you mean?” The younger spirit asked curiously.

“I had planned to go out and see if I could find an injured bird or another small animal while you were learning to feel your light.” Stel explained. “The next step is for you to actually attempt to heal something but I suppose you can simply test your light on me. I’ll be able to tell if you’ve done it correctly.”

Taylor looked at her uncertainty. “Are you sure?” She asked hesitantly.

“Honestly, this is probably safer than my original method.” Stel chuckled again. “Though if you would rather wait, I understand.”

The younger spirit shook her head. “If you’re okay with it, I’d like to continue.”

Her teacher nodded. “Very well then. Your next lesson is simple in concept, though difficult in practice.” The old spirit held out her paw and an aura glimmering green light formed around it. “This is the restorative effect of our light, isolated and concentrated.” She reached out and tapped Taylor’s shoulder and she gasped as the feeling spread through her. Any residual soreness from the climb up the mountain the day before vanished, and the spirit felt… energized. Stel lowered her arm. “Now you.”

“How?”

“Focus on the way your light flows into the living things around you. Attempt to isolate the feeling and channel it into your palm.” The elder spirit explained. “When you think you have it, simply reach out and touch me while releasing the energy. I’ll let you know if you are successful.” 

The young spirit nodded and closed her eyes. She easily connected to her light and struggled not to lose herself in the feeling of life all around her. She began channeling light into her paws and, once she no longer felt like she would lose her grip on the energy, reached out and touched Stel’s paw while simultaneously releasing the energy. 

“Try again.” Said the old spirit.

Frowning, Taylor focused on the feeling of her light again before channeling it. This time, she only focused on one paw and allowed the energy to slowly build on its own before she once again reached out and touched Stel’s paw.

“Your technique was better that time,” The other spirit said approvingly. “But you still weren’t successful.”

This went on for a time, with Taylor attempting to channel the healing properties of her light and Stel occasionally correcting her technique or giving snippets of advice. Eventually the younger spirit got fed up and asked why Stel wouldn’t just tell her how to do it, to which the elder solemnly responded. “All healers must discover their own method of restoring the injured. It proves they have the patience and determination needed to save a soul on the brink of fading.”

The young spirit’s complaints died in her throat after hearing those words and she took a deep breath before closing her eyes and focusing on her light once more. This time, before she even attempted to channel her light, she allowed herself to focus on the way the forest absorbed it. She saw how the plants and animals around her subtly changed it, altering the pure energy into a form they were capable of processing. Something in her head clicked. The light she had been channeling previously had been too pure. Only spirits were compatible with light in its purest form; other creatures needed to dilute it before they were able to absorb it.

This time, instead of channeling the light within her body, Taylor channeled the light that had already been dispersed from her. It was difficult . The light that was saturating the air wasn’t nearly as cooperative as that which was inside her, but she persisted. It was still her light, just different. She could still manipulate it. Eventually, she had managed to gather some of the diluted light in her palm. The spirit could feel her grip on the light slipping, so she hastily reached out to Stel and gasped when she felt the energy rush out of her, leaving her panting in exhaustion.

Stel clapped and exclaimed. “Well done! That was wonderful !”

Taylor groaned in response and opened her eyes to see the old spirit smiling warmly at her. “Why was that so difficult ? I feel like I just sprinted down the mountain then back up again multiple times .”

“That would be because when healing, you are not only manipulating your own light, but the natural energy of the world around you and the being you are restoring. Life is chaotic and the energy of life reflects that.” The elder explained.

“That… actually makes sense.” Taylor said speculatively. It had taken all of her effort and focus just to absorb and contain that tiny amount of energy and keep it contained until she was prepared to use it. This… would be harder than she thought. “So, uh, what now?” She asked her teacher.

“Now? You rest.” Stel said. “Tomorrow, you practice.” 

The mischief in the older spirit’s grin made Taylor fear for her safety.

I shuddered at the memory of what Stel called ‘practice’. The old healer had made me absorb as much life energy as I could while still remaining in control. Then, over the course of the entire day, she made me release it achingly slowly. It had been absolutely exhausting but I couldn’t deny the fact that the exercise had worked. 

The more I performed the exercise, the easier it was to control the energy. Stel had made me do it here on Earth Bet as well, saying that the life energy of a different world would have a different feel to it and she was right. The life energy here in my homeworld was almost… sluggish. If the energy in Niwen was like water, then the energy of Earth Bet was like molasses. Sticky and thick, difficult to manipulate. 

After about a week of practicing the manipulation of life energy, Stel began to take me out on the mountain and have me heal any injured creatures we found. Some moments she had me heal a creature with a quick burst of energy; other times she made me go slowly, carefully ensuring that the flow of energy was strong and steady. 

I quickly learned that both methods had advantages and disadvantages. The quick healing was good for simple injuries such as cuts or broken bones, provided I set the bone properly of course. The unfocused burst of energy tired me more quickly, as I was basically saturating the injured being’s body with a large burst of energy rather than focusing on the injury directly. It was incredibly fast though, taking less than a second to charge and use. I could also target myself with this ability, to much greater effect.

The slower method was what I preferred to use when healing other creatures as it was much more versatile and took far less energy than the quick healing burst. With the slow method, I was able to focus on one specific area and channel focused energy to that point specifically. This method allowed me to treat things like internal injuries or illnesses. I was even able to affect brains! Not even Panacea could do that . The only issue with this method of healing was that it was incredibly slow and took all of my attention. I was also unable to use it on myself, as the odd sensation of the slow healing made it impossible for me to concentrate.

The best part about my healing was that there were no side effects. No sluggishness or risk of rejection, I was simply using the energy of the world to help restore the body to its natural state. There were downsides though. Anything that went against the natural order of the world I was unable to do. Unless the being I was healing was able to do it naturally, I was unable to regrow limbs. Things like reversing the effects of aging were completely impossible. I could ease the pain that came with growing old or ease one’s passing but I could not halt the passage of time.

I still wasn’t allowed to heal without supervision as I wasn’t completely sure of my limits yet and ran the risk of over exerting myself. It had taken some convincing, but Stel had eventually given me permission to heal while on Earth Bet as well provided that Seia was on hand to keep an eye on me. 

The past few days had been spent going from animal shelter to animal shelter and healing whatever sick or injured animals that were being kept there. I wasn’t confident enough to break into a hospital yet, nor was I comfortable with healing anything larger than a dog at this point. 

I ignored the few dogs that were still barking and approached the first cage. Inside was a small kitten who puffed up its tiny body and hissed at me as I peered through the bars. I glanced at the chart hanging over the door of its enclosure. The kitten was feral, a little female. She had gotten her tail caught in a car engine and it had been severed poorly. I winced. Though I hadn’t had it for all that long, I had become rather fond of my own tail and knew that the appendage was quite sensitive. 

I opened the cage door and reached toward the kitten, cooing gently at it when it hissed again. Though it was obviously still wary, my quiet cooing calmed it enough for me to pick it up. It purred as I held it to my chest and began to heal what was left of it’s mangled tail. When I finished, there wasn’t much more than a stub left and the kitten had fallen asleep in my arms. I carefully returned the kitten to the cage and closed it again before turning to the other animals. One down, many more to go.

Several hours passed, and the clock on the wall read three in the morning when I checked after closing the last cage. I still had plenty of energy left and toyed with the thought of heading to another shelter but ultimately decided not to. I glanced at Seia and whispered. “Let’s go.”

The light bobbed once before drifting back up and into the ventilation system. I scooped up the vent cover and leapt to the vent. Catching the edge of the opening with one paw, I slid the cover into the hole before using both paws to lift myself inside. Once I was in, I carefully propped the cover up, doing my best to make it look like it hadn’t been tampered with. I had no idea what it looked like from the outside, but I hoped that it looked normal enough to withstand a cursory inspection.

As I began making my way back outside, I watched Seia carefully. The orb was drifting through the tunnels ahead of me and had been uncharacteristically silent the entire night. I hadn’t asked her about it earlier due to being focused on breaking into the animal hospital and then on healing the animals. Now that those tasks had been completed with barely a word from the normally motor mouthed Wisp, I was growing worried.

After watching her for a few more seconds, I decided to speak up. “Seia?” 

She paused and drifted back towards me. Hmmm?

“Are… Are you okay?” I asked hesitantly. “You’ve been really quiet all night.” She freezes and, to my substantial alarm, dims significantly. 

Was it really that obvious? She asked quietly.

I nodded slowly, my face now openly worried. “You’re normally so excited about seeing the city. Did something happen?”

The little light seemed to shrink in on herself. I, uh… You could say that. Seeing my confused expression, she stops. Prompting me to do so as well. She sighed. Last night, while you were in Niwen, I… I read your journals.

At first I had no clue what she was talking about. Then, it hit me. The notebooks. The ones where I had chronicled the years of systematic physical and emotional torture at the hands of the Trio, were still resting in the box on my desk where I had left them the night I was changed. After my talk with Dad, he called the school. After several hours of arguing over the phone, the school had agreed to allow me to be homeschooled and the shock of being changed into a spirit combined with the relief that I’d never have to see the Trio again had caused the journals to completely slip my mind.

I should probably have been angry, but instead I was rather impressed and a little bewildered. I had no clue how she’d managed to read them. She was an incorporeal ball of light! I shook my head, this could be speculated on later. I returned my attention to Seia as she continued speaking, distress coloring her tone.

What those girls did to you… The locker… Was that what caused you to call out to the Great Spirit Tree?

She gasped, horrified, at my wordless nod. I sat down, no longer caring about the copious amounts of dust darkening my fur, and wrapped my arms and tail around my knees. Seia drifted over to rest on my lap and I closed my eyes, taking comfort in the warm feeling of her light. “Emma… was my best friend. When we were little, we did everything together. We would stay over at each other’s houses for days at a time, playing stupid games and staying up all night. She was my sister in everything but name.”

What happened? Seia’s voice was small and confused. 

I sniffled, despite having occurred years ago, her betrayal was still an incredibly painful memory. “The summer before we started highschool, I went to a nature camp for a couple of weeks. When I came back, it was like all of our years of friendship had been erased. I still don’t know why.” I wiped my eyes, the dust had caused them to tear up. I refused to believe that I was crying. “She’s spent the past two years using the bond we had as children against me. Every secret, every happy memory has been turned into a weapon to torment me.”

Seia was silent for a long moment. I could somehow tell that she was thinking deeply, yet not able to come to an acceptable conclusion. Taylor… Why are humans so cruel? She asked quietly.

I shook my head, not knowing how to respond. We sat there in silence for a long moment before Seia seemed to come to a decision. She sprang from my lap, her light blazing more brightly than ever. I looked at her in confusion as she bounced energetically in the air.

C’mon Taylor! 

I didn’t move, still staring at her in utter bewilderment at her sudden one-eighty in attitude. “Huh…?”

Neither of us know the reason why humanity is cruel, but that’s okay! You don’t always need to know the reason to change the result.

“What on earth are you talking about?”

We’re going to give humanity a reason to be kind! She announced cheerfully.

For some reason, her words worried me.

Seia had darted off the moment we emerged onto the roof of the clinic and I abandoned my task of replacing the vent grate in favor of chasing after her. She was incredibly fast and I had to abandon stealth in favor of speed just to keep up with her. As I followed the Wisp, I noticed that we were leaving E88 territory and instead approaching the warehouse district. 

The little light zigged and zagged, weaving between the various buildings both abandoned and not. After about fifteen minutes of sprinting through the pre-dawn city; Seia stopped abruptly, causing me to skid to a stop next to her. We were in a small, filthy alleyway between two large brick apartment complexes. 

I wasn’t familiar with this part of the city. The warehouses and trainyards were Merchant territory and, while we were still several blocks away, I was not comfortable being this close to them. “What are we doing here?!” I whispered furiously.

Look!

Seia indicated the street beyond the alleyway and I gave her a look before cautiously peering out. The street was just as dingy as the alley. The trash cans by the side of the road were  overflowing and the pavement was cracked and full of potholes. Many of the upper windows in the various apartment buildings were boarded over and all of the ground floor windows had bars fitted over them. The area felt dead and miserable, the foul feeling of decay writhing at the touch of my light, and I shuddered.

It took me several moments to spot what Seia had wanted me to see. The Hands of Hope homeless shelter and recreational facility blended into the drab grey buildings perfectly, it’s formerly bright paint job now dull and lifeless. Hands of Hope was the largest of the many homeless shelters scattered throughout Brockton Bay. It was established approximately five years ago with the goal of giving the various homeless and addicts of the district an option other than the Merchants. 

At first it seemed like it was working; the Merchant’s numbers had plummeted as hundreds of people flocked to the shelter. Unfortunately, the project ultimately failed due to the combination of too little funding and too much demand. The shelter was still operational, however attendance had decreased significantly when the promises of a better life had fallen through. 

I glanced back at Seia, only to find that she had drifted upwards while I wasn’t watching and was disappearing over the top of one of the buildings framing the alley. I cursed and began scaling the wall, leaping back and forth between the two buildings and ascending quickly. When I reached the roof, I dashed after the Wisp. Catching up to her on the roof of the shelter, I stopped her before she could enter. 

“What are you doing ?!” I hissed.

We need to start doing more than just healing a few pets. Seia’s voice was urgent. Can’t you feel it? There are so many here who are ready to just give up!

She was right. Depression and broken promises seeped from the building like a disease, poisoning the very air around us. I shivered and my light glowed more brightly in response, as if to protect Seia and I from the hopelessness surrounding us. I looked at Seia. “I’m not ready though…”

The Wisp shuddered and I got the impression of an eye roll. Yes, you are. You told me that Stel had started having you heal the various Reach dwellers that came to her. 

“Yes, but-” Seia interrupted me. 

But nothing! You can do it, I know you can! Her voice softens. I’ll be with you the whole time. This is why I was sent here, let's do what we were chosen to do.

I take a deep breath and nod shakily. The Wisp was right, I was chosen to do this. I could, would , do it. “Okay…” I breathed as I cautiously tried the rooftop door. I was surprised when the knob turned easily and the door swung outwards on squeaky hinges. I glanced at Seia and cautiously stepped inside, silently making my way down the grimy stairs.

The Hands of Hope shelter was built in a six story repurposed apartment building. The kitchen,  recreational areas, and administrative offices were on the first floor of the building while the upper five were dedicated to serving as living spaces. The building was supposed to be able to provide shelter for up to three hundred people, but barely fifty were scattered about on the first and second floors. As my light was able to detect life around me, I used it to locate the various areas where people were sleeping without the need to check each set of rooms. 

I ducked into the first occupied room I came to and slowly approached the figures sleeping on two separate cots side by side. One of them grunted and I froze. Instead of waking up like I feared, they simply rolled over and continued snoring. I breathed a sigh of relief and resumed my approach. 

When I reached the pair, I took a deep breath and reached out to inspect them with my light. This was a technique that Stel had developed, involving saturating a target with light and using it to sort of scan the patient. Doing so allowed me to easily pinpoint the source of their illness or injury rather than waste time and energy by blindly searching for what needed to be taken care of.

I started with the man on the left. He was an addict and a smoker. I could sense the drugs in his system, poisoning his body while simultaneously making him dependent on them. His lungs appeared almost blackened to me, damaged in a way that only a lifetime of smoking could cause. 

Under Seia’s watchful gaze, I focused and began channeling a steady stream of life energy into his body. Slowly, his harsh breathing eased and the yellowed tint of his skin was replaced by a healthy pink. I was done quickly, and I couldn’t keep the smile off of my face as the man settled into a deeper sleep, no longer in pain from the need of a dangerous substance.

I immediately turned and began healing the man to the right, feeling elated when a faint smile formed in his sleep as I did so. After I was done, I looked up at Seia with a bright grin and she bobbed in response as I stealthily made my way from the room and down the hall.

By the time an hour had passed, I had healed about twenty people. Some were addicts, some were ill from pneumonia or bronchitis brought on by smoking. One man had a broken leg while another was suffering from liver cancer that he didn’t have the funds to treat. I healed them all and was preparing to make my way into the next room when Seia stopped me.

You’re turning grey.

I looked down at myself at her murmured words. My usually bright glow had dimmed significantly and my normally luxurious fur looked limp and lifeless. I realised that this was what Stel had meant about my light being a part of me and I looked around in frustration. I was nowhere near finished here but I knew that I wouldn’t be able to make it home if I didn’t stop now.

Rather than making my way into the next occupied room, I began climbing the stairs. Stepping out onto the roof, I carefully shut the door behind me. The sky was still dark, but I could already hear cars starting as people who started work at five began their day. I looked at Seia. “You wouldn’t happen to know which way home is, would you?” I asked dryly.

This way!  

She giggled, darting off, and I laughed as I chased after her. Healing those people had made me feel lighter than I had since I was first changed. I knew that there was no way for me to keep them from becoming hooked or ill again, but I had given them a chance . Just like the Great Spirit Tree had given me a chance. The thought filled me with elation as I ran across rooftops and leapt from tree to tree. I was helping people. I was a hero . 

That particular thought made me pause and think for a moment before my next jump. No . I thought as I resumed my journey across the city. 

I was a spirit .

Chapter Text

Taylor’s eyes opened slowly and she let out a quiet groan. Every part of her body ached and her fur felt too hot even as she shivered in her sleeping nest. She sat up slowly, ears and tail drooping from exhaustion, and slowly made her way out from behind the curtain that hid the sleeping area from prying eyes.

Stel was already awake and alert, sitting at the large table carefully sorting the herbs that had been gathered the day before. She did a double take at the sight of Taylor’s sorry condition before dropping her head into her paws and muttering about ‘idiot youngsters’. Raising her voice, she spoke to her student. “I suppose you overexerted yourself while healing?”

The green-eyed spirit had the decency to look sheepish. “Uh, oops?”

The older spirit groaned. “Sit down before you fall down, child.” Taylor sat as her teacher stood and made her way around the table. The younger spirit felt the warm feeling of her older sibling’s light washing over her and Stel sighed, seeming unsurprised. “Reach Fever. Typical.”

Taylor looked at her in confusion. “I thought spirits couldn’t get sick though.”

“They can if they overtax their light.” Stel replied. “Our light is what prevents us from contracting illnesses; if we use too much it will leave us vulnerable. You were treating that Moki pup for Reach Fever yesterday and then you overused your light while in that other world of yours. I’d have been more surprised if you hadn’t caught it.” The old spirit picked up her walking stick and hobbled over to the baskets where most of her herbs were stored. She selected a few leaves from three different baskets before dropping them in a pot with some water and putting it on the fire to boil. 

The younger spirit winced before shivering as another chill caught her. “So what now?”

“Now, you are going to drink all of the tea I’m preparing you before heading back to bed to let the fever run its course.” She rummaged amongst her various shelves and produced a moderately sized wooden cup which she placed on the table in front of Taylor, who looked bewildered.

“Y-You’re not going to heal me?”

Her elder sibling gave her a dry look. “Think of it as an incentive to learn your limits.” She pulled the now bubbling pot off of the fire with a rag and carefully poured the hot liquid into the cup, ensuring that the leaves were properly strained. Taylor took the cup in both paws and blew over the top of it gently before taking a tentative sip. It was still too hot to drink, so she lowered the cup but kept her grip on it and allowed the heat to warm her paws. 

Stel set the pot aside. “You’ll be fine.” She said as she pulled out a pair of extra blankets and stepped into the sleeping alcove to toss them into the nest that Taylor had claimed. “The fever will run its course over the next day or so. By that time your light will have recovered as well.”

The younger spirit nodded and sipped her tea again. It was now cool enough to drink and she took a larger gulp, enjoying the flavor and trying to guess what herbs Stel had added. The sharp tang of mint was easily recognizable, as was the harsh bitterness of white willow bark, but the third flavor wasn’t one she recognized. It was sweet, almost nutty, and disguised the bitterness of the white willow nicely. Taylor took another sip and hummed before deciding to ask. “What did you put in this? I can taste the mint and the willow bark, but I’m not sure what the third flavor is.”

“Meadowsweet. Good for body aches and nausea.” Stel responded as she bustled over and gently ushered the fevered spirit from her chair. 

Taylor drained the last of her tea before allowing Stel to nudge her back to her sleeping nest where the younger spirit curled up with a sigh. Her older sibling shook out the extra blankets that she had retrieved and carefully tucked them around her younger sibling who let out a quiet purr, already drifting off to sleep.

I yawned and stretched like the feline I resembled as I sat up in my bed on Earth Bet. My bout of Reach Fever had lasted the better part of two days and while the fever itself hadn’t carried over to my body here, the aching muscles and dizzy spells had . When I asked Stel about it, she said that those were likely side effects of overusing my light. My face fell into a frown. My teacher had banned me from healing on Earth Bet anymore until she was certain that I knew my limits and guilt ate at me. I felt like I was failing the people at the shelter who I hadn’t been able to heal. I knew that I was being irrational, but the thought still ate at me and I wished that there was more I could do to help.

Sighing, I slid from the nest I had formed out of my blankets and sheets and glanced about my room, still shocked at how much it had changed since my initial transformation three weeks ago. Before, my room had been almost spartan in appearance. Any posters or pictures that I had hanging before Emma’s betrayal were taken down and either thrown away or buried in storage somewhere long ago as the memories tied to them were too painful for me to face. The only thing that had remained was a photo of my mother, which still rested on my nightstand. 

I had initially planned to replace everything with items that weren’t emotional landmines, but I had quickly realized that nearly all of my hobbies had been things that Emma liked. The one exception had been playing my mother’s flute, but Emma had ruined that as well. The walls of my room had remained bare, barring the peeling wallpaper, ever since. After my change, my bedroom had started to resemble my home in Niwen. In more ways than one.

The most obvious difference was the fact that the walls, rather than remaining bare and covered in tacky floral wallpaper, were now home to a rather eclectic collection of items. I had taken inspiration from both my hut in the Glades and Stel’s den in the Reach. The entirety of one of the walls was taken up by an elaborate hanging that Dad had gotten me from the Lord’s Market, a large flea market-like area filled with vendors and local craftsmen, after I had gushed about the ones hung by Stel. 

The other walls were taken up by an assortment of objects I had found while exploring the forest behind our house. Various winter growing flowers, fallen feathers from birds, shiny or oddly shaped stones, even things as simple as particularly colorful leaves or strangely twisted bits of vine were tacked or hung on the wall. 

My journals and their box had been returned to the hidden shelf in my closet, more out of habit than anything, and my desk was now covered in an assortment of pots containing samples of various herbs that Stel was teaching me to prepare herbal remedies with. A much larger indoor garden had been planted in the basement using large square planters and a pair of ancient grow lamps from a secondhand hardware store. The curtains that used to cover my window at all hours of the day were now open to let in as much natural light as possible and, when it was warm enough, the window itself was opened as well.

The final difference, and the largest one of all, was the general feel of the room. Gone was the dark oppressiveness that used to make me feel as if I was drowning despite the lack of water. Instead, it felt rejuvenating, uplifting. In fact, the entire house had that feeling. The rooms seemed lighter, no longer stagnating in bittersweet memories of better days. The memories were still there of course, but rather than bringing pain and a longing for something lost, they brought a smile and a reminder that something isn’t lost until it is forgotten. 

Even Dad was different. He was smiling more, and there were times where I could hear him chuckling as he told Seia about some of my escapades as a child. Seia told me that this was the true effect of a spirit. Places that they visited frequently or had an attachment to would slowly become saturated with the spirit’s light, restoring both the land and people who lived there.

I noticed my old bear lying on the floor and gently picked it up. It had likely rolled off of my bed as I was getting up. I had slept with the old toy every day since returning from the hospital. I knew it was childish, but the bear brought me comfort and I couldn’t bring myself to place it back in it’s hidden box. After gently tucking the toy back into my blanket nest, I opened my door and made my way downstairs in search of Seia.

As it was a Sunday, I could hear my dad’s voice in the kitchen as well as the musical giggles of the Wisp I was searching for. He was telling Seia about the time that I had gotten stuck in one of the trees in the back yard when I was eight, and I groaned as I entered the room. 

“Dad…! Don’t tell her about that! She’ll never stop teasing me now.” I whined theatrically. 

He grinned at me. “I guess I really shouldn’t tell her about the frog then, should I?” Dad was in the process of making breakfast for the two of us. To my delight, he had decided to make pancakes and I smiled when I saw the large bottle of pure maple syrup on the table. Dad had been incredibly patient concerning my abrupt change in diet and had made more than a few changes to our usual grocery list. 

The morning after I had revealed my change to him I had been surprised to find him in the kitchen with a cup of coffee nearby. The night before he had mentioned that he had decided to take a week off in order to help me recover, so I had assumed that he was going to sleep in. When I mentioned it, he told me that he had gotten up early out of habit and I chose to ignore the fact that the coffee tin was much lighter than it had been previously. 

Over the course of the day, Dad and I had experimented with food in an effort to find out what I could and couldn’t eat. Eggs were fine, though too many tended to upset my stomach, as were grains like rice or oatmeal. Red meat and poultry, while edible, tended to make me queasy and I avoided eating it as much as possible. The fact that several of my new friends in Niwen were animals furthered my discomfort. Seafood, much like fruits and other produce, had become a staple and I had decided to do my best to recreate Verta’s recipe for marsh-clam soup. 

Dad placed a platter piled high with gently steaming pancakes on the table, as well as two dinner plates, and I immediately sat down and served myself three before dousing them in syrup. I took a bite and let out a trilling purr as my tail curled in delight. Pancakes had been one of my favorite foods as a human and I was beyond thrilled to learn that I could still eat them as a spirit. Of course, Dad now had to buy maple syrup rather than the inexpensive table syrup we used to get. I wasn’t complaining though, maple syrup was good .

My father sat across from me and eyed my drenched plate dubiously. “Honestly, your sweet tooth seems to have grown since becoming a spirit.”

I shrugged and continued wolfing down the sugary breakfast as Seia curiously drifted down to inspect my plate. The Wisp hummed thoughtfully before speaking up.

Honestly, this is fairly normal for a young spirit. Juveniles like Taylor tend to use large amounts of energy as their light grows and develops.

Dad looked at the light curiously. “So Taylor’s not fully grown?” He asked as he poured a much more modest amount of syrup onto his own breakfast.

Not…exactly.

He looked even more confused and, since Seia seemed unsure of how to explain, I spoke up. “Spirits grow way differently from humans, Dad. They technically have two points in their lifetimes where they reach maturity. One that’s physical in nature and, pardon the pun, one that’s more spiritual.”

“So, what?” He asked as he took a bite of his pancakes. “Your light isn’t mature yet?”

I nodded . “That’s right. Typically, spirits are ‘born’ from the seeds of Spirit Trees and their physical maturity depends on how much time they spend connected to their parent tree. So some spirits can take years to reach their physical maturity while others will only take a few days.” I paused to take another bite before continuing. “Due to my, ah, unique circumstances, my body ended up being completely mature when I changed. My light, however… Not so much.”

Dad frowned. He had completely stopped eating in order to pay attention to my explanation. “How so?”

I looked at Seia. “Uh, help? I still don’t completely understand how it works.” The Wisp drifted forward hesitantly. 

I’ll do my best, but it’s honestly a little difficult to put into words. She paused, obviously attempting to gather her thoughts. Spirit Trees are living vessels for the light that protects and rejuvenates the world, spirits are an offshoot of that. Before being ‘born’ they spend the entirety of their existence in close proximity to this light. When a spirit is ‘born’; suddenly they are without this light and the spirit’s own inherent light has to compensate. This typically takes anywhere between two to three months and, even if they are mature physically, spirits are considered juveniles during this time.

My father nodded slowly. “Okay, I sort of understand now. I just don’t really get why Taylor has to go through this ‘light maturity’ since she wasn’t born from a Spirit Tree.”

I shrugged. “My light comes from the same place, even if I wasn’t born a spirit. Makes sense to me.”

He frowned for a moment longer before sighing and resuming eating. “So what exactly happens when your light matures?” I looked at Seia, wanting to know as well.

Well, a spirit’s light grows stronger as they age. However, the younger a spirit is the more… malleable their light is and the months prior to their maturity is when a spirit’s light is at its most flexible. Any skills learned prior to a spirit's maturity are much easier to learn, however the spirit’s light will be permanently influenced by them.

I frowned. “Wait, so if I don’t learn any skills other than healing before my light matures, I won't be able to learn any more?”

Seia bobs side-to-side in a mimicry of a headshake. Not exactly. You would still be able to learn skills, it would just be more difficult since your light would be inclined towards healing. She explained. After your light is matured, you’ll likely find it much easier to heal since your light will be predisposed towards it. 

“It seems like learning to use your light needs the same two things any other skill needs.” Dad said. “Time and hard work.”

The gold Wisp bobbed up and down, mimicking a nod this time. Exactly. The only exceptions are Ancestral Trees and those are incredibly rare.

I nodded as Dad looked between us in confusion. “Ancestral Trees?” He asked.

“Ancestral Trees are the bodies of spirits who have faded.” I explained quietly. “They only grow from a spirit who’s light was immensely powerful. The trees contain the light and memories of the spirit that passed, which can then be absorbed by another spirit in order to learn the faded’s abilities instantly.” I look down at my plate quietly. “Like Seia said, Ancestral Trees are extremely rare. If one does happen to grow, it’s protected. That way, in times of strife, a spirit can call on the knowledge of others to help them.”

He looked at me with wide eyes. “Has that ever happened?”

“Not recently. But apparently, before the Great Spirit Tree even sprouted , Niwen was in serious trouble.” My dad looked at me expectantly, but I shrugged halfheartedly. I really didn’t know all that much about what happened before the Great Spirit Tree grew. I had heard snippets here and there, something about a decay , but hadn’t taken the time to learn the whole story. “Can… we change the subject? This is kinda getting depressing.”

Dad sighed, I could tell that he still had questions, but he allowed the subject to drop and returned his attention to his now luke-warm pancakes. We ate in silence for a few minutes before Seia decided to speak up. 

So, uh… What about the frog?

While she was trying to be casual, I could hear the thinly veiled eagerness in the Wisps voice and I gave Dad a warning look, which he ignored with a grin. “When Taylor was seven, she found a frog in one of the flowerpots on the back porch. Like any child, she wanted to keep it as a pet and somehow snuck both the pot and the frog into the house.” My dad was already snickering at the memory as Seia hung off of his every word. “The thing was, at that age, Taylor was terrified of frogs.”

Wait, really ?!

Seia’s voice was entirely too gleeful and I looked at my father desperately. “Dad…!”

He laughed in response to my teenage discomfort and suddenly I could feel a suspicious sting behind my eyes. Dad sounded… happy . I couldn’t remember the last time he had laughed like this, not since before mom died at the very least. I was almost glad when he continued the story, as it gave me the opportunity to regain control over my emotional state.

“So, by the time she had gotten to the living room, the frog had gotten fed up by being carried around and leapt out of the pot… onto Taylor. She reacted as one would expect; by screaming. I had been outside at the time and dashed into the house only to find Annette on the floor crying from laughter and Taylor screaming in the corner as she tried to run away from a frog smaller than my thumb.

Seia was laughing hysterically as I groaned and buried my face in my hands. “Dad… why ?” 

His laughter joined the Wisp’s and after a moment I couldn’t help but join in as a warm feeling grew in my heart.

“Holy shit.” The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them as I stared at the state of my basement. The area had been turned into an indoor garden as it was still too cold outside for anything to grow. Dad had gone to the gardening supply and brought back several cheap plastic pots and bags of potting soil; a few large hoses for a rudimentary irrigation system; and several packets of assorted seeds such as tomatoes, eggplants, squash, snap peas, and several others. 

The days immediately after my change were spent planting and tending to the crops, however I had admittedly forgotten about them when Stel had given me the go ahead to start healing on Earth Bet. Seia obviously had not, as she had been spending several hours a day down here while I was in Niwen, and it showed.

The room was full of crops that were ready to harvest weeks before they were supposed to be ready. I carefully plucked a ripe tomato off of the nearest vine. It was probably the largest tomato I had ever seen, nearly the size of a grapefruit, and there were dozens with even more that had yet to ripen. Seia seemed pleased by my reaction.

I told you stuff grew better around me.  

Her voice was smug and I turned to look at her in disbelief. “There’s a difference between better and insane !” I look around the room once more. “There’s no way Dad and I can eat all of this before it goes bad…”

So take some to the shelter! She suggested cheerfully. 

My head whipped around to look at the smug orb. “You planned this!” I exclaimed.

Maaaybe~

As I wandered around the room, peering at all of the unusually large vegetables, I couldn’t deny the fact that the idea appealed to me. I had been itching to go back and see if the people who I had healed were doing any better and I knew that the shelter was low on funds, they’d probably appreciate the fresh food. There was one small problem though…

“How are we going to get it there?” There was no way I could carry all of this across the city,

Your dad will take us!

“I don’t know about this, Taylor…” Dad said as we loaded yet another basket filled to the brim with fresh vegetables into the back seat of the truck. Neither did I, but I honestly couldn't think of a better way to get the food to the shelter without being seen or risking Dad’s safety. The idea was for him to pull into an alleyway on the next street over, where I would meet him and use a rope to pull the baskets to the roof of one of the abandoned apartment buildings before carrying them to the shelter one at a time.

We wouldn’t be traveling together and as soon as the last basket was removed he would be leaving. That way if I was seen while delivering the food, he wouldn’t be associated with me other than as a courier. We had even covered the license plate of the truck. I knew that it wasn’t foolproof, but it was the best that I could come up with. 

I would have rather not involved Dad at all, but it was either this or the donation services who would have definitely raised some eyebrows at the abnormally large produce. I sighed as I looked at the seven baskets full of vegetables and squash before shutting the truck door. “I don’t like it any more than you do, Dad. But it’s either this or throw it out and I hate the idea of wasting food. Especially when it could help so many people.”

He chuckled. “I know Little Owl. You’ve got your mother’s big heart.”

I stared at him with wide eyes. That was the second time today that he had brought up my mother without prompting and without looking like he was going to break down at the mere thought of her. 

Noticing my shocked look, dad smiled sadly at me. “I’ve been doing some thinking, and I know that your mother would have pitched a fit at the way I’ve been acting these past few years.” He sighed shakily. “I won’t say that I’m better, but I know that I can’t keep going on like this and it took almost losing you for me to realize that.” He crouched down in front of me, the way he used to when I was a little girl, and looked me in the eyes. “The events that lead up to your change were the slap in the face I needed to see what was in front of me, and I’ll be damned if I let myself forget about it again. I’m not going anywhere this time Taylor.” 

It was his last sentence that broke me. Despite everything that he had done-from going out of his way to buy the gardening supplies I wanted, to changing his own diet to fit in somewhat with mine-I had still feared that one day I’d wake up and, rather than see me as his daughter, he’d see me as a monster and close himself off again. With a sob, I threw myself into his arms and hugged him as tightly as I could.

He hugged me back just as tightly and I could feel his hand stroking the back of my head as he ran his fingers through my fur the same way he had run them through my hair when I’d had a nightmare as a child. I could feel my tears soaking the fur around my eyes, and likely Dad’s shirt as well, but I couldn’t seem to stop. It was like everything was hitting me all at once. My mind had finally caught up to the fact that I wasn’t human anymore , and the fact that Dad still accepted and loved me despite that had caused an emotional breakdown of epic proportions.

So I cried. I cried about losing Mom and how I had nearly lost Dad at the same time. I cried about Emma and her casual dismissal of our friendship. I cried about how it took me being hospitalized for Dad to come to his senses. I cried about my change; I was happy to have my new family and had already grown incredibly attached to them, but at the same time I could no longer do the things with my dad that I had been missing out on. We couldn’t go to the movies or out to eat. Hell, just being seen with him in public would be enough to put a target on his back. 

For the first time since I became a spirit, I longed to be human again. I somehow knew instinctively that this change was permanent and that realization made my heart ache. At some point during my breakdown, Dad had scooped me up in his arms like I was five years old again and carried me into the house. He carried me upstairs with Seia, who had appeared the moment she felt my distress, trailing along behind him. Rather than taking me to my room, Dad strode into the bedroom that he had shared with Mom and gently deposited me on the bed. He gave Seia a look, which she seemed to understand as she floated closer to me, and quickly stepped out of the room. 

The light radiating off of the Wisp was warm and I took comfort in it. While I was no longer openly sobbing, tears were still running down my face and I was sniffling steadily. Dad’s bedroom was different, yet the same, than what I remembered. I hadn’t been in here since before Mom died and I could see many of her personal touches still present in the room. Her jewelry box still rested on the nightstand where she used to put her wedding and engagement rings before bed. A reprint of her favorite painting hung on the wall and an entire bookshelf was still taken up by her favorite books.

I sniffled again. It was almost painful to be in here, but seeing Mom’s things still in their rightful places in Dad’s bedroom made it feel like she was in there with us somehow. I was snapped out of my thoughts when Dad came back into the room and what he was holding sent me into a fresh wave of sobbing. Not only had he gone into my bedroom to get the bear that was very quickly becoming an emotional crutch, he had also gone down to the basement and gone through the boxes of her stuff in search of the sweater he was now holding.

This particular article of clothing, despite being in worse shape than my bear, had been Mom’s favorite. It was an enormous knit sweater that had been about six sizes too big on her slight frame and the ugliest shade of green possible. She’d had a habit of wrapping it around the both of us if I was upset or scared. 

Now, Dad bundled me up in it and tucked my bear into my arms, holding me as I cried. Despite being in storage for years, the sweater still faintly smelled of Mom’s favorite perfume and I inhaled deeply, with another shuddering sob. Eventually I fell asleep as I was held by my dad, surrounded by the scent of my mom, and warmed by the light of my companion.

Once more I dreamed of golden light and a warm embrace. Unintelligible words were murmured to me as I was gently cradled by a presence older than I could comprehend and I smiled despite the tears still trickling into my fur.

Chapter Text

Eri eyed the cliff face in front of him, wondering if it would be worth the effort required to get to the top. This particular wall of rock was normally quite easy to climb as it was full of cracks that made for excellent gripping points. Unfortunately, a recent storm had caused the wall to become completely covered in ice. This was why the Reach was one of his favorite places to travel; the terrain was always changing and the spirit constantly had to watch his step, especially in winter.

Ultimately deciding that he didn’t want to deal with the hassle of going around the cliff or trying to find another way up, the adventurous spirit focused and a brightly glowing sphere of light appeared in his paw. He flung the orb into the air and leapt after it, using a double jump to get even higher, before catching the sphere with his light and redirecting it behind himself to launch his body skyward. 

The force of the bash rocketed Eri up the cliff at alarming speeds and he performed a second double jump when he reached the top, landing on the edge neatly. The spirit glanced back down to the ground far below with a smirk. That had been almost too easy.

“How did you do that?!”

The voice caused Eri to flinch, and whip around in search of the source. He relaxed slightly when he saw it was another spirit but still retained some tension in his body. He didn’t really like talking to others. The Moki annoyed him and, while her soup was excellent , he felt that Verta was overbearing at the best of times and insufferable at the worst. Other spirits were slightly better, their light usually let them tell when he wanted to be left alone. Though some , he thought to himself while thinking of one spirit in particular, tended to go out of their way to bother him.  

The cliff-jumping spirit inspected his sibling who was currently staring at him with her jaw dropped. He didn’t recognize her, though that wasn't saying much. The only interaction he had with the majority of his siblings was during the annual Light Ceremony under the Great Spirit Tree. He would occasionally visit Stel or the other healers if he injured himself while exploring and Eika would often seek him out if he was near the Wellspring, but he generally avoided everyone else. 

The other spirit was nearly as tall as Eri with graceful and slender limbs. Her fur shone brightly and her long ears were lifted in curiosity. Though her eyes were what caught Eri’s attention; they were the color of the leaves of the Reach in spring, a bright and vibrant green. 

“Huh… You’re new aren’t you?” Eri mused as he inspected his oddly green-eyed sibling. “I may not be around others all that often, but your eyes are strange enough that I’d remember you if I had met you before.”

She seemed taken aback by his blunt words and hugged her tail subconsciously. “I… Yeah, I’m new. I’m staying with Stel. She’s teaching me how to heal.” 

Sure enough, there was a small bag next to her feet half-filled with various winter herbs. Eri recognised the stitching as Stel’s handiwork. He gives his younger sibling a look of grudging respect. “I’m impressed. You must be really something if you got that old bat to teach you.” 

Seeing her bristle at the name he called her teacher, Eri waved a careless paw. “Calm down, calm down. I meant that in the most caring way possible. Seriously, she’s fixed me up after so many of the snags I found myself in that I’d have to be an idiot not to respect her.” The other spirit seemed to relax and he took the opportunity to introduce himself. “Name’s Eri.”

“Taylor.”

Odd name too… Eri thought to himself. He stepped closer to her and inspected her further, reaching out with his light to get a feel for her own. “Oh, you’re really new!” He exclaimed. The spirit standing before him was practically a newborn, her light only a few weeks old. From the glow of her fur, he had thought that Taylor was much older than she actually was.

She shifted uncomfortably and Eri was suddenly aware of the way he was looming over her. He stepped back, doing his best to shake off the warm feeling of her light. It had been quite a while since he had been near a spirit as young as Taylor, he had forgotten just how pure their light was. He sighed, deciding to answer her original question. “I have a skill called Light Burst. It lets me focus my light into projectiles. I made one and used bash on it to reach the top of the cliff.”

Her head tilted and she frowned in confusion. “Bash?” She asked.

“Eika didn’t teach you how to bash?” Eri was confused and a little worried. Surely he’d have been told if she’d gotten hurt? He may constantly travel, but someone would have found him. Eventually.

Taylor shifted, obviously uncomfortable at Eri’s sudden questioning. “I vaguely remember meeting Eika when Talu taught me to double jump on my first day in Niwen. On the second, I asked him about learning to heal and he brought me to see Stel.”

Eri burst out laughing, surprising the other spirit. “Oh, Eika was probably furious with Talu for doing that!” He chuckled for another moment before explaining the situation to the bewildered spirit. “Eika is in charge of teaching new spirits how to bash. It makes it easier to get around the forest and it’s a pretty good defensive skill. She usually lets new spirits settle in for a few days before showing them how to do it though. The fact that you came to Stel on your second day means that you left before she could teach you.”

Taylor frowned at that, looking upset. “Does that mean I’m not going to be able to learn it?” She asked unhappily. “Because I know that Stel isn’t going to let me leave until she’s sure that she’s taught me everything she can.”

Eri shook his head. “Nah, I’ll teach you. We just gotta find a light catcher for you to practice with.”

“Couldn’t we just use one of your light bursts?” She asked. “You said you used one to get up here.”

“Trust me.” He chuckled. “It’s a lot easier to learn with a stationary target.”

The younger spirit sighed and scooped up her bag before turning to follow Eri as he walked into the trees. They walked silently for a few minutes before entering a clearing with several light catchers hanging from the trees. Light catchers were a common vine-like plant that grew throughout the forest of Niwen. Their lantern-like flowers absorbed sunlight to attract the fireflies that lived inside them, thus giving them their name and distinctive glow.

The light from the twinkling plants sparkled on the snow Eri smiled when he heard Taylor’s gasp of awe. Dozens of icicles hung from the trees, reflecting the light from the hanging plants and giving the area a mystical feel. He had discovered this little clearing several years ago and it had quickly become one of his favorite places. Once he reached the center of the clearing he turned to his sibling. “Toss your bag over there and we’ll get started.” He said, gesturing to a pile of rocks off to the side.

She did so before walking over to join Eri where he stood under a particularly low-hanging light catcher. “Alright. So bashing is what happens when you use your light to redirect an object away from yourself.” He demonstrated, leaping into the air and propelling himself across the clearing with a quick flex of his light. The light catcher swung wildly from the force as he landed neatly on his feet. The older spirit chuckled at the impressed look on her face as he jogged back over. “What propels you is the resistance that your light generates from redirecting whatever you use the skill on. You can bash off of just about anything, though small objects are better and anything too large for your light to grip won't work at all.”

Though the younger spirit was listening intently, Eri could see her practically vibrating with excitement and he grinned. “The first one’s always the hardest, it can occasionally take some time to figure out exactly how to use your light to redirect something, but once you’ve figured out the trick it’s almost effortless.” He pointed at the light catcher above them. “That’s your target. Grab it with your light and pull hard. Remember; you want to go up, so you’re going to yank the light catcher down . You always move in the opposite direction of whatever you bash.”

The spirit stepped back to watch his younger sibling attempt to perform a successful bash for the first time. She seemed to be struggling to figure out exactly how she was supposed to ‘grab’ the target with her light. The green-eyed spirit already seemed familiar with manipulating her light so she had a slight advantage over most new spirits. He supposed that was due to Stel’s influence.

Eri noticed when the younger spirit finally managed to get a grip on the light catcher. The plant had stopped swaying in the breeze and was now frozen, held in place by the power of Taylor’s light. The spirit held his breath, desperately trying not to clue her in to what was about to happen. It was traditional for new spirits to be given as few details as possible when learning to use bash, including just how high it could launch them.

Suddenly, Taylor shot straight upwards with a surprised shout. She flailed in the air for a moment as she tried to regain her bearings before crashing back down to the forest floor with an audible thump . “Owww…”

Eri fell over, cackling madly. He could now understand why Eika liked teaching new spirits so much, the look on Taylor’s face had been priceless . The green-eyed spirit stood up and brushed herself off, glaring at her older sibling.

“Why didn’t you tell me that was going to happen?!” She demanded furiously.

Eri was still giggling too hard to answer immediately, but after a moment he calmed down enough to speak through his chuckles. “It’s a bit of a tradition not to tell new spirits how far a solid bash can launch them. You actually landed fairly well. My first successful bash landed me in a tree, where I upset a sparrow’s nest. The bird wouldn’t leave me alone for weeks . Eika thought it was hilarious.”

He looked her over and, not seeing any potential injuries, nodded back to the light catchers. “Alright, now that you’ve done it once, it should be fairly easy for you to do it again. An important thing to learn when using bash is that you don’t have to touch the ground before using it again. As long as there is a bashable object within range of your light, you can do it over and over. If you add double jumps between each bash, there’s the potential to stay off of the ground indefinitely.” Eri demonstrated, making a complete circuit around the clearing without touching either the ground or the trees even once. 

Landing neatly in front of Taylor once more, the older spirit stepped back. “You try. Once you’re able to circle the clearing without touching the ground, we’ll work with projectiles as they’re a little different.” She gave him a disgruntled look, obviously still upset by the prank, before stepping up to the light catchers once more. 

Eri watched carefully as she launched herself into the air again and was pleased to see that she too had learned the lesson taught by that first uncontrolled and unexpected bash. While the prank was amusing, it also served to teach young spirits the importance of controlling the strength of the ability. Eri had seen many reckless spirits injure themselves, and others in some cases, due to a lack of control and casual disregard of their instructor’s warnings..

It took Taylor several tries to complete an entire circuit around the clearing and Eri had to stop her several times to provide advice. “Sometimes, it’s better to launch yourself at an angle.” He explained. “That way you’ll get a decent combination of lift and momentum and if you double jump in the right spot, you’ll go even further .” By the time the green-eyed spirit had succeeded, the sun had begun to set and soon the only light in the clearing came from the light catchers and the spirits themselves.

“Okay. I’ve got one more thing to show you, then I’ll take you back to Stel’s.” Eri formed a light burst in his paw. “When you bash off of projectiles, they’re propelled in the opposite direction. This means you can essentially send an attack from something like those lashworms straight back at them.” He saw the other spirit open her mouth and answered the question before she could even ask it. “Lashworms are those nasty plant things that like to hang out at the bottom of the lake at the Wellspring. They’ve got a nasty habit of shooting acid at swimmers.”

“Oh.” Taylor frowned, “I don’t like those.”

The spirit snorted. “No one does. Now,” He holds up the glowing orb. “I’m going to throw this at you, and I want you to throw it back at me by bashing it.”

She looked at it dubiously. “What if I miss it?”

Eri shrugged. “It’ll bounce on the ground and roll away, this one doesn’t explode.” 

That was obviously the wrong thing to tell her as her eyes went wide and her voice was shrill as she shouted. “They can explode ?!”

The older spirit rolled his eyes and groaned at her reaction. Choosing not to get into an argument with her about it; he simply lobbed the orb at her, effectively halting her protests as she instinctively caught it with her light while simultaneously leaping backwards. The sphere went sailing off into the trees and Eri sighed. “You were supposed to throw it at me , not out into the forest.” He muttered.

Taylor looked at him incredulously. “I didn’t want you to throw it in the first place!” 

“There was nothing to worry about! You caught it didn’t you?”

“But what if I hadn’t ?!”

“I told you nothing would happen!” Eri groaned. “I honestly don’t understand why you’re getting so worked up about this.” He sighed and gestured towards her bag, still lying on the rocks where she had left it. “Grab your bag and let’s go. Stel’s going to be furious at how late I kept you out.”

His younger sibling winced. “Yeah, I was supposed to be back before sundown.”

Eri cringed. Oh, Stel was going to be really mad. He turned to begin leading Taylor from the clearing when a branch snapped and clicking chitter echoed through the clearing. Eri tensed at the sound as his younger sibling froze. He looked around warily, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound.

Suddenly a large green mantis burst from the trees behind them and leapt towards the younger of the two spirits with a shriek. Eri didn’t have the chance to shout a warning, so he did the first thing that came to mind. Taylor let out a shocked cry as she was suddenly thrown across the clearing from the force of Eri’s bash and the older spirit let out a snarl as he slashed the creature with a blade formed from his light. 

It screeched and scrambled away before leapit towards Taylor once more, obviously viewing her as an easier target. The young spirit attempted to avoid its charge but was only partially successful, and Eri heard her cry out in pain as it knocked her backwards. It leapt for her again and the older spirit called out desperately. “Taylor, bash it!”

She obviously heard him, as a moment later the mantis was launched across the clearing. Eri leapt into the air and slashed at it once more. This time the hit connected, and the creature fell to the ground with a cry before going still. The older spirit sprinted towards his younger sister, who was shaking. “What was that ?” She asked breathlessly.

“One of the reasons that Stel doesn’t want you out after dark. Most creatures in the Reach are nocturnal and some can get pretty nasty.” He explained pulling the younger spirit to her feet. “That thing was a-”

“A mantis, I know. Stel told me about them.” She interrupted. “I don’t care about that right now. I wanna know about the sword .” 

Eri blinked, taken aback. Young spirits usually weren’t this calm after their first close encounter with the hostile creatures of the forest. It was easy to forget that Niwen had some very real dangers hidden amongst the trees. Taylor, however, seemed to be unphased by the knowledge that random attacks like this one could and would happen. The older spirit sighed, deciding not to discuss his young sister’s apparent disregard for danger and resolved to speak to Stel about it. The old healer had plenty of stories capable of instilling a healthy respect for the hostile entities of Niwen.

Finally deciding to humor his younger sibling, who was still watching him with a combination of awe, excitement, and curiosity, Eri reformed the blade of light that he had used to kill the mantis. The green-eyed spirit gasped at the sight of the shimmering blue blade and stepped forward to inspect it more closely.

She looked up at him, and the older spirit could see determination in her gaze. “Teach me.” She demanded and Eri chuckled.

“I’d love to, but first I need to survive the scolding that Stel is going to give me for keeping you out so late.”

The young spirit winced in sympathy and Eri led the way out of the clearing, tossing the bag of herbs to her as he passed where it sat. Stel’s home wasn’t too far away from the clearing and the older spirit led his younger sibling through the trees swiftly and silently, hoping not to disturb any more hostile wildlife.

As the pair emerged from the trees and stepped over the low wall surrounding her garden, the wooden door set into the cliff face swung open. Stel emerged and looked the pair over. The look on her face was unreadable and Eri cringed, his ears folding back defensively. The old spirit turned and wordlessly disappeared back into her home. 

Eri exchanged looks with his younger sister. “Uh… After you?” He offered.

She refused. “Nope. You’re the one who kept me out late. You go first.”

He looked at her, betrayal written all over his face, and gulped before stepping into the warm den. The male flinched when he saw the cups of tea on the table. Stel made tea for two reasons; the first was if someone was ill, the second was in preparation for a long talk. He gingerly sat down across from the elder spirit as Taylor took the seat next to him. The room was silent except for the crackling of the fire as Stel sipped her tea. The younger spirits didn’t touch theirs.

After several tense minutes, Stel lowered her cup and looked at Eri. “I’m sure you understand why I was alarmed when the sun began to set and my very young protege was nowhere to be found. Explain.”

He took a deep breath to steady himself before speaking. “I met Taylor after reaching the top of the cliff that your den rests on. After speaking to her briefly, I discovered that she hadn’t been taught how to bash objects and took it upon myself to teach her.”

The old spirit nodded slowly. “That’s understandable, bash is a rather necessary skill. However, why didn’t you come to tell me that you were commandeering my student?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I honestly didn’t realize how long the lessons would take.” Eri sighed and shrugged. “I’ll admit that I’m a bit of a perfectionist and really didn’t need to keep her for as long as I did, but I don’t regret it. She knows the skill inside and out now.”

Stel sighed as well. “That’s something at least.” She sipped her tea again. “Now, how did she get injured?” Taylor started to protest, at which the old healer gave her a withering look. “Don’t deny it child, I can see how gingerly you’re holding yourself. I’m baffled as to why you haven’t healed yourself yet.”

The young spirit blinked then ducked her head in embarrassment. “Forgot I could do that…” She mumbled before touching her chest with a glowing green paw. 

There was a flash of green and Taylor sighed in relief as Eri gave her an odd look. “You forgot you could heal yourself?” He asked.

“It’s not like I need to do it very often!” She said defensively.

Eri snorted. “Scatterbrained, much?” He teased, grinning when she scowled at him. The spirit turned back to Stel. “The lessons lasted until after sundown and we were preparing to head back here when a mantis jumped us. I dealt with it, but it managed to get a glancing blow in on her before I could stop it.”  He looked back at the younger spirit. “That was an excellent bash at the end of the fight, by the way. Most spirits can’t throw something as large as a mantis anywhere close to as far as you did.”

She frowned. “I just wish that you had told me I could bash creatures earlier. If I had known before the fight, I probably wouldn’t have gotten hit at all.”

Eri cringed. “Several years ago, a pair of juvenile spirits pranked several creatures by basing them. Nothing dangerous, just embarrassing things like launching them into mud or water, but it still angered most of those living in the Glades. After that, a rule was passed that new spirits couldn’t learn to bash other creatures until after they matured.”

“It was a good decision too.” Stel huffed and crossed her arms. “You and Eika were menaces .” She nodded in response to Taylor’s surprised look, even as Eri groaned and buried his face in his paws. “Yes, that was this idiot.” She ignored his affronted noise and the glare he sent her way. “I was still living in the Glades at that time and he launched me into a barrel of honey. I was honestly impressed by his aim, but my fur was sticky for days .”

The green-eyed spirit giggled at the stink-eye the healer aimed at Eri, who groaned again. “I apologized for that!”

“I’m still not going to let you live it down!”

He sighed and ignored her in favor of turning to look at his younger sister instead. “Moral of this story? Don’t bash other creatures unless it’s absolutely necessary. A good example to use is when I launched you away from the mantis.”

“I wasn’t planning to do that anyway.” Taylor replied. “I’m not a delinquent like you.”

Stel guffawed as he sputtered in response to his younger sibling’s quip. Eri glared as the green-eyed spirit serenely sipped her tea. The next few minutes were spent in silence before it was broken by a massive yawn from the youngest of the trio.

Eri snorted. “Someone’s tired.” He teased.

The younger spirit glared at him halfheartedly and opened her mouth to argue before Stel interrupted her. “He’s right child, it’s late and you’ve had a rather exciting day. There’s no shame in being tired.”

The elder spirit’s words seemed to drain the fight from the green-eyed female, and she slumped. “I wanted to learn how to make that cool sword though…”

Stel sighed heavily and Eri burst out laughing. “Don’t worry shorty, I’ll hang around for a few days to teach you.” 

“I’m almost as tall as you!” She exclaims.

“Almost isn’t good enough~!”

She glares at him and gets up with a huff. “I’m going to bed!” She declares before stalking off to the sleeping area.

Stel snorted. “Nicely done. I can never get her to go to bed that quickly.”

Eri shrugged. “Eika was the same way. She never wanted to go to bed when I did and would constantly mess with me when I was trying to sleep. I quickly learned that the best way to get her to leave me alone was annoy her until she stormed off.” 

The old spirit chuckled. “That makes sense. How is your twin anyway?” She asked. “Neither of you have visited me in quite some time.”

He shrugged. “As far as I know she’s still living at the Wellspring.” His nose wrinkled. “I still don’t understand how she can stand staying in one place for so long.”

Stel smirked. “I’m sure she says the same thing about you and your wanderlust.” 

The adventurous spirit shrugged again. “I just like being alone, I prefer the quiet.”

The healer nodded. “I understand that.” They sat in silence for several minutes, just enjoying one another’s quiet companionship, before Stel nodded towards the sleeping alcove. Taylor’s quiet breaths had evened out into the slow breathing of deep sleep. “So, what do you think of her?”

“She’s… odd.” Eri murmured. “There’s something different about her that I can’t quite put my paw on. Her mannerisms are just like any other young spirit, yet she closes herself off. It’s almost like she’s scared of becoming attached to others.”

“I thought you would notice.” Stel sighed. “You’ve always been perceptive. I won’t tell you the whole story as it is Taylor’s to tell. However, I will tell you that she was rescued from her fear by the Great Spirit Tree itself.”

Eri sighed, the old healer’s words had only given him more questions, but he didn’t press her for answers. Trying to demand answers from Stel was like trying to squeeze water from a stone. Instead he decided to speak about their younger sibling’s blatant lack of fear towards Niwen’s hostile inhabitants. 

Stel frowned when he finished explaining his worries. “I honestly don’t know how to truly impress upon her the dangers of the forest. I can tell her about the myriad of injuries I’ve seen, but unless she experiences it for herself she won’t truly learn. I’m rather glad that you’ve decided to stay and teach her to defend herself. I feel like she has a talent for getting into trouble.”

He hummed thoughtfully for a moment, and an idea slowly formed. “Normally I wouldn’t offer this, but once you’re satisfied with her level of competence in healing I could let her travel with me for a while. I’m sure she’d appreciate seeing the other parts of Niwen, and experiencing the darker parts of the forest first hand might prevent her from becoming reckless.”

“Honestly?” The old healer sighed. “She’s already learned all she can from me, all she needs now is practice. I should have sent her back to the Glades over a week ago, but I’ve found that I quite enjoy her company.” Her statement caused Eri to raise an eyebrow and Stel snorted. “I know. I think I’m going soft.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’re just as cranky as ever in the mornings.” He grinned at the glare his older sibling sent him. “See? Look how moody you’re being!” He laughed and ducked as she swung at him with her walking stick. Stel grumbled under her breath but Eri was able to see her faint smile. He smiled warmly in return before speaking once more. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to impose on your hospitality for a few days so that I can teach Taylor spirit’s edge in a safe environment.”

She nodded. “I expected as much. Now, I know you know where everything is. So I’ll be heading off to bed myself.” She stood and made her way towards her own sleeping area without another word.

“Rest well.” Eri called out to her retreating form. He got a halfhearted wave in response and chuckled to himself. He sat at the table for a few minutes longer, drinking the last of his tea and enjoying the warmth of the fire, before standing and making his way about the room. While it had been nearly a year since he last stayed with Stel, nothing had changed about her home so he was confident as he cleaned up. He carefully cleaned the wooden mugs that had held their tea and placed them on the shelf near the firepit before ensuring that the fire had enough fuel to last the night and that it was properly banked. 

Eri then retrieved a spare blanket from the pile that Stel kept for guests and made his way behind the curtain to the sleeping area. Taylor was curled up in a moderately sized nest in the corner with her tail tip resting over her nose. The young spirit snuffled in her sleep and Eri smiled. He hadn’t expected to grow quite so fond of his green-eyed sister quite so quickly, but he was honestly glad that he had run into her that morning. The older spirit curled up in the nest closest to the curtain hiding them from view and pulled the blanket over himself. He quickly drifted off to sleep, already planning the next morning’s lessons. 

It had been a good day.

Chapter Text

“Again.”

The young spirit gritted her teeth and focused, summoning a long blade of blue energy. She executed a quick flurry of four horizontal slashes on the target in front of her before leaping backwards to avoid an imaginary strike and allowed the blade to disperse once more. She was gasping for breath and her muscles ached from the countless repetitions of the unfamiliar movements. 

“Again. Faster this time.”

Taylor groaned, before doing as her elder sibling instructed. Two steps forward, a fast four strike combination, and a leap backwards while ensuring she maintained her guard. Slowly the top section of the training dummy she was using tipped over before falling to the ground with a heavy thunk , revealing that the wooden post that had been supporting it was cut cleanly in two. 

The spirit’s heart sank as her sword vanished once more. The point of this exercise was to learn control, she was supposed to stop before hitting the target. Her ears and tail drooped at the sound of her teacher’s sigh.

“Are you alright, Taylor?” Eri asked. “You’re usually more focused than this.”

“It’s just…. More difficult than I expected.” She muttered. It was the truth; the young spirit hadn’t expected that learning this skill would be anywhere near as difficult as it had been. Summoning the blade for the first time had been easy. She already had plenty of experience manipulating her light in various ways, making a sword was simple compared to healing. 

Whereas healing involved controlling light that had been diluted and changed by outside forces, the creation of a spirit’s edge was a simple solidification of the pure light that flowed through her body naturally. It had taken several minutes for her to figure out the trick required to make the blade solid but after accomplishing it once, the act had become effortless. No, the difficulty didn’t come from forcing her light into an unfamiliar shape. It came from learning how to wield it. 

Taylor had never held a sword in her life and while she had seen various examples of armed combat on television, she had quickly realized that actual bladed combat was far different than what she had thought. Not only were the fights on the television staged and overdramatized, the fighting styles were optimized for humans . 

As a spirit, her center of gravity was much lower than that of a human’s. Her tail was what allowed this, acting as a counterbalance as she leapt and crouched. Thus, spirits were capable of movements that were far more acrobatic than what a human could pull off. Flips, spins, and leaps were an integral feature in a spirit’s fighting style; but while digitigrade legs were excellent for running, jumping, and climbing, they were not designed for backwards movement. This meant that Taylor would be at a severe disadvantage if she was forced to back away from an opponent.

An acrobatic fighting style countered this; by making use of their superior sense of balance and lower center of gravity, a spirit’s fighting style relied less on defending and more on dodging . After all, there was no need to defend against a strike that missed.

The morning after they met, Eri had spent the better part of two hours lecturing Taylor on this, without the comparison to humanity of course, and had quizzed her on it multiple times. The older spirit had taken her wish to learn swordplay very seriously, and was merciless as he drilled techniques and stances into her. 

The young spirit realized, with more than a small amount of annoyance, that she had grown accustomed to Stel’s rather relaxed lifestyle and teaching methods. The elder healer had allowed Taylor to sleep in before the pair enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. After their meal, the healers would either set out to travel to the various homes of the other sentient Reach dwellers or Stel would teach Taylor about the uses of different herbs and how to mix them into simple remedies. Occasionally, the older spirit would send Taylor out to gather winter herbs if she sensed her younger sibling growing restless. It had been peaceful, and the green-eyed spirit had quite enjoyed it.

Eri’s style of teaching was the complete opposite. If his student wasn’t up by the time the sun rose, he would drag her from her nest and toss her into one of the icy streams that flowed from deep within the mountain. He would then drill her on her basic forms for two hours, by which time Stel would have awoken and prepared a light meal for them. The pair would eat quickly before it was back out to the garden for more training. 

Her brother’s training methods were… eclectic. Sometimes he would have her do simple control drills on a stationary target like today. Other days involved things like balance drills, where Taylor would have to leap across the rotting posts of a submerged dock and strike a specific target, or movement exercises where she would have to dodge the various items Eri, and occasionally Stel, would throw at her. The young spirit actually quite enjoyed the dodging drill, she was good at it, though the few times that Eri had managed to successfully hit her it had hurt .

After an afternoon lunch Eri would spar with her, and that was what brought Taylor the most frustration of all. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t land a single hit on her brother. Not only was he larger than her with better reach, he also had years of experience to draw on that gave him a surety to his movements that she had no chance of replicating.

Eri stared at the younger spirit wordlessly for several moments, observing the frustration in her stance, before sighing. “Why don’t you go inside and help Stel for a bit while I fix the training dummy?” He suggested.

She immediately began protesting. “What…? No! I can keep-”

“I know you can keep going.” Her sibling interrupted. “But I’m not letting you. Your frustration is making you sloppy, so I’m telling you to take a break. This is not a suggestion.” His voice softened, and he smiled at her. “It’s just for a little while, go take a moment to relax.”

He turned and began hauling the upper half of the dummy away, obviously ending the conversation. Taylor sighed, and made her way inside. She wanted to give into her frustration and slam the door, but the tongue lashing from Stel wouldn’t be worth it. Instead the door was closed quietly and the young spirit joined her eldest sibling at the table.

Stel was carefully bundling groups of dried herbs and wordlessly pushed a pile towards the young spirit. Taylor obediently began sorting and tying the dried leaves together with bits of twine made from long grasses. The pair worked in silence for a time before the old healer spoke up without looking away from her work. “Swordplay isn’t what you expected, hmmm?”

Taylor shook her head. “No.” Her voice was tight with frustration. “I just don’t understand it!” Her voice raised to a shout as she slammed her paws on the table. Stel shot her a glare and the younger spirit winced apologetically before picking up the leaves that she had accidentally knocked to the floor. Once everything had been returned to the table she continued. “Everything else I’ve learned has come to me so naturally . I don’t understand why learning to use spirit's edge is giving me so much trouble.”

The older spirit looked thoughtful. “It’s the techniques that are giving you trouble and not the summoning of the blade itself?” She asked.

Taylor nodded. “Yes. Creating the sword came to me just as easily as anything else and while Eri says that I’m making good progress-”

“You’re not progressing as fast as you would like.” Stel finished with a slow nod. “I see. I have a theory as to why that is.” Seeing that she had her younger sibling’s undivided attention, the old healer continued. “When a spirit is born, there is a rare chance that the Great Spirit Tree will give them a talent or an extra skill.”

The younger spirit blinked in surprise. “Really?”

“Yes.” The older spirit nodded slowly. “The Great Spirit Tree doesn’t often grant unique talents, he prefers to allow us the freedom to discover our own uses for our light. However in times of great need, a spirit will be born with a skill meant to help the forest survive whatever calamity has befallen it.”

“So you think I have one of these ‘talents’? Taylor asked.

Stel nodded again. “Yes. Based on what you’ve told me about your Earth Bet and my own experiences from teaching you, I believe that the Great Spirit Tree granted you a talent for energy manipulation or, to be more specific, light manipulation.” Seeing the younger spirit’s confused look, the old healer explained. “All of the skills you’ve picked up until this point have required the manipulation of your own inherent light or, in the case of healing, the manipulation of ambient light. This is why the skills have come to you so easily and why you were able to summon a blade with little effort, yet are having difficulty with mastering the techniques to wield it.”

The young spirit thought about it for a moment before deciding that the theory made sense. Learning to create and maintain the blade of light had posed no issues for her. The problems started when she began learning to use the sword, something that didn’t involve the manipulation of her light unless she was using a double jump or a bash to dodge an attack. “I think you might be right… I’m still not completely sure that I have one of these ‘gifts,’ but it makes sense that I’m having difficulty learning to use spirit’s edge because I’m having to actually learn the techniques.”

The elder spirit snorted. “Whether you believe it or not is up to you, but I guarantee that you were given a talent. There’s no way you’d have learned to heal as quickly as you did if you didn’t.”

Taylor frowned at her. “Why are you so sure?”

Stel smirked. “Because you mastered healing nearly as quickly as I did and healing is my gift.”

The younger spirit blinked. “Wait, you have a talent?”

“Yes.” The old spirit smiled sadly. “I have a talent. There’s a reason why I'm considered to be the best healer in Niwen.”

“O-Oh…” Taylor looked down at her paws. She was curious about why Stel was given a gift, but she didn’t want to pry.

Her eldest sibling looked at her with amusement. “You may bite your tongue, but I can see the question eating at you. You want to know why I was born with the gift of healing.”

The green-eyed spirit looked at her sister sheepishly. “Yes, please.”

Stel chuckled, though her face was sad. “I’m not surprised. You’re too curious for your own good.” She sighed. “I was born during the summer, just over a hundred years ago,” The older spirit grinned at the surprised look on her siblings face. “Yes, I know I’m old.” Her amusement vanished as quickly as it had appeared. “The first few months of my life were normal for a young spirit. I never showed any sign of my gift until the winter of the next year, when Moki started getting sick.” 

There was an unreadable look on the old healer’s face. However her short ears were pressed flat against her skull, betraying her distress. Without thinking, Taylor reached out and grabbed her sister’s paw. The elder spirit jolted, as if she had been suddenly jerked from the grip of a particularly painful memory, and gave her a grateful look. “Thank you, Taylor. I find that I tend to get lost in the memories of that time fairly easily.”

The younger spirit nodded and made to pull away, only to be held in place by her sister’s grip. Stel refused to meet her gaze and Taylor understood, leaving her paw where it was. “I’m still unsure of how the Great Spirit Tree was able to predict the true scope of the plague that struck Niwen that winter.” The old spirit’s voice was quiet. “It was a terrible illness and it quickly came to be known as Stone Tail Syndrome. The first symptom was always a stiffness in the tail, leading to its name, after that the victim would develop a terrible dry cough and an incredibly high fever.”

Stel took a shuddering breath. “There were more symptoms, but I’d rather not go into detail as they were… Unpleasant. The first to get sick were the Moki. The illness spread through the Glades like wildfire and then on to the rest of the forest over the course of a few weeks . Though it wasn’t until spirits started getting sick as well that we realized the true scope of what was occurring.” 

“Wait, spirits were catching this? Healthy ones?” Taylor asked in shock.

The old healer nodded. “Yes. Many spirit healers had traveled to the Glades and, in an effort to save the ill Moki, over exerted themselves. I believe this allowed the disease to grow resistant to our light and, in turn, affect spirits.” 

The younger spirit was understandably alarmed at that. An illness somehow growing resistant to light? The thought was terrifying. 

“When spirits themselves began to be affected, I wanted to help and asked to learn healing.” Stel chuckled. “Honestly I demanded rather than asked, I wouldn’t take no for an answer, and eventually I was taught.”

Taylor snorted. “Yeah, that sounds like you.” The younger spirit smiled innocently at the glare her sibling gave her.

“Anyway,” The old healer continued to give the green-eyed spirit the stink eye for a moment before resuming her tale. “My gift was immediately obvious once they began teaching me to manipulate life energy. Where the trained healers had to focus and in some cases strain to control the altered light used in healing, I found it effortless. It came to me as easily as breathing.” She smiled sadly. “With the addition of my gift, we slowly but surely began to turn the tide against the plague. It took many seasons, and many lives, but eventually Stone Tail Syndrome became nothing more than an unpleasant memory.”

The fact that a crisis like that could happen in Niwen of all places baffled Taylor. The forest honestly seemed like a paradise, though she was quickly learning that not everything was as it seemed. The door suddenly swung inwards, and the young spirit flinched when it hit the wall with a loud bang .

Stel whipped around to glare at Eri, who was standing in the open doorway. “How many times do I have to tell you to quit opening my door like that?!” Her voice was cross and the brash spirit winced.

“Sorry Stel. Won’t happen again.” He said apologetically.

“That’s what you said last time.” She said in exasperation and Taylor snorted.

“She’s got a point.” The younger spirit said with amusement.

Eri shrugged. “Eh. If I wind up breaking it I’ll build you another one. Anyway,” He turned to Taylor. “I’ve fixed the dummy. You ready for more practice?”

She sighed and stood, brushing past him wordlessly, before striding into the garden. Her brother followed her out, and watched as she took her place in front of the newly repaired training dummy. “Well? What am I starting with?”

“So did your talk with Stel help?” Rather than answering her question, the older spirit chose to ask one of his own as he carefully shut the door behind himself before moving to stand beside Taylor.

“Yes and no?” Her answer came out sounding like a question. “I’ve got a good idea on why I’ve been struggling with learning how to use spirit’s edge, but now I feel like I’ve got even more questions than I did before.” She said unhappily.

“Questions that even Stel can’t answer?” Eri sighed at Taylor’s nod. “Let me guess, they have something to do with wherever it is you’re from.” The younger spirit looks at him in shock and he laughs. “C’mon, did you really think I wouldn’t figure it out? I’m not oblivious.” He gave her a small smile. “I won't pry. If you decide to tell me, then that’s your decision, but I’m here if you need an ear.”

The young spirit returned his smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “Thanks Eri.”

“Well, let's get back to work.” He gave Taylor a cheeky grin. “If you’re going to be coming with me at the end of the week, I want you to be able to hit me at least once!”

“Wait, what ?!”

My tail idly flicked back and forth as I lounged on the roof of the house, waiting for Dad to get home. It was Wednesday afternoon, three days after my breakdown on Sunday evening. Dad had taken Monday and Tuesday off while I worked to achieve emotional stability and, while I appreciated the thought, I was feeling rather guilty for causing him to miss so much work. He had been planning to call in again today, but I had insisted that he go in. I had been feeling… lighter since Sunday. My tears had been cathartic. Finally crying about everything that had occurred had been like removing a splinter that had festered beneath my skin for years.

Hey.

I turned to see that Seia had drifted out of my open window and was now floating nearby. She seemed hesitant so I smiled at her reassuringly. “Hey.”

How are you feeling?

“I’m fine. Honestly, I’ve been kinda worried about you.” The little orb seemed taken aback by this and drifted closer, confusion coloring her tone.

What do you mean?

I sighed and sat up. “Well, you’ve been pretty distant the past couple of days. I was afraid that I had upset you somehow.” 

What? No! The Wisp’s voice was firm. I’m beyond happy that you’re finally starting to move past everything that has happened to you!

I scoffed. “I wouldn’t say that I’m moving past it, more like learning to cope in more healthy ways.” I gave her a look. “And you still haven’t explained why you’ve been avoiding me.”

Seia stilled, dimming slightly. The other day, when you were crying… I could feel how much you wanted to be human again. 

“Oh.” I looked down at my paws. I hadn’t realized that she had been privy to that particular bit of emotional turmoil. I supposed that I should have realized it earlier, considering the strange connection we shared. “I-I won't deny the fact that I miss being human sometimes. However if I hadn’t become a spirit, I’d have never gotten to meet you or anyone from Niwen and I wouldn't trade that for anything .

The Wisp glowed a little more brightly. R-Really…?

“Seia, this is the best thing that’s happened to me in years !” I shake my head and laugh in disbelief, shocked that she hadn’t already realized it. “Before my change, Dad and I hadn’t said more than a handful of words to one another in weeks! You already know what my school life was like.” I reach over and gently cup the little light in my paws. “You and the Great Spirit Tree saved me. I honestly don’t know what would have happened if things had continued the way they were.” 

We sat in silence as Seia contemplated my words, her glow steadily becoming brighter as she realized that I had been completely truthful. It wasn’t until the sun had begun to set and I spotted my dad’s truck turning onto the end of our street that I abandoned my spot on the roof. 

I neatly hopped back through my window and into my bedroom, closely followed by my little golden companion, and trotted downstairs to greet my father as he stepped inside. “Hey Dad.” I said as I reached out to take the bags of groceries he was carrying. 

He smiled at me gratefully and shrugged out of his coat. “Heya, kiddo. How was your day?”

He reached out to take one of the bags back and I let him before leading the way to the kitchen. “It was pretty good. I practiced some of the techniques I’m learning from Eri before spending the afternoon cloud watching on the roof. I was trying to take it easy before tonight.” Tonight being a second attempt at the aborted food delivery to the homeless shelter. 

“Ah.” His smile faltered for a moment as worry flashed in his eyes before being replaced by determination. “That reminds me! I got a couple of things that I thought might help you.” He began digging through the bags as I watched in curiosity. 

He pulled out several items that seemed completely random in nature. There were a few things such as pepper spray and zip ties that I recognized and could see the use in. While I wasn’t planning on apprehending any criminals, Dad and I had agreed that it would be safer to have this sort of thing on hand. However, the other items seemed to have no rhyme or reason. Ten packages of hard multicolored rubber balls, a long spool of hemp twine, and a fishing vest that looked like it had seen better days.

“Dad… What is all of this stuff?” I asked as I hesitantly picked up one of the packs of balls. They were the cheap, dollar store kind that never bounced properly.

“Well, I remembered that new ability that you told me about. I think you called it Bash?” He grinned at my slow nod, obviously pleased that he’d remembered it correctly. “You mentioned that you could bash off of projectiles, so I got you these!”

I looked at the package in my hand, quickly catching on to his idea. I had been planning to learn Light Burst from Eri as soon as possible so that I could make objects to bash off of. However, I didn’t want to ask my brother to teach me anything new until I was at least competent with spirit’s edge, so I was left having to use bash on whatever objects were available. However, if Dad’s idea worked, that problem might have just been solved!

I immediately sprinted towards the back door, ripping the plastic packaging off the balls as I went. Dad and Seia followed me at a more sedate pace and by the time they reached the backyard, I was already standing well away from the porch. I hefted one of the balls, and threw it upwards as high as I could. Leaping after it, I performed a double jump to gain more height before attempting to grip the rubber ball with my light. I shouted in success when it froze in mid-air before I used it to propel my body skywards.

The ball hit the ground at considerable speed, leaving a divot in the damp soil, before rolling away. I allowed myself to land lightly next to the new dent in our lawn before retrieving the ball. My face was split wide in a victorious grin. I turned to Dad, still grinning, and burst out laughing at the stunned look on his face. I’d forgotten that he hadn’t actually seen me use bash before now.

It turned out that the old fishing vest and the twine had a purpose as well. After eating dinner, Dad had helped me secure each one of the balls to the vest with the twine. It took some trial and error to figure out how to tie the balls on without risking them falling, but we eventually managed it by tying a harness around each one in a manner similar to what Talu had showed me for the soup canteens all those weeks ago.

Now I was wearing the vest as I leapt from building to building, steadily making my way towards the Hands of Hope homeless shelter. It was rather awkward to wear as I was running, as it was obviously meant for someone much bigger than I was, but I was incredibly happy to have it. 

Seia and I actually ended up beating Dad to the meeting point we had agreed on, and I looked around for a hiding spot. I didn’t like being out in the open where I could be easily seen. The vest muted the glow from my fur somewhat, but I was still far too conspicuous. Luckily, one of the abandoned buildings that overlooked the alley Dad was going to be parked in had several windows where the planks had fallen away and I was able to duck inside after ensuring that I wouldn’t be disturbing any squatters.

Several tense minutes passed before I heard the familiar sound of Dad’s truck. I peeked out of the window just as he turned the vehicle off and waited a moment before slipping out of my shelter. I quickly and quietly hopped down the fire escape and flung the tarp away from the bed of the vehicle before retrieving a bundle of rope and scampering back up to the roof of the building.

The rope was made of a sturdy nylon with a large hook tied to the end. I carefully lowered the hook down to the truck and looped it under a cord tied to the handles of each basket before lifting them to the roof with me. Once the last basket was secured, Seia flew down to tell Dad to leave while I began the slow process of lugging the baskets of food across the various planks that I had used to connect the buildings a few days beforehand. 

It took nearly an hour for me to lug all of the baskets to the roof of the shelter, which was much longer than I had expected. Every slow second of making my way across the various buildings was another second I could be discovered, and I was greatly relieved when all the baskets and I were safely inside the rooftop exit of the shelter. 

Seia drifted down the stairwell before returning to tell me it was safe and, once more, I uncurled my rope. Lowering the baskets to the bottom of the stairs took far less time than lifting them up had, and soon I was lugging them along the hallways of the first floor to the kitchen. Once there, I shoved them up onto the counter before placing a note and a small package next to them.

The note simply read:

I prefer to grow my own food and ended up with far more than I could eat on my own. I thought your shelter would appreciate the surplus. The package contains herbal teas for various common ailments. Each one is clearly labeled with both its intended use and the ingredients in case anyone has allergies. Steep one tea bag in 8 oz of boiling water for five minutes for the best results.

                                                                                                                               Spirit

I hadn't put much thought into my cape name before this and had planned to just leave the note with no signature. It took Seia pointing out that people would be more likely to trust someone if they had a name for them before I gave in and signed the note with the first thing that came to mind. I honestly felt like it was rather unoriginal, kind of like someone naming themselves ‘person’, but it would work for now. 

I quickly made my way up to the sleeping areas, eager to see how my patients had fared during the time between my visits. I was pleasantly surprised to see that none of the people I had healed previously had regressed. With a pleased smile I began moving from person to person and from room to room, healing all of those that needed it. 

There were more people in the shelter than previously, and I found myself busier than I had expected. Rather than the twenty or so homeless that I hadn’t gotten the chance to heal previously, it seemed like there had been a recent influx of occupants. I assumed that it was due to the recent cold snap that Brockton Bay had been experiencing, as several of the newer residents were suffering from mild to moderate frostbite in various places.

This time, most likely because the shelter had been the only place I had visited, I was able to heal all of the occupants of the shelter and I began making my way out of the building with a pleased smile on my face when a beam of light fell across my body. I froze.

There, in the doorway of one of the bathrooms, was one of the men that I had healed on my first visit to the shelter. Upon seeing me standing there, with my eyes widened in horror, he had frozen as well. We stood there for several seconds, staring at one another. I was tense and ready to bolt and I could see the wheels turning in his head as he took in my glowing form. I flinched when he suddenly moved and was mystified when, rather than shouting in alarm, He raised his finger to his lips in a shushing motion and winked at me before re-entering the bathroom and silently shutting the door.

I didn’t hesitate, sprinting to the door on the top floor as I took the opportunity that the man had provided. I didn’t stop running until I was out of the shelter and several buildings away, where I ducked into my hiding spot from earlier in the evening. I was nearly hyperventilating in my panic, a fact that confused Seia. 

What’s wrong?

“What’s wrong?!” I hissed furiously. “We were seen, that’s what’s wrong!”

So?

I looked at the Wisp in disbelief. “So? We can’t go back there now! He’s going to tell everyone and they’re going to call the PRT and-”

I really don’t think he’s going to do that.

I look at her in confusion. “Huh? Of course he is!”

She bobs side to side mimicking a head shake. Think about it Taylor. He wasn’t scared to see us, just surprised. Plus, after his surprise wore off, he let us go. If he had really wanted to tell everyone about us, he would have shouted and woken everybody up.

“That’s true…” I hug my tail anxiously. I really didn’t want to stop going to the shelter. I liked helping the people there, I didn’t want to have to stop.

Let’s just come back tomorrow. We don’t have to go in, we can just watch the building and see if it looks like there might be any of the PRT hanging around. Okay?

I thought about it for a minute before nodding. “Okay, sounds like a plan. Let’s not tell Dad about this though, he’ll never let me leave the house again.”

Chapter Text

Taylor’s ear twitched, and she ducked. She heard Eri’s blade whistle as it passed through the air where her head had just been. Throwing herself forward into a roll, the young spirit whipped her body around and lashed out with her own spirit’s edge for a counter attack. Her older sibling let out a startled sound and leapt to the side, he obviously hadn’t been expecting her to retaliate. The pair eyed one another for a few seconds before the older spirit grinned. Taylor flinched.

Eri leapt forward, his blade a blur as he attacked. The simple combo he performed was transformed into something terrifying as the spirit moved at devastating speeds. Taylor could do little more than dodge, praying that she was fast enough to avoid them. After several strikes, Eri’s attack slowed for just a moment and the younger spirit leapt forward rather than back. Taylor’s risky move paid off; as her older sibling, startled by her unusual aggressiveness, was suddenly forced to defend.

The younger spirit’s attack wasn’t nearly as skilled as her older brother’s and she knew that if he truly wanted to he could overpower her in seconds. Eri, however, was an excellent teacher and he allowed her to keep her advantage by leaving openings in his guard and encouraging her to attack. Taylor was completely unaware of this allowance as she gritted her teeth and slashed at her sibling furiously, determined to get a successful strike in.

Swinging low, as if to strike at the older spirit’s lower leg, Taylor heavily telegraphed her strike. Predictably Eri went to counter the move, falling for her feint. The younger spirit’s heart leapt but she didn’t allow her elation to get the better of her as she switched the leg strike to a sweeping, downward blow mid-swing.

Eri’s eyes widened as he attempted to leap backward to avoid the blow but his leap was too late and the dulled edge of Taylor’s blade hit him squarely between his ears. The older spirit staggered back and sat down heavily, shaking his head in an effort to clear his vision. The green-eyed spirit froze, she hadn’t expected that particular strike to actually hit him and had swung her sword far harder than normal.

Allowing her blade to disperse, the young spirit rushed toward her instructor before touching him with a paw covered in glowing green energy. There was a whoosh as the life energy abruptly left her body and Eri jolted suddenly as if he’d been zapped by a particularly nasty stinger fly. 

He looked up at the younger spirit with a bewildered expression for a moment before seeming to realize what had happened. Leaping up with a joyful shout, Eri scooped up the younger spirit and spun her around while completely ignoring her shrieks and demands to be put down. 

The older spirit’s laughter was infectious, and Taylor soon found herself laughing along before her brother finally lowered her to the ground once more. He grinned at her. “I’m impressed! I honestly thought you were going for a leg strike. I didn’t expect the feint at all!”

Taylor smiled but looked slightly guilty. “Thanks… I really didn’t mean to hit you that hard though.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Eri’s voice was dismissive. “I shouldn’t have tried to block with my head.”

The younger spirit gave him a flat look. “I thought we were supposed to dodge, not block.”

“Exactly!”

The green-eyed spirit snorted and shook her head at Eri’s bright response before turning to make her way back to Stel’s home. The pair had chosen to train on one of the trails leading to the mountain peak that day. The weather was uncommonly warm for the season and Taylor took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air. The local wildlife apparently had the same idea as her and her brother; everywhere she looked the young spirit could spot various creatures taking advantage of the warmth of the day.

Birds flew overhead twittering to one another while rabbits emerged from their dens to forage for sweet winter-growing Reach Berries. The young spirit looked up at the sound of rustling tree branches and spotted a pair of young squirrels leaping from branch to branch, obviously searching for one of their hidden caches of tree nuts. Taylor paused, feeling a sudden pang of homesickness. While the vast majority of her time in Niwen had been spent in the Reach learning from Stel, the Wellspring Glades had become her home despite her short stay. She greatly missed racing Talu and her other siblings through the branches of the tall trees and swimming in the clear waters of the Wellspring. 

A gentle paw touched her shoulder and Taylor jumped. The young spirit realized that she had stopped in the middle of the path and had been staring off into the distance. Eri was looking at her in concern. “You alright Taylor?” He asked.

She smiled at him halfheartedly. “I’m just a little homesick.”

Understanding bloomed on her brother's face. “Oh, that’s right. You live in the Glades, don’t you?”

The younger spirit nodded and resumed walking with a quiet sigh. “Yeah. Seeing those squirrels reminded me of the races I’d have with Talu and the others. I just realized how long it’s been since I saw them.” 

Eri didn’t respond and followed her silently, obviously deep in thought. They walked for several minutes and Stel’s garden had just come into view when the older spirit finally spoke. “Listen…” He grabbed Taylor’s shoulder as he stopped walking, causing her to stop as well and look at him in slight confusion. “How about we stop in the Glades for a few days before you begin traveling with me?”

The young spirit stared at her brother in surprise and joy. She knew that he often didn’t get along with the other citizens of the Glades and typically preferred to avoid the location. “Really? Are you sure?” Her voice was hopeful.

He sighed and gave her a fond smile. “You obviously miss everyone there and it’s not like they’re out of the way. We’ll pass right by on the way to Luma Pools. Besides, it’s been a while since I checked in on my twin.”

Taylor looked at him in surprise. “You have a twin?” She asked.

Her older sibling nodded with a chuckle as he resumed walking. “Yeah, Eika. The one who was originally supposed to teach you how to bash.”

“I didn’t know spirits could have a twin.” Taylor murmured as she fell into step beside him.

“I’m not surprised, it’s not exactly common.” Eri casually hopped over the low wall surrounding the herb garden Stel kept. “Twin spirits are spirits who are born from the same seed of the Great Spirit Tree.”

The younger spirit hummed as she climbed over the wall far more carefully than her brother, Stel would have a fit if any of her herbs were damaged by a careless foot, and followed him to the door of their older sibling’s home. The old spirit looked up from her work as the pair entered, obviously surprised. “You two are back early. Did something happen?”

Eri grinned and shoved Taylor forward, completely ignoring the glare she gave him as she stumbled. “Yeah, something happened! Our littlest sister managed to hit me in the head hard enough to knock me silly!”

Stel snorted. “It’s a pity she didn’t manage to knock some sense into that thick skull of yours.” Taylor giggled as her brother sputtered indignantly and the old healer turned to look at her with a sad smile. “I suppose this means that you’ll be leaving this old spirit behind in favor of adventure, hmmm?”

Taylor’s elation at the thought of visiting the Glades faded somewhat. She’d forgotten that traveling with Eri meant leaving Stel. She had become quite close with the grouchy healer during her time learning from the elder spirit. “I…” The young spirit trailed off, not knowing what to say.

“I’m teasing you child.” Stel chuckled, a tinge of wistfulness coloring her voice. “I may be old; but I still remember feeling the call for adventure, it's a trait of all young spirits. I’ve simply grown used to your company.”

A paw landed on Taylor’s head, gently rubbing between her ears, and she looked up in surprise to see Eri smiling down at her. “You do realize that you can come back for a visit, right?”

The young spirit blinked up at him owlishly before looking back at Stel. “But I thought-”

“What, that I’d forbid you from ever coming back if you left?” The old spirit scoffed. “I thought you knew me better than that.”

The healer's chiding words were gentle despite her biting tone. Taylor sighed and sat down heavily at the table as Eri began poking through Stel’s cupboards. “Sorry Stel, my mind has been all over the place today.”

The elder spirit watched Eri carefully for a moment. Determining that there seemed to be no immediate danger to her home, Stel returned her attention to her youngest sibling. “I recommend taking the rest of today to relax. The pair of you won’t be heading out until the day after tomorrow at the earliest.”

Eri returned to the table with three gently steaming mugs of tea. “Stel’s right.” He said as he dropped into the seat next to Taylor. “You’ve been working hard the past few days. It’s great out today, you should go have some fun.”

The young spirit blew on her tea in an effort to cool it before frowning at Eri. “But shouldn’t I, I dunno, pack and stuff? Get ready to go?”

He shook his head. “There will be plenty of time to do that later.” Seeing that she was still hesitating, the spirit scooped his younger sister out of her seat and marched her to the door while completely ignoring her protests. Taylor let out a surprised squeal as Eri kicked open the door and tossed her out of Stel’s den with a dramatic shout of, “Be free my sister!”

The door slammed shut and the green-eyed spirit winced at the sound of Stel berating their brother for the treatment of her door. She stood and brushed herself off before deciding to take her sibling’s advice. They were right, it had been quite awhile since she had taken the time to just relax. Taylor closed her eyes, enjoying the sun’s gentle warmth on her face. She could worry about leaving the Reach tomorrow.

I told you it would be fine.

Seia’s words, despite being incredibly smug, were relieving. Once more, we were on the rooftop of one of the abandoned buildings overlooking the Hands of Hope homeless shelter. It had been two nights since my last visit, as my paranoia induced anxiety had prevented me from leaving the house. The thought of returning to the shelter and encountering the PRT had left me frozen in terror and the first night after my encounter with the guy at the shelter had been spent curled in a cocoon of blankets, hiding from the world. The second night had been slightly better and was spent discussing my, in my opinion, irrational fear of the PRT. 

After describing the sick feeling I received every time I even considered approaching the PRT about joining the Wards or offering healing services, Seia had hummed thoughtfully for a moment before speaking.

It sounds like your light is trying to protect you from something that has to do with the PRT.

I gave her a bewildered look. “But I’ve never been anywhere near the PRT! How would my light be able to recognize something going on with them?”

I have a theory, but I’m not entirely certain if it’s accurate.

Seia’s voice was hesitant and I gestured for her to continue.

When the Great Spirit Tree changed you, your light was very briefly connected to his. It’s very possible that this connection allowed your light to see various things that could pose a threat to you.

I frowned thoughtfully. The Wisp’s theory made sense, but I honestly didn’t know how to test if it was true. When I asked for ideas, the little light shimmered in a manner that I had learned to equate with a shrug before replying.

Try thinking of something you know is dangerous. If your light reacts the same way, then my theory is correct.

I did so, and nearly gagged at the feeling imagining healing for the E88 brought me. This confirmed Seia’s theory, and was both a blessing and a curse. While my light’s apparent danger sense would be useful for identifying people or places that could potentially harm me or Seia, it couldn’t tell me why it was dangerous.

Sighing, I shook myself from my thoughts and peered over the edge of the roof once more. The shelter had changed quite a bit since my last visit. The street it sat on had been cleared of trash and a decent amount of the faded graffiti had been washed from the walls of the surrounding buildings. The shelter itself appeared to have been repainted a cheerful pastel yellow and the outdoor recreational areas had building materials scattered about. 

“It looks like they’re trying to rebuild the bleachers for the basketball court.” I muttered as I eyed the unexpected construction project. The old and rotten wood had been stripped from the metal framework of the tiered seating and several lengths of two by four planks laid nearby, already cut to fit the empty frame.

What’s basketball?

I giggled at Seia’s confused tone. The Wisp already had such a good grasp on the way the world worked that it was easy to forget that she had only been on Earth Bet for a month. When I asked her how she learned so quickly, she admitted that enjoyed reading to pass the time when my soul was in Niwen. Apparently, she had managed to figure out how to grip and move things with her light. It was similar to the way I gripped something when I used bash, however Seia’s control was far more precise.

While the light had managed to read through over half of the books contained within the Hebert household, her knowledge was limited to the various subjects that were already included in the collection. This meant that while Seia had quite a bit of knowledge on classic literature or business management, things like sports were still completely foriegn to her.

Taking pity on the confused light, I explained. “Basketball is a sport. You see those two posts with nets attached to the front?” I pointed at the basketball court and after a moment the light bobbed up and down in agreement. “Those are the baskets. You play with two teams and try to get the ball into the other team’s basket.”

That’s it?

“There’s more to it than that. The game has a bunch of rules but that’s really all I know about it.” I shrugged, unhappy that I couldn’t give my companion better answers. “If you want, we can ask Dad to pick up a book about sports tomorrow.”

The Wisp hummed, obviously pleased by the thought. 

I’d like that. Are you ready to go inside now?

My tail flicked anxiously and I briefly contemplated stalling a bit more before sighing. I knew that if I procrastinated for much longer Seia would get impatient and fly into the shelter on her own, leaving me to scramble after her. I stood and scooped up the package resting beside me. Inside was another selection of medicinal teas as well as a few simple poultices that could be used for first aid. 

I silently leapt from roof to roof, approaching from my usual direction, and paused when I went to open the roof access door of the shelter. Rather than being simply unlocked like it usually was, the door had been left deliberately ajar and was carefully propped open with a wooden wedge. This tiny change already had me wanting to turn around and head back home but, at Seia’s gentle urging, I cautiously pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The interior of the shelter had improved as well. The walls had obviously been cleaned and the stray cigarette butts that had littered the floor had been swept away. As I crept down the stairs, I once again wished that there was some way for me to dim the glow of my fur as I felt far too visible as I moved through the darkened hallways.

Entering into the living areas, I noticed that a fair bit of construction work was being done inside the building as well as outside. The cracked and hole filled walls were being plastered and many of the rooms had gotten their doors and doorframes replaced. My nose twitched at the sour smell of wood varnish and I looked down to see that the floors had been sanded down and retreated. 

I was honestly bewildered. The shelter was completely different from my last visit. The hallways no longer loomed overhead; smelling of unwashed and sickly bodies while oozing feelings of depression and broken dreams. Now, the halls were clean. The area was brighter and smelled of sawdust, fresh plaster, and wood varnish. For some reason, I equated the smell with hope.

“What’s going on…?” I whispered to myself as I made my way downstairs to the kitchen, noticing more and more restoration as I went.

You’ve given these people hope, Taylor. Seia’s voice was soft as she answered my question and I could feel pride radiating from her. You’ve given them an opportunity that the world has denied them. That opportunity has provided them with hope for a better future and now they’re working together to make that hope a reality.

Hope. I had no idea just how big of an impact such a small concept could have, yet here was the proof. These people were now actively working to improve their situation and I couldn’t describe how happy the fact that I had helped them to do this made me feel. I swallowed thickly, and forced back the tears that I could feel burning behind my eyes. I could get emotional later, I had work to do.

I stepped into the kitchen and carefully placed the package of teas and poultices on the counter, pausing at the sight of a white envelope resting where I had left the baskets of vegetables previously. I picked it up. The front simply read Spirit , the name that I had signed on the note I had left with the food.

Exchanging looks with Seia, who was hovering over my shoulder curiously, I cautiously opened the envelope. Pulling out the contents, which consisted of a key and a sheet of folded loose leaf paper, I inspected the envelope once more before setting it aside to unfold the note it had contained.

Spirit,

Thank you for the vegetables, it’s not easy to get fresh produce in the amount and of the quality that you brought and I know that the residents greatly appreciated it. The teas were also very useful and I have included a list of known allergies that you may reference if you bring them by again. I assume that you are also the one assisting the men and women staying at the shelter and I wanted to express my deepest thanks for the chance you have given these people. For most of them, this is the first time in years that they have been addiction free and many of them broke down in tears when they realized that they would no longer have to fight the physical need for the drug they were trying to break away from. So Thank You, Thank You for giving them the help they so desperately needed. This key opens the roof access door at the top of the building. The lock has been recently changed and I wanted to give you this as a token of appreciation so that you may continue to come and go as you please. You are always welcome here.

                                                                                                                                                                                         Father Jonas, Director of the Hands of Hope                                                                                                                                                                                                              Homeless Shelter and Recreational Facility

I sniffled, desperately trying not to break down into sobs, as I read the words of the heartfelt thank you note. I didn’t know how, but I could feel the joyful emotions pouring off of the letter. After taking several minutes to compose myself, I glanced at the bottom of the note and looked over the list of allergies that Father Jonas had included.

Tucking the key into one of the zippered pockets of my vest, I hopped onto the counter and sat down before opening the package I had brought. While I couldn’t edit the poultices, I could fix the teas to be more allergy friendly for the residents. Carefully unfolding each of the teabags, I plucked the tiny packages containing the dried and ground herbs and sorted them out. Each of the ingredients in the teas were individually wrapped to prevent mixing until they were exposed to water. While it did cause the tea to take longer to steep, it also made it far easier for me to do what I was doing now.

I looked around for a moment before spotting a cup containing an assortment of pens on the counter nearby. I selected one at random and went about remixing my teas, using the combined glow from Seia and my fur as light, and carefully re-labeled each one as I went. I was quite thankful for my powerful sense of smell as I was able to easily tell the herbs apart by scent alone, enabling me to finish my work quickly and efficiently. 

After I was done, I returned the pen to it’s home and placed the freshly mixed teas back into their packaging. Hopping back down from the counter, I folded the letter from Father Jonas and tucked it into my pocket alongside my new key before leaving the kitchen and beginning to make my rounds through the shelter’s sleeping areas.

There were even more newcomers this time, and I healed them all while simultaneously checking on my former patients. I finished quickly, despite the new residents, and sighed as I stepped back outside. I hadn’t run into anyone tonight, which brought me quite a bit of relief, and I smiled as I closed the door to the roof while ensuring it locked behind me.

I let out a quiet purr as I stretched before rolling my eyes at Seia, who was hovering expectantly nearby. I sighed. “Yes, you were right.”

The Wisp zipped around the roof while giggling triumphantly and I rolled my eyes again at her childish antics. I began making my way towards home, leaping from building to building with barely any effort, and Seia followed as I knew she would. We traveled in silence for a time, simply content to be in one another’s company, and were about halfway home when a faint sound caused me to pause. 

I perched on the corner of a moderately sized office building’s roof with raised ears as I listened intently for the sound that had caught my attention. After a few seconds, I heard it again. The sound of raised voices from a nearby alleyway.

Glancing at Seia, I cautiously made my way towards the sound as quietly as possible. As I drew closer I was able to hear the voices more clearly. They were young, obviously female, and arguing furiously. I paused again. No, not arguing. One was incredibly angry with the other and was letting her know. Loudly.

I took a chance and crept even closer and listened intently as I finally began to make out the conversation.

“-too far this time!” This was the angry girl. “I can’t fix this! You hit him so hard that he’s going to be in a coma for weeks , Vicky! I told you last time that you had to stop doing this sort of thing before it was too late, and now-!”

“I know!” The other girl interrupted with a shout; a mix of frustration, fear, and hurt coloring her tone. “I know. You’re right, I fucked up. But it’s already happened, so what are we supposed to do now?”

The first girl sighed. “Call an ambulance, hope that you haven’t done any lasting damage, and call Mom. God, she’s going to be livid…” The last sentence was muttered under the girl’s breath, however I was now on the roof of the building directly above them and heard it clearly.

I looked at Seia, conflicted. From what I heard, there was someone injured in the alleyway below me and that he had been injured by one of the two girls. I was positive that the girls were parahumans since one of the girls mentioned being unable to fix the person injured. My Wisp companion sent me feelings of reassurance and trust, and I knew that no matter what I decided to do she would support me.

Anxiety ate at me as I considered my options. There were really only two, stay and offer my help or leave and forget the conversation I just heard. It really didn’t take long for me to decide. While I didn’t like the thought of revealing myself to two unknown capes, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t at least offer to help. 

While trying to figure out how to reveal my presence without them immediately becoming hostile, my eyes landed on the rubber balls attached to my vest. I quickly detached one before dropping it into the alley and the girls’ voices went silent at the sound of the ball hitting the concrete with a quiet thump .

“Who’s there?” The voice of the second girl rang out sharply and I winced. So much for not being hostile.

I took a deep breath in an effort to steady my nerves before answering. “I-I heard you arguing and I thought I’d offer to help…” My voice trailed off as I cringed at my own stutter. I was just screaming confidence, wasn’t I?

There was a pause, then a rushed and whispered argument below me. I was careful not to indicate that I could hear the hushed conversation.

“Should we let her? I mean it couldn’t hurt, right?” The second girl asked.

“Are you crazy?!” The first girl hissed. “What if she’s dangerous?”

“Amy.” The second girl’s voice was flat. “She threw a rubber ball at us in order to get our attention. Does that really scream dangerous to you?”

The first girl snorted quietly. “No, you’ve got a point there.”

“Besides, if she does turn out to be bad news I’m pretty sure I could handle her.” The second girl’s voice was confident and I briefly wondered if she was just boasting or was really that strong.

“Alright,” The second girl raised her voice again as she addressed me. “Come on out. Slowly.”

Giving Seia a pointed look, I mouthed ‘Stay here.’ to the Wisp. She bobbed up and down and I eyed her for a moment to make sure she was being truthful. I then took another steadying breath before peeking over the edge of the roof. The two girls, who had tensed at the sight of my glow, relaxed slightly as my face came into view. I stood slowly before hopping off of the edge of the roof and dropping lightly to the ground near them. 

“Woah…” The girl’s voice was awed and I took the opportunity to inspect the pair just as they were inspecting me. The girl who had spoken was a gorgeous blue-eyed blond dressed in a short white dress with a small golden cape hanging from her shoulders. A golden tiara rested on her head and she had curves that I would have killed for when I was human. The other girl was dressed in jeans and an oversized coat with short mousy brown hair and eyes of the same color. A smattering of freckles covered the bridge of her nose.

“Glory Girl and… Panacea, I’m assuming?” My tone was questioning and the blonde, Glory Girl, nodded, confirming my suspicions. These two were members of New Wave, a local group of independent heroes that chose to boycott the typical cape fashion of wearing masks. I leashed my inner cape-geek and prayed that I wouldn’t humiliate myself in front of the world’s greatest healer and Brockton Bay’s blonde Alexandria.

Panacea stepped forward, staring at me with open curiosity. “You’re a Case Fifty-three, aren’t you?” She asked.

I shrugged, neither confirming or denying her hypothesis. Case Fifty-threes were the technical term for ‘monstrous capes’, capes that were inhuman in appearance. I figured that it would be easier to let people believe that I was a Case Fifty-three, rather than get into an in-depth discussion on my true origins. Stepping forward, I changed the subject. “Someone was hurt?” I asked.

The other healer frowned, obviously annoyed that I had avoided her question, but stepped back and gestured to the still figure lying propped against the wall. The side of his head was bloody and when I reached out to inspect him with my light, I discovered that he had a severe concussion as well as a decent amount of bruising to his brain. I gasped and rushed forward, already channeling life energy into my palm. “What happened ?!”

As I focused on healing the man’s severe head trauma, I heard a quiet gasp beside me and glanced over to see that Panacea had reached out to touch the man’s hand. She had a look of wonder on her face as I carefully guided the healing light to the man’s injuries and encouraged them to heal. 

After several tense minutes, the man was healed. I assumed that Panacea had done something to him as he remained unconscious even after I stepped away from his limp form. I turned back to the heroes with a frown and repeated my previous question, this time more insistently. “What happened?”

Panacea fixed a pointed glare on Glory Girl, who wilted slightly before answering me in a small voice. “I caught this guy trying to break into the pawnshop on the other end of the alley. He ran when I told him to stop so I, uh, hit him.” I stared at her incredulously and she winced at the look on my face. “I… might have been a little excessive.” 

“A little…? You gave him brain damage !”

“Among other things…” My head whipped toward Panacea at her muttered comment and she clarified when she realized that I wasn’t going to let the matter drop. “Two broken ribs, three cracked, moderate internal bleeding and a bruised spine. What she didn’t tell you is that, when she hit him, she hit him into a wall.”

My face met my paws as I groaned. “ Why would you hit him that hard?” I asked.

“It’s not like I meant to!” Glory Girl said defensively.

“That’s even worse!” My voice was shrill. “If you’re going to be a hero, you have to be able to control your own strength!”

The blonde rolled her eyes. “I know!”

“No, you don’t know!” Panacea shouted. “How many times have I covered for you?! How many times have I healed someone you’ve nearly killed ?!” It was starting to sound like I had stumbled into an old argument and my heart sank as the brown haired healer continued. “This stops now, either you tell Mom or I’ll do it for you!”

“You wouldn’t do that.” Despite her confident words, Glory Girl’s voice was unsure.

“If she doesn’t, I certainly will.” The pair’s attention snapped back to me and I had to resist the urge to flinch under their suspicious gazes. Steeling my nerves, I continued. “Panacea’s right. I know that I don’t know the whole story, but I’ve got a pretty good idea of how it goes. You’ve been going out on your own despite not having complete control over your own strength, and people have been getting hurt because of it.” 

The blonde didn’t meet my gaze and I knew my hunch had been completely correct. I sighed. “Look. Part of being a hero is taking responsibility for your actions, including the negative ones. You, especially, have to hold yourself to a higher standard since you don’t have a secret identity to hide behind. I mean, wasn’t that the whole point of New Wave? Heroes being accountable for their actions?”

Glory Girl looked even more guilty at my mention of her team’s ideals and Panacea spoke up. “You know she’s right, Vicky.”

Whatever arguments Glory Girl had left fled at her sister’s soft words. “I… You’re right. You both are.” She sighed heavily. “We’ll tell Mom what’s been going on first thing tomorrow, Ames.”

The brunette gave the blonde a relieved, if slightly anxious, smile. “Thank you.” She turned to me. “And a thank you to you too. For helping me convince my sister to do the right thing and for also healing the guy.”

I returned Panacea’s smile halfheartedly. “I’m glad that I was able to help.” I shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. “I, uh, feel like I should let you know that I’m going to be calling New Wave in a couple of days to make sure you actually talked to someone about this.”

She cringed slightly. “Yeah, I can’t exactly blame you for that. I’ll tell Mom and Aunt Sarah to expect your call.” An embarrassed flush creeped across her face. “Um, I just realized that I don’t know your name.”

At the mention of a name, I froze. I still hadn’t been able to come up with a good cape name that fit me and wasn’t already taken. I sighed inwardly before answering. “Just call me Spirit for now. I’ll come up with something better eventually.” Without waiting for a response, I scooped up the ball I had tossed into the alleyway earlier and threw it into the air. Leaping after it, I used a bash to launch myself up and over the roof of one of the buildings framing the alley. As I resumed my journey towards home, I heard Glory Girl muttering to Panacea.

“Okay, I can fly but I have to admit, that was cool.”

Chapter Text

Jeremy chewed on his lower lip, teeth worrying at the chapped flesh until a split formed and he tasted blood. Grimacing, he spat at the ground to rid himself of the taste and reached into the pocket of his jacket for the small tub of vaseline he carried everywhere. Lip chewing had been an anxious tick of his since he was a small child and he carried the vaseline to relieve the pain from the nasty habit. He scooped up a large glob of the slimy paste on one finger and smeared it across his mouth, also smearing the blood oozing sluggishly from his lip.

This nervous childhood habit was the source of his nickname, Jerry Smiles. Jeremy’s frown deepened as he wiped the leftover petroleum jelly off of his finger and onto his jeans before slapping the lid back on the little plastic jar and tucking it back into his pocket. He honestly hated the nickname. The lip chewing habit had gotten him teased as a child quite a bit and the fact that it was still his most recognizable feature left a bad taste in his mouth.

Jeremy had been a short, skinny kid with greasy dirty blonde hair and watery blue eyes. As he grew, the only thing that changed about this description was that he now grew a small amount of patchy facial hair that he kept trimmed into a goatee and nearly invisible mustache. He was the kind of man that one would pass on the street without a second glance which suited his chosen occupation perfectly. After all the name Jerry Smiles wasn’t just referring to the man’s unfortunate oral habits, Jeremy also happened to be one of the top street dealers for the Archer’s Bridge Merchants.

It had taken the thirty-five year old quite a bit of time and effort to get to his position, as the unassuming nature that made him so good at what he did also meant that he tended to get passed up for promotion, but after years of work he was secure in his position in the upper ranks of the gang. He had the first pick of the goods that came out of the Merchants’ kitchens. Meth, crystal, crack, coke, even heroin on the rare occasions the Merchants managed to get hold of it. Of course Skidmark, Mush, and Squealer took all the best stuff for themselves, but Jeremy managed to consistently keep a decent store of top-quality merchandise to sell.

The dealer had also managed to monopolize what were, in his opinion, the best streets in the city. His turf consisted of ten square blocks just south of Brockton Bay’s redlight district and consisted primarily of broken down apartment buildings and various shady businesses. The apartments were the cheapest in the city so he got a steady supply of customers in the form of cheap hookers and depressed nine to five workers who were looking for a short term escape from reality. He also picked up a decent amount of business from the homeless folks that liked to squat in the abandoned buildings scattered throughout the area. 

The way Jeremy moved his merch was simple, yet effective. He had about two dozen low-level grunts scattered throughout the streets of his turf, each one had been personally picked and vetted by Jeremy himself to prevent sticky fingers from dipping into his product. While most dealers for the Merchants tended to sample their own wares, Jeremy had a strict no-skimming policy. Each one of the guys working under him were given a share of the product of their choice at the end of the week and if they didn’t work or a delivery came up short, they didn’t get paid.

Only regular customers dealt with Jerry Smiles himself, and they were the ones who got the best product. Everyone else had to go through one of his intermediaries and hope that what the guy had on him was what they were looking for. All in all, it was a pretty easy set up. Jeremy didn’t have to deal with any of the rougher customers himself, and he was able to move twice as much product as most of the other dealers in the gang. Yes; Jeremy liked where he was at, which was why he found the recent drops in sales rather alarming.

The drops, while not large , had started approximately a week ago and consisted almost entirely of his population of homeless customers. This wasn't unusual. During the winter months, when the cold made it difficult to sleep without shelter, there was usually a decent drop in homeless customers. When it was cold, the homeless flocked to the various shelters scattered throughout the city. As the shelters were strictly drug free, there was a risk of getting kicked out if someone was caught using while on the premises.

This meant that the homeless usually didn’t buy during their stay at the shelter. The thing that was worrying Jeremy however, was the fact that even though the weather had warmed again there still hadn’t been any purchases from the local homeless population. Not even his regulars had shown up! Plus, judging from the way sales were going tonight, there had been yet another drop in customers. Normally Jeremy wouldn’t care about the loss of a few bums, but the fact that such a large group seemed to have suddenly grown the balls to quit using all at once was sending him far too many red flags.

Deciding to trust his instincts, Jeremy waved over his guard. Standing at six foot seven and weighing well over three hundred pounds, Derek was a large man and his mere presence was more than enough to dissuade people from trying to get handsy with the dealer. The tall bodyguard dropped the cigarette he’d been smoking on the ground before stomping on the glowing tip and striding over. 

“I don’t normally do this, but I’m gonna head back to base early tonight. I wanna have a word with the Boss.” Jeremy said as he got to his feet and slung the bag containing his best product over his shoulder. “When the guys come back, have them leave the cash and whatever extra product they got in the usual drop point. They know what happens if their bags are short.”

Derek grunted and pulled out another cigarette before settling himself in the folding chair that Jeremy had vacated. “You got it, Smiles.”

The dealer hid his distaste towards the nickname with practiced ease and made his way down the street towards a beat up station wagon parked in the entrance of an alley. He tossed his bag into the backseat before climbing behind the wheel and starting the vehicle. It took two or three tries before the engine finally roared to life and Jeremy carefully pulled out of the alley and began making his way towards the trainyards, where the Merchant’s main base of operations was.

Jeremy was very careful to follow all the laws of traffic, since being pulled over while in possession of the large amount of high quality goods sitting in the backseat would be disastrous. He drove at a steady pace, not really worried about anyone tailing him since anyone foolish enough would be following him into the heart of Merchant territory, and was soon passing by abandoned warehouses-turned-drug dens.

Pulling up to the gate leading into the trainyards proper, Jeremy stuck his head out the window and waved at the lookout he could see lounging on top of one of the rusted freight cars. There was no response from the man, and Jeremy briefly worried that he might have OD’d while on watch. The dealer’s worries were unfounded as, when he shouted in an attempt to get the attention of someone, the man jerked before slowly sitting up and peering around with unfocused and bloodshot eyes.

The lookout spotted Jeremy waving at him frantically and stared at him uncomprehendingly for several seconds. Finally, he seemed to understand that the dealer wanted him to open the gate and he climbed down from his vantage point before stumbling to the latch keeping it shut. As Jeremy watched the obviously high lookout attempt to open the gate, he felt that it might have been quicker to just leave the guy alone and open the thing himself.

He quickly dismissed that thought. Skidmark, the parahuman leader of the gang, was going through one of his semi-annual paranoia trips. The gang leader had somehow come to the conclusion that Brockton Bay’s other two gangs, the Empire Eighty-Eight and the Azn Bad Boyz, had decided to join together for the sole purpose of taking him down. 

Jeremy wasn’t stupid. He knew that his boss was paranoid at best and delusional at worst. The E88 were white supremist Nazis bent on ‘cleansing’ the city of those they deemed to be ‘subhuman’, while the ABB was a gang comprised entirely of the city’s oriental population. There was zero chance of these two gangs working together for the sole purpose of taking down the Merchants. However, Skidmark was the boss and the unpowered members of the Merchants knew better than to argue with him. If Skidmark wanted guards, Skidmark got guards. No matter how stoned they were while on duty.

The Merchant dealer drove his rickety old vehicle through the gate that the lookout had finally managed to open before parking it behind one of the stacks of old freight cars and shutting the engine off. He climbed out of the vehicle and pulled his bag of merchandise out of the backseat. He swung the heavy bag over his shoulder and resisted the urge to groan at its weight. He would rather leave the bag behind in his vehicle, but Jeremy knew better than to leave a bag full of top quality drugs unattended in the heart of the Merchants’ base. That was just asking for his merch to get stolen.

He made his way towards the large warehouse at the far side of the yard. The warehouse, while also being the Merchant’s primary drug kitchen, was the workshop for the gang’s tinker and stood out like a sore thumb as the only building in several square miles with any sort of power. It wasn’t a short walk and he briefly wished that he’d parked closer before remembering that any cars that were parked near the warehouse tended to get stripped for parts by Squealer or flattened by one of her monstrous vehicles. 

Eventually, he made it to the door and Jeremy sighed as he stepped inside. The warehouse, while unheated, supplied welcome relief from the biting chill of the late January breeze. The interior of the building was monopolized by several huge trucks in multiple stages of construction or destruction, large amounts of power tools and assorted vehicular parts, and several groups of gangbangers in various states of inebriation. The entire place reeked of weed, motor oil, and unwashed bodies. It wasn’t a pleasant smell.

The dealer wrinkled his nose as the initial wave of stench hit him and he chose to wait for several seconds to allow himself to acclimate to the familiar odor. This was one of the reasons Jeremy tended to avoid the main base, the other was Skidmark himself. The gang leader didn’t have the best temper and more than a few of the unpowered members of the gang had found themselves flung across the room by a stack of skid fields if they brought bad news. Jeremy had managed to avoid this by avoiding the gang leader and always making sure to deliver good news on the rare occasions that he did wind up interacting with the cape. That fact had the potential to change tonight.

The smell was now barely noticeable and Jeremy began to make his way across the warehouse towards a group of structures that were shoddily built from cheap plywood. He knew for a fact that these rooms contained the various drug kitchens where the Merchants cooked up their products. However, the flimsy buildings also contained a set of rooms where Squealer liked to crash after a long night of tinkering and where the tinker was, Skidmark likely wasn’t too far away.

Ducking into the winding maze of wood and tarps, the dealer began checking each room for his boss. The doors that were covered by heavy duty industrial plastic were left undisturbed, as those were the entrances to the kitchens and those areas had to be kept as sterile as possible in order to avoid any… explosive mishaps. Of course, sterile was a relative term considering the general hygiene of most of the members of the Merchants. The point is, they tried.

After a few minutes of searching, Jeremy finally heard the distinct voice of his boss at the far end of the structure. He hurried over and knocked on the wall next to the sheet-covered doorway and waited until he heard the cape’s grunt of, “Th’ fuck is it?”

Taking that as an invitation to enter, Jeremy pushed aside the sheet and stepped into the cluttered and filthy room. Skidmark was lounging on an ancient armchair that had obviously seen better days while Squealer was passed out on a mattress in the corner. Jeremy wasn’t the only unpowered gang member in the room as when he entered, the one person he disliked more than the Merchants’ gang leader turned around.

“Well, well… If it isn’t Mr. Smiles?” Garrett Kyte smirked at Jeremy’s near invisible twitch. He was one of the few people who knew exactly how much Jeremy disliked his nickname and the other man often used it to deliberately get under his skin.

“Kyte.” Jeremy muttered curtly. Garrett Kyte was another dealer for the Merchants and Jeremy’s biggest competitor. He was known as the ‘Travel Agent’ due to the fact that he dealt exclusively in hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD, Special-K, and PCP. 

Kyte huffed. “Come now, is that any way to speak to a coworker?” He asked in an amused voice.

This was why Jeremy disliked Kyte, among other reasons. The other dealer acted as if the entire world was a joke that only he knew the punchline for and felt as if it was his job to get under the skin of anyone he came into contact with. Jeremy ignored the question in favor of addressing Skidmark. “Sorry to bug ya Boss, but I wanted to talk to ya about a small issue.”

Skidmark crossed his arms with a sneer. “Well, what’re ya waitin for, someone ta blow ya for it? Spit it out already!”

Jeremy relaxed slightly, Skidmark seemed to be in a relatively good mood right now. Whether or not that would change with what the dealer was about to tell him remained to be seen. “Sales have been droppin’.”

“WHAT?!” The cape lurched to his feet with a roar, waking Squealer who sat up and looked around dazedly.  

Backpedaling frantically, Jeremy shouted over his boss’s furious swearing. “Wait, wait, wait! It’s not as bad as ya think!”

Kyte snorted. “Real smooth JerJer.”

The dealer shot Kyte a scathing glare in response to the snide remark before turning back to Skidmark, who had returned his attention to Jeremy. “Okay, so sales are droppin’ but it’s not what ya think. It’s only the homeless guys that ain’t buyin’.”

The gang leader rolled his eyes and dropped back into his seat. “ That’s what’s got ya worried? I didn’ think ya had shit for brains, Smiles. The bums almost never buy when it gets cold.”

Jeremy ignored the snort from his rival dealer. “Look, I know losin’ homeless buyers during the winter ain’t unusual. What’s weird is they all quit at the same time . Even my regulars have stopped showin’ up, an’ some of em are hooked on some pretty heavy shit. They shouldn’t be able ta go for more ‘in a few days without a hit, let alone a week!”

Skidmark still seemed uninterested. Kyte, however, had a strange look on his face. He turned to Jeremy with a frown. “You said that your sales dropped about a week ago?”

Jeremy nodded. “Yeah, why?”

The other dealer hummed thoughtfully. “Because my own sales took a hit around that time as well.”

At that, the gang leader’s eyes narrowed. Two dealers from completely different territories reporting their sales dropping simultaneously? Now that was unusual. The cape stood and headed for the door. “You fuckers stay here. I gotta make some calls.”

With that Skidmark vanished behind the sheet, leaving Jeremy alone with Kyte. Squealer had already passed out on the filthy mattress again. Kyte smirked at Jeremy. “So, JerJer… How have things been going?” The other dealer’s voice was almost a purr as he approached.

Jeremy didn’t respond, choosing instead to occupy himself with his phone, and cursed inwardly when he realized that he didn’t have any signal. He pretended to text anyway, hoping that his apparent distraction would dissuade Kyte from whatever he was planning.

Kyte pouted, the expression looking slightly disturbing on the grown man, and slung his arm around Jeremy’s shoulders. “C’mon… Don’t be that way! I’ve missed you~” The dealer tried to back away, obviously uncomfortable with the situation, but found that Kyte had somehow managed to back him against a wall and the other man chuckled. “Nowhere to go~”

At that moment, Skidmark came back into the room and Jeremy took advantage of the distraction, shoving Kyte away. The gang leader sneered. “I told the two of ya ta stay here, not fuck.”

Kyte chuckled. “Sorry, I find keeping my hands to myself so very difficult.”

The cape rolled his eyes. “Whatever, ya weird fuck.” Skidmark started pacing. “So, I made some calls. The two of ya ain’t the only ones missin yer homeless customers. A couple ‘o’ th’ others around the warehouse district reported sale drops too.”

The warehouse district? Something about that area was bugging Jeremy. He’d driven through that area to get to the trainyard and had noticed something different, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Skidmark was still pacing and had apparently decided that this was the latest development in the other gangs’ plot against him and the Merchants, but Jeremy wasn’t paying any attention as he thought back to what he had seen on the drive over. Most of the sights had been normal, lots of defunct apartment buildings, that old homeless shelter-

“That’s it!” Jeremy shouted, interrupting his boss’s rant.

The gangleader glared at the dealer. “What’s that supposed ta mean?” He asked venomously.

Jeremy paid no attention to his boss’s ire or Kyte’s amused curiosity. “That old homeless shelter, Fingers of the Pope or something. It’s been repainted!”

Skidmark gave him an unamused look. “So fucking what?”

“Perhaps that’s where all of our customers have gone?” Kyte mused, easily picking up on Jeremy’s train of thought. “If the shelter has gotten new funding, it could become a rather serious issue. You remember what happened when it was first opened, don’t you?”

Jeremy grimaced as Skidmark began swearing again. That particular shelter had been designed to serve as a direct counter to the Merchants. It was meant to be a rehabilitation clinic and free residence for any homeless or drug addicts looking for a fresh start. The place helped people get clean and find jobs, and even offered GED courses for the folks who had dropped out of school. The only reason it hadn’t been successful the first time was due to a lack of funding. If the place had somehow managed to get hold of some cash, it could be seriously bad news for the gang. 

After several minutes of swearing, Skidmark took a deep breath before turning to the pair of unpowered gang members. “Okay, here’s what we’re gonna do. I want the two of ya to go gather up some guys an’ go an’ fuck that place up. I want ya ta show those shit stains why it was better for them ta keep their cock sucking heads down and teach em not ta fuck around with our customers nomore, ya hear me?”

Gulping, Jeremy tried to hide his nervousness. He hadn’t been part of a raid like this since he’d become a dealer. In fact, raiding was the whole reason he’d become a dealer. He didn’t like fighting and preferred to remain safely under the radar of the various law enforcement agencies of Brockton Bay.

Kyte, on the other hand, seemed excited by the prospect of a fight and grinned eagerly. “When do you want us to hit the place, Boss?”

“Tomorrow night, ‘round midnight.” Skidmark didn’t hesitate. “We gotta teach these fuckers a lesson now .”

Kyte caught a glimpse of Jeremy’s pale face and grinned. “You got it, Boss.”

Skidmark stomped towards Squealer, muttering about needing a fuck to calm down, and Jeremy took that as his signal to leave. He turned and ripped the sheet covering the door aside and fled from the room, walking quickly to avoid getting stopped by Kyte. He needed to call Derek and the rest of his drug runners, they were really the only ones he trusted to have his back for this sort of thing. 

It wasn’t until Jeremy was climbing back into the driver’s seat of his terrible old station wagon that he realized that he had left the duffle bag containing all of his merch back in the room where he had spoken to Skidmark. He briefly debated going back for it, but knew that it had likely disappeared by this point. It didn’t really matter though, because Jeremy had the sinking feeling that he wouldn’t be needing it after tomorrow night.

Chapter Text

While most people felt that sunsets were the most beautiful portion of the day, Taylor had always found sunrises far more breathtaking. There was something deeply profound about watching the world wake as the sky slowly brightened and, even before she became a spirit, Taylor enjoyed watching the sun rising out of the ocean each morning. She had quit the habit after Emma’s betrayal. While the tradition had been untainted by memories of the girl, the redhead had been quite fond of her beauty sleep, the spirit had found herself sleeping in more and more often as the Trio’s bullying campaign progressed. Dreams had been better than the waking world.

Eri’s rigorous training regimen had been what rekindled her love for the sight. The older spirit had consistently woken her when the sky was still dark and, when Taylor had mentioned her love of the dawn, began taking time out of their early practices to sit and watch the sunrise with her. She was glad, as the sunrises in the Reach were easily the most beautiful she had ever seen.

Now, the young spirit was preparing to watch her final sunrise on the mountain. Her brother had agreed to take her to the peak before dawn after Taylor said that she wanted her last sunrise in the Reach to be the most spectacular she’d ever seen. The pair had gotten up three hours before first light to hike to the mountaintop. It had snowed heavily the night before, and the ground was covered in a thick white blanket that muffled their footsteps and chilled their paws.

The climb to the peak was difficult. There were multiple points where the path was blocked by sheer cliff faces coated in clear ice and the pair had to resort to the use of Eri’s light bursts to scale the treacherous surfaces. By the time the pair had reached their destination, the older spirit was breathing heavily. Creating over a dozen light bursts in such a short span of time was difficult, even for a seasoned spirit like him.

The tip of the mountain was bare save for the thick layer of snow and a few Reach Blossoms that were stubbornly sticking out from beneath the frozen surface. Taylor spread a small blanket out on the snow, and she and her brother huddled together, sipping tea that had been heated through the creative use of a light burst. 

The sky slowly began to lighten, changing from star-speckled back to indigo while a thin line of pink formed in the distance. The stars faded as the pink deepened into a rich orange-red and light streaked across the darkened sky as the sun peeked over the horizon. The young spirit gasped in awe as the mountains of the Reach were bathed in light. The snow-capped peaks glittered as the sun hit them, causing each mountain to appear as if it had been coated in crystal. Clouds swirled through the shadowed valleys, tinged pink by the dawn, and Taylor watched as the Reach rose with the sun.

The pre-dawn silence was broken by the sounds of birds welcoming the new day with their song and the rustling of tree branches as the Reach Squirrels set out for another day of foraging. The familiar sounds of the morning echoed through the crisp winter air and the green-eyed spirit breathed deeply, enjoying the fresh scent of pine that the morning breeze wafted to her. Glimpsing the smile that her brother had graced her with, Taylor smiled warmly in return before gazing at the spectacular sight before her once more. Neither spirit spoke, not wanting to break the companionable silence that had formed between them, they simply sat and enjoyed one another’s company as they basked in the light of the morning.

Unfortunately, peace doesn’t last forever and neither does the dawn. As the final streaks of pink faded from the sky, Eri sighed and turned to Taylor. “We should get going soon. Heading down the mountain is far easier than climbing it, but it’ll still take time and I want to reach Stel’s place while it’s still early. That way we can take our time when heading to the Glades.” His voice was soft, as if he was still trying to preserve the silence despite having already broken it. 

Taylor sighed. “You’re right.” She stood and offered Eri a paw, pulling him to his feet when he accepted. “I really appreciated this. Are you sure you’re alright, though?” The older spirit had swayed slightly as he stood.

He dismissed her worries with a careless wave of his paw. “I’m fine. Just a little tired from using all of those light bursts is all.”

If anything, her brother’s nonchalance made Taylor more worried. She gently stopped him as he began to fold the blanket the pair had been sitting on. “Are you sure ?” She asked. “We can wait a bit longer to let your light recover more.”

Eri shook his head with an exasperated mutter of “ healers ” before catching the younger spirit’s indignant look and rolling his eyes. “Look, you’re worried about me burning out right? Don’t.”

Taylor was taken aback by her brother’s bluntness and slightly hurt by his dismissal of her concern. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay…” She muttered.

The older spirit, seeming to realize that he’d been a little too harsh with his youngest sibling, sighed. “I know, Taylor, and I’m sorry for snapping. Please trust me when I say that you don't have to worry about me burning out though.”

“But Stel said that a spirit could seriously hurt themselves by overusing their light!” She protested.

“Yes and no.” Eri tugged at one of his ears with an odd expression, something he only did when he was struggling with how to word an explanation. “It’s exhausting, yes, but it’s only truly dangerous for spirits whose light hasn’t matured yet.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

Rather than answering her question right away, the older spirit asked one of his own. “Do you know why some spirits shine more brightly than others?”

Taylor nodded. That had been something she noticed on her first day in Niwen and she had immediately asked Talu about it. “A spirit’s light is continuously growing, even after it reaches maturity. That’s why Stel is particularly bright, she’s the oldest.”

“Now that , little sister, is where you would be wrong.” Her brother seemed amused at her confusion and she huffed.

“Please explain then, dearest brother of mine.” The younger spirit’s voice was dripping with saccharine sweetness.

Eri snorted. “No need to get snippy, Shorty.” He smirked as she grumbled at the nickname before asking a second question. “So, did you know that Talu is actually about ten seasons older than I am?”

“What?!” Taylor was shocked. She’d assumed that Talu was only slightly older than she was! His glow wasn’t much brighter than her own, whereas Eri’s fur was bright enough to cast shadows despite the early morning sun.

The older spirit nodded. “Yep, Talu’s been around for a while. However, despite his age, his light isn’t nearly as bright as you would think. That’s because our light doesn’t grow in proportion to our age, it grows in proportion to use .” 

Realization slowly dawned on the younger spirit’s face. “So the reason you and Stel are so bright…”

“Is because we are constantly exercising our light.” Eri finished her statement with another nod. “Stel, through healing and me, through traveling.”

“So a spirit’s light is kind of like a muscle?” She asked. “The more use or ‘exercise’ it gets, the stronger it gets?”

“Exactly.” The older spirit nodded before growing serious. “However, that only applies after a spirit’s light matures and has become accustomed to sustaining itself without the light of the Great Spirit Tree. Immature spirits can literally fade from overtaxing their light.”

Taylor looked at him with wide eyes. Stel had implied that overusing her light could have serious consequences, but she’d never mentioned that . 

“Stel never told you that, huh?” He sighed when his sibling shook her head. “She probably didn’t want to scare you and make you reluctant to practice using your light.”

“H-Has that ever happened?” She asked hesitantly. “A spirit fading from burnout?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” Eri’s voice was quiet. “It doesn’t happen very often as older spirits are careful to monitor their younger siblings until they learn their limits, like what Stel did for you. However, accidents happen.” He looked down with an unreadable expression. “I… knew a young spirit who faded due to burnout. He and a group of Moki pups got trapped in a cave by a landslide. There had been an uncommon amount of rain that season and the entrance was buried when the roots of an old water oak gave way.” 

Eri trailed off, obviously upset by the memory. He took a deep breath and continued. “He had a unique skill called ‘Push’ that was able to fling objects away from himself at high speeds. He overcharged the skill and used it to blast open the cave entrance, saving the Moki, at the cost of his own life. An Ancestral Tree now stands where he fell, the youngest spirit to ever become one.”

Taylor could sense that there was more to the story than what Eri was telling her, however she didn’t push. She could tell that the memory was still incredibly painful and instead chose to gently guide her brother back to the previous topic of their conversation. “I’m guessing that burnout is different for mature spirits?”

The older spirit flinched at her voice and visibly shook himself free from his memories, focusing on his younger sibling’s question. “I- Yeah, you’re right.” His voice was slightly shaky and he took a deep, shuddering breath before continuing in a much more even tone. “Once a spirit’s light is matured; not only does it get a power boost, but it also becomes intrinsically linked to the spirit’s body. It’s physically impossible for a mature spirit to use enough of their light to fade except under extreme circumstances, they’re more likely to pass out first.”

“I see…” Taylor murmured and Eri smiled slightly.

“Now do you understand why I’m not very worried about a burnout?” The older spirit asked.

“Yes, but…” She trailed off, eyeing her brother uncertainly.

“But…?” He prompted.

The green-eyed spirit sighed. “I get that you know your limits pretty well and that you’re used to using your light all the time, but did you consider the fact that you’re going to have to double the output of your light while I’m traveling with you?”

Eri opened his mouth to reply before pausing as a strange look appeared on his face and he winced. “Uhhhh… No?” 

Taylor snorted at her brother’s sheepish reply and crossed her arms. “Didn’t think so.”

“That’s a pretty simple fix, though.” He shrugged at the younger spirit’s questioning look as he bent to retrieve the blanket that had been all but forgotten during the pair’s conversation. “I’ll just teach you how to make light bursts. That’s easily the most light intensive thing I do outside of combat. Granted, it’ll probably take you a few days to figure out how to make them yourself, but we’re going to be staying in the Glades for a bit anyway.”

Taylor couldn’t help her look of surprise and joy as she reached out to help her brother carefully fold the blanket to a size that could easily fit in the small bag slung over Eri’s shoulder. “Really?!” She exclaimed.

He chuckled. “Yeah, I thought you’d like that.” Focusing briefly, he formed one of the baseball sized orbs and handed it to her. The spherical structure of crystalized light was warm to the touch and glowed brightly in her paws. “Light bursts are pretty complex manifestations of our light, so I want you to hang on to that and study it. It won't last long on its own; so make sure to feed a bit of your own light into it every so often, that way it won’t fade.”

The younger spirit didn’t respond, already studying the orb of light intently. It wasn’t until several seconds later that she finally noticed something that made her freeze before looking around in growing fear.

Eri, noticing his sister’s alarm, hurriedly finished stuffing the blanket into his bag before slinging it across his body and stepping up to her. “What is it?” He whispered urgently.

“Do you hear that?” Taylor asked. Her body was tense, ready to flee at a moment's notice as she continued to peer around warily.

The older spirit pricked his ears and listened carefully for a moment. He didn’t hear anything and turned to reassure his younger sibling before freezing as well when he finally noticed what she had.

The forest around them was silent save for the whistling of the wind as it blew across the peak of the mountain. The birds that had previously been singing as they flitted back and forth through the trees were now silent and still. The branches of the evergreens no longer rustled and swayed as squirrels and other creatures leapt from trunk to trunk. It was as if the entire mountaintop was holding its breath. 

Eri slowly released the breath that he had sucked in unconsciously and leaned in closer to Taylor. His eyes darted from the tree line below them, to the empty horizon, and back again as he desperately tried to figure out where the danger would be coming from. “When I give the signal, I want you to sprint to Stel’s den.” The older spirit’s voice was barely audible and Taylor had to strain to hear him. “Don’t wait for me, I want you to move as fast as you can.”

He shot her a look that screamed not to argue and Taylor felt her protests die in her throat. Her brother was far more serious than she had ever seen him and she abruptly realized that he knew far more about the dangers of the Reach than she did. She nodded shakily and her paws clenched on the light burst that he had given her a few moments before.

A shadow fell over the pair and they looked up just in time to see an enormous winged shape diving at them from above with a deafening screech. The spirits threw themselves forward to avoid the figure as it crashed into the place they had been standing and Taylor whipped around to stare at the being in shock and terror. At first glance, the creature that loomed over the pair appeared to be one of the Great Owls that roosted in the Silent Woods. However, upon further inspection, the young spirit realized that there was something… off about this owl. 

Rather than rich black plumage tinted with midnight blues and purples, this owl’s feathers were colored a sickly monochromatic grey. Great clouds of dust billowed from its wings, dissolving in the morning sunshine, while its beak and claws seemed to be almost phantasmal, shifting in and out of reality. Its eyes, however, were what truly sent shivers down Taylor’s spine. This being possessed voids in lieu of the warm amber orbs of the owl folk. 

As the great black pits bored into the young spirit’s forest green gaze, she gasped in horror as the snow beneath her feet began to shift. The Not-Owl’s abrupt crash into the mountaintop and deafening shriek had loosened the thick layer of powdery snow that had been precariously clinging to the side of the mountain and now gravity was pulling it downwards. “Taylor!” Eri shouted. “ RUN! ”

By the time her brother’s shout reached her ears, the young spirit had already turned and flung herself down the slope. Her paws briefly scrabbled in the soft snow before she managed to gain some traction as an ominous rumbling sounded behind her. Those first steps of her mad dash down the mountain were the most vital, as they bought her the precious few seconds needed to put her ahead of the avalanche that was rapidly gaining speed and power as it hurtled down the mountainside behind her.

Somehow, she had managed to hold on to the light burst that Eri had given her a few moments before and Taylor didn’t hesitate to use it now. She threw it as hard as she could, flinging it high into the air, before leaping after the orb and bashing it to give herself some much needed height and speed.

The force of the bash launched her towards her goal, a single light catcher hanging from the highest branches of one of the tall evergreens growing from the side of the mountain. The young spirit gripped the hanging plant with her light the moment it came into her range and bashed off of it as well, propelling herself further down the mountain. Seconds after her bash off of the light catcher, Taylor heard a sharp crack and out of the corner of her eye she saw the enormous tree that it had hung from crash to the mountainside below.

Resisting the urge to look behind her as the rumbling of the avalanche grew to a roar , Taylor focused on catching the branch of the next tree with her forepaws and using her momentum to swing herself forward and into the thick branches of a tree further down the slope. She raced along one of the branches, paws thumping on the wood, and neatly leapt from tree to tree with increasing speed. The young spirit found herself incredibly thankful for all the practice she had gotten in tree running by racing Talu and her other siblings through the trees of the Glades. However, outrunning an avalanche was proving to be quite different. 

The next set of trees were positively covered in light catchers, and Taylor’s eyes quickly scanned over them as she tried to determine the best path through the tangle of vines. Spotting a group of about six or seven of the organic lanterns all hanging in a row, the spirit leapt from the branch she was running along. Using her speed to create forward lift, she performed a double jump to get the extra distance she needed in order to reach the first of the light catchers.

Gripping the plant with her light, she yanked on it and shot forward toward her next target. This time, Taylor was thankful for Eri and his excessive training methods. As she leapt from light catcher to light catcher, she knew that she wouldn’t have been able to pull this particular stunt off without the hours of practice her brother had forced her to undergo in that clearing the day they met.

As she bashed off of the final light catcher, Taylor abruptly realized that she had reached one of the ciffs that she and Eri had scaled that morning on their way to the peak of the mountain. Her startled scream at the lack of solid ground beneath her feet was abruptly cut off as a bright blue rope of light looped around her body and yanked her back towards the cliff face. 

All of the air rushed from the young spirit’s lungs as her back forcefully impacted a warm surface, and a glowing arm and tail wrapped around her body. Eri was clinging tightly to an odd blue flower with his free paw and he gently urged her to reach up and grip it as well as the cliff began to shake. Taylor desperately wrapped her legs and free arm around her brother, still trembling from the fright of suddenly finding herself falling through open air, as the roaring of the avalanche grew louder and snow began to cascade off of the cliff to the ground far below.

The pair of spirits were relatively safe from the wall of snow and ice as the blue flower they were gripping was firmly rooted in the rocky underside of a shallow overhang that protected them from the worst of the freezing force of nature. While they did get hit by the occasional stray chunk of snow or ice, the pair considered a few bruises far preferable to the alternative of being buried alive.

They clung to the flower for what felt like hours, rather than the few minutes that truly passed, and soon the roar of snow and ice faded as sunlight peeked through the curtain of snow rushing past the spirits’ noses. The pair sighed in relief and Eri crafted the strange blue rope from his light once more before lowering Taylor and himself to a small ledge below. 

Taylor continued to shake, despite having solid ground beneath her paws once more, and Eri hugged her tightly. She could feel her brother trembling as well and she realized that the incident had terrified him just as much as it had her. The pair knelt on the snow-covered ledge for an undetermined amount of time, simply taking comfort in the fact that they had both managed to escape the natural disaster with their lives.

A screech sounded from high above and the spirits exchanged wide-eyed looks before frantically digging down into the snow. For the first time Taylor was thankful for her fur’s pristine shade of white, as it allowed her to blend perfectly with the snow beneath her body. Seconds after she and Eri were hidden fully, the black shadow of the creature that had attacked them appeared. The beast’s head was turning back and forth as it glided silently through the air. It was looking for them.

The young spirit gripped her brother’s paw desperately and held her breath as the being passed their hiding spot. Eri squeezed her paw reassuringly as the Not-Owl shrieked in frustration when it was unable to find the spirits. It turned and beat its wings heavily, scattering dead particles of grey dust in the air as it returned to the peak of the mountain, presumably to continue looking for them.

The pair didn’t move until they heard the birds beginning to sing once more and saw various creatures venturing out of their burrows. The spirits slowly emerged, both shivering violently from a combination of fear and the cold of their snowy hiding place. “Wh-What was that ?” Taylor asked in a terrified whisper.

“A Wraith.” Eri’s voice was grim and, when the younger spirit turned to look at him, he had a hard expression on his face. “We need to get back to Stel’s. Now .”

Taylor was exhausted as she trudged through Stel’s snow covered garden. Yet, when she saw the familiar sight of the old wooden door set into the face of the cliff, she began picking up her pace. She was nearly running as the door swung open and Stel burst out of the den. The young spirit threw herself into the arms of her eldest sibling with a sob and the older spirit held her tightly. 

A second set of arms wrapped around the pair and Taylor felt rather than saw her sister shift to embrace Eri as well. The trio’s hug in the snow-covered garden lasted for several minutes before Stel broke away and gently ushered her younger siblings inside. The old spirit shut the  door securely and bustled around the room, wrapping both Eri and Taylor in multiple layers of thick blankets and placing steaming mugs of tea in front of each of them before sitting across from them with her own cup.

For a long moment the room is silent save for the crackling of the fire, upon which Stel had placed fresh logs. Eventually, the silence was broken by Stel as she turned to Eri. “What happened?” She asked quietly. “I felt the mountain shake and heard the roar of what I can only assume was an avalanche, but I have no clue what could have caused it.”

Eri’s paws clenched around his mug. “We were attacked, Stel.” As he met the eyes of their older sister, Taylor had never seen the spirit look so serious. “By a Wraith .”

Stel recoiled, her eyes wide with shock. “That’s-”

“Impossible?” The male spirit’s laugh was bitter. “Yeah, that’s what I thought too. It was definitely a Wraith though.”

“What’s a Wraith?” Taylor asked. She was confused when, rather than answering her question, the older spirit simply exchanged grim looks.

The eldest spirit stood, and began to move about the room once more. This time, rather than gathering blankets or preparing tea, she pulled out a worn traveling bag and began loading it with essentials as the younger spirits watched in confusion. “What are you doing?” Eri asked.

“I’m going to the Glades with you two.” She replied as she began to quickly and efficiently bundle sets of dried herbs before placing them into the bag as well. “This is a serious situation and I can count on one paw the number of spirits who have actually interacted with a Wraith. Two of whom are in this room.”

Eri nodded, seeming to agree with her answer, before draining the rest of his tea with one gulp and standing up. “Finish your tea, Taylor. We should be leaving sooner rather than later.” He strode toward the packs that he and Taylor had prepared the night before and began checking over his own.

The younger spirit frowned at the pair before doing as she was told and drinking the last of her tea. She stood and gathered up the abandoned mugs before placing them on the shelf next to the fire to be cleaned. By this point her brother had finished inspecting his bag and was now inspecting hers and Taylor made her way over to him. 

Eri handed the younger spirit her bag, and she slung it across her back as he did the same for his own. Stel was already waiting by the door, having gone through the den and ensured that each of the lanterns as well as the fire had been properly doused. As the group left the elder spirit’s den, Taylor once more attempted to find out what exactly had her siblings so worried.

Gently gripping her brother’s paw as he began to make his way down the path leading away from their older sibling’s garden, Taylor looked up at him imploringly. “Eri, please . Tell me what’s going on.”

The spirit gives her a gentle, if sad, smile. “Trust me, Taylor. This is not something you want to get involved in.”

“But aren’t I already involved in it?!” She exclaimed. “That… Wraith , or whatever you called it, attacked me too!”

“Perhaps so,” Taylor turned to look at Stel as the older spirit interjected. “But that is where your involvement will end.” The old healer’s voice was firm and she silenced Taylor’s protests with a look . “We appreciate your desire to help, but please let us handle this.”

The young spirit could tell that she wasn’t going to get an answer from her siblings and scowled down at the ground before trailing after the pair as Eri led the group down the path. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that it took Taylor several minutes to realize that rather than heading down the mountain towards the trail that would lead them to the Wellspring Glades, the group were instead following a small winding path across a steep ridge. 

Abruptly, Eri made a sharp left turn and disappeared into a narrow crevice in the mountainside. Stel gestured for the younger spirit to enter before her, and Taylor squeezed through the opening before tumbling down the set of shallow steps just inside the entrance. The green-eyed spirit winced and sat up slowly, gingerly rubbing the back of her head where it had cracked against the stone during her fall. 

After ridding herself of her headache with the quick tap of a green-glowing paw, Taylor peered about the cave she had found herself in with an awed gasp. Despite its small size, the cavern was obviously a natural formation and the young spirit could see stalactites and stalagmites scattered throughout the room. Several of the rock formations had joined together to form natural columns and pillars and the sound of dripping water echoed all around. 

There were no torches in the cave, however the room was well lit by a combination of glowing moss, light catchers, and the light emitted from a strange well-like structure at the end of the room. The structure was oddly familiar and Taylor stared at it for several seconds before she finally realized where she had seen it before. There was a similar structure at the base of one of the Great Oaks in the center of the Wellspring Glades. The construct resembled that of a large well with a shallow basin. Glowing runes had been carved into the ancient stone and pure white light shimmered in the center of the well’s bowl.

A paw entered the young spirit’s field of vision and she looked up to see Eri stifling his chuckle. Taylor rolled her eyes and grabbed her brother’s paw with her own, allowing him to pull her upright. “So, you obviously recognized the Spirit Well.” He said.

Taylor nodded. “Yeah, it was the first place Talu showed me when he was giving me a tour of the Glades. He even had me hop into the thing. It felt really weird, like my entire body had been supercharged or something.”

“That’s exactly what happened, child.” Stel said as she made her way down the stone steps in a manner that was far more graceful than Taylor’s clumsy tumble. “The Spirit Wells are directly connected to the energy of the forest and that of the Great Spirit Tree.”

The young spirit glanced back at the elegant stone structure in surprise before returning her attention to her siblings with a frown. “So, while that’s neat and all, that doesn’t explain why we’re here instead of heading towards the Glades.”

“Ah, but that’s what’s so special about the Spirit Wells!” Eri winked at her with a mischievous grin. “Spirits are able to use the Wells to travel!”

Taylor gave her brother a flat look. “You’re joking.” 

Stel shook her head. “He’s not. As beings of light, spirits are able to join with the light of the Spirit Wells and travel between them.”

“You’re serious ?!” The young spirit’s jaw was hanging open in shock.

“Yep.” Eri said simply before ultimately deciding to explain a bit further. “There are some limits though. A spirit is only able to travel to a well that they’re familiar with. Here, hop into this one for a moment.” 

After giving her brother a skeptical look, Taylor did as he asked. Upon stepping into the center of the light streaming from the base of the well, the young spirit gasped as energy abruptly flowed through her. While the sensation was similar to what she had felt from the well in the Wellspring Glades, there were a few subtle differences. Whereas the light of the well in the Glades made her think of warm sunlight on her fur and the clear waters of gentle streams, the light from this well reminded the spirit of the sharp smell of evergreens and the bite of a cold mountain breeze.

“You get what I meant about being familiar with a well?” Eri asked as Taylor stepped out of the Well, feeling refreshed.

The young spirit nodded thoughtfully. “The light from this well felt different.”

“That’s because the light that a Spirit Well contains is flavored , so to speak, by the region the well is in.” Stel explained. “A spirit is unable to travel to a well whose light they are unfamiliar with. This means that you’ll be able to travel between here and the well in the Glades.”

“So what would have happened if I hadn’t visited the well in the Glades?” Taylor asked.

“You and I would have just taken the long way while Stel went on ahead of us.” Eri replied with a shrug. “Personally, I prefer to travel on foot. The Spirit Wells are useful if you need to get somewhere in a hurry though.”

Stel ensured that her bag was closed securely and tightly strapped to her back before she stepped into the stone basin of the well. “I will be waiting for you at the well in the Wellspring Glades.” She called out, looking at Taylor. With that, the light from the well abruptly intensified and the old spirit was gently lifted into the air. There was a bright flash which forced the young spirit to avert her eyes and when her gaze returned to the well, Stel was gone.

Taylor’s eyes were wide as she stared at the well in shock. She still hadn’t quite believed that spirits could teleport under the right circumstances, yet Stel had vanished before her eyes. Eri was gently urging her toward the well, though the young spirit hesitated as an unbidden worry entered her mind. “We can’t get stuck in the wells, can we?” She asked as she looked at the well uncertainly. 

Eri chuckled. “Don’t worry, that doesn’t happen. Traveling between wells is near instantaneous; one moment you’re here, the next you’re there. It’s faster than you can blink.”

Feeling reassured by her brother’s words and relaxed demeanor, the green-eyed spirit stepped into the basin of the well and once more felt an energizing rush as she came into contact with the light it contained. “Okay, how do I do this?” She asked, desperately trying not to indicate just how nervous she was.

“Reach out with your light and connect to the light of the well.” The older spirit’s voice was calm. He could easily see his sister’s discomfort, despite her attempts to hide it. “Once you’re connected to the well, focus on the feelings that the light flowing from the well in the Glades gave you and the Spirit Well will do the rest.”

Taylor gripped her travel bag tightly and took a deep breath before closing her eyes and tentatively reaching for the well’s light with her own. The light of the well seemed almost eager as she reached out to it and the energy cradled her as she focused on memories of sunlight, cool streams, and the sounds of laughter as she and her siblings raced through the trees. 

The young spirit didn’t even notice as her paws were lifted from the ancient stones of the well by the swirling nimbus of light that had formed around her. The light flashed and suddenly her senses were assaulted by the familiar smells and sounds of the Wellspring Glades. Her eyes flew open and she gasped at the sight of the Great Oaks towering overhead and of various Moki and spirits going about their day. Taylor couldn’t contain her grin as she allowed Stel to pull her away from the Spirit Well as it began to glow once more, signaling Eri’s arrival. She was home .

I opened my eyes to the familiar sight of a beige colored ceiling bathed in the combined light of my Wisp companion and the morning sun. Yawning, I sat up and stretched before hopping out of my nest of blankets. 

The rest of my day in Niwen had been spent re-familiarizing myself with the Wellspring Glades. The two spirits with whom I shared a hut quickly learned of my arrival and immediately roped an enormous group of Moki and spirits into throwing me an impromptu welcome home party that lasted well into the night. I lost track of Eri and Stel very quickly and by the time the party was over, all I had wanted to do was curl up in my nest and sleep for a week. However, I hadn’t forgotten the terrifying encounter with the Wraith that Eri and I had been in and I was resolved about getting some answers.

I glanced at Seia who was still resting on the small pillow that I had placed on the bedside table for her. The Wisp’s glow was pulsing slowly, which I had learned was her version of sleep. I smiled and quietly went about my morning routine, carefully ensuring that each of my various herbs were watered and gently running a brush through the fluffy fur on my back. I then carefully stepped out of the room and shut the door quietly behind me. 

Trotting downstairs, I was greeted by the smell of grease and melted sugar and I grinned. Dad had gotten donuts. I dashed into the kitchen and immediately headed for the white box sitting on the table. I ripped it open and scooped up one of the warm treats and took a huge bite out of it, sighing in pleasure at the flavor of the raspberry filling. Hearing a chuckle, I turned to see dad sitting in his usual chair with a cup of coffee and the newspaper. 

“Good morning to you too.” He said dryly.

I swallowed sheepishly. “Morning Dad.”

He shook his head with a smile. “I’m not sure why I expected anything less.” He said. “Your mother was the same way when it came to sweets.”

I pulled a chair away from the dining table and sat down across from him before taking another bite of my donut. “Thanks for getting the donuts, Dad. They’re really good.”

“Honestly, I only got them because I really didn’t feel like cooking this morning.” He chuckled. “The rest are yours. I already ate mine.” 

I was already reaching for another donut before he finished speaking and I couldn’t help the happy twitches of my tail as I bit into the jelly filled confection. The filling was lemon this time and I hummed at the delightful contrast between the sweet and sour flavors. 

I was just finishing off my third donut when there was a sudden knock on the front door. Freezing mid-chew, I looked at my dad who seemed just as surprised as I was. We exchanged looks and I silently stood from my seat before pushing in my chair. I quietly made my way upstairs, easily avoiding the house’s creaky floor boards, and hid behind the door to the upstairs landing. From this position, I’d be able to hear the entire conversation at the front door while remaining safely hidden from view. 

I could hear Dad’s footsteps as he made his way to the door. He paused, most likely checking to make sure I was hidden, before making his way to the door and pulling it open. “Alan, what a surprise!” Dad’s words were light, but his tone was guarded. “What brings you here this morning?”

The familiar voice of Alan Barnes drifted up to me and I tensed. “Emma told me that Taylor hasn’t been in school lately. She was worried, so we decided to come and check on her.”

“We?” Dad’s voice was stiff and I felt my fur stand on end at the faint sound of a car door slamming shut.

“Good morning Mr. Heb-” I didn’t stick around to hear any more. Instead, I made my way back to my bedroom as quickly and silently as I could. I rushed around, trying to make the room appear as un-lived in as possible while thanking every deity I could think of that my room was at the back of the house and the window couldn’t be seen from the street.

Seia stirred, most likely sensing my panic, as I frantically dismantled my sleeping nest and made the bed. I made a shushing motion as she drifted off of the cushion. I could feel her confusion as I placed her sleeping spot on the freshly made bed and began to clear my desk off. Scooping up my journals, I shoved them back in my hiding spot at the back of my closet before turning to the confused light. 

“Emma’s here!” I hissed and I could feel the Wisp’s shock at my statement. I returned to my task of clearing off my desk, gathering up as many of my herbs as I could and carefully exiting the room. I snuck down to my dad’s room and stepped in quietly, placing the plants on the ground just inside the door.

I made my way back to my room to get the rest of my herbs and noticed that Seia had made her way to the landing and was now hovering behind the door, obviously listening in on the conversation currently going on below. I relaxed slightly, knowing that she would warn me if Emma or Mr. Barnes were on their way up the stairs. I ducked back into my room and quickly finished moving the rest of my plants into dad’s room. 

There was nothing I could do about the various objects that I had hung on the walls of my room, but hopefully if Emma came up here she would assume that they had already been there. Having hidden what I could, I carefully pulled the curtains shut. I left the window open just in case I needed to make a quick exit.

Making my way back to the second floor landing, I gave Seia a worried glance and crouched down to put my ear to the crack beneath the door. Dad and Barnes's voices were slightly muffled, meaning that they had made their way into the living room. I wanted to open the door so that I could hear better but, while my physical form would remain hidden, my glow would not.

Listening carefully, I realized that Dad was telling them the cover story that we had concocted. The plan was to let people assume that I was enrolled in a boarding school due to the distance from Brockton Bay and our story was that, though I had been withdrawn from Winslow and was taking lessons through homeschooling, I still wasn’t able to completely recover from the trauma of the locker incident. When I was still in the hospital, a therapist had recommended a special institute in California for teens suffering from severe trauma. When homeschooling didn’t help with my recovery I was enrolled in the school’s program. However, Dad failed to mention the fact that the version of the program I was enrolled in was completely online. 

Since I was from a low income family and was recommended by a doctor, I was able to join the program on a scholarship. The only requirement was that I attend voice calls with my assigned therapist once a week. While I didn’t like the thought of talking about my problems with a stranger, the program was the perfect cover story. 

I was surprised when I actually did wind up liking my therapist, a grandmotherly woman who was easy to talk to, and found myself looking forward to our weekly sessions. Though she was unaware of my change, she had already helped me work through my mixed feelings about Emma’s betrayal. She was not going to be happy when I told her about the red head’s surprise visit.

I could hear Emma pressing my dad for more information about where I was, saying that she wanted to send me letters, but Dad refused to say anymore and explained that the institute’s address was classified in order to protect the students who were enrolled due to domestic abuse. Emma fell silent after that and I could easily picture the frustrated look on her face.

After a few more minutes of talking, Emma asked to see my bedroom like I knew she would. I exchanged a look with Seia and we quickly made our way to my room. I shut the door behind me quietly before carefully climbing out the window and pushing it shut. I couldn’t latch it from the outside, but I figured that Emma wouldn’t notice if it was locked or not.

Leaping to the ground, I carefully made my way towards the dense trees that framed our backyard while ensuring that I couldn’t be seen from the windows. It was only after the house was completely hidden from view that I finally allowed myself to relax. 

What was that about?

Seia was obviously asking about the surprise visit from my former best friend and I sighed. “She probably got fed up with the fact that I’m not at Winslow anymore and wanted to try to torment me at home instead. She definitely wasn’t here out of concern for me like she told Mr. Barnes.” I sat down heavily on a nearby log. It had been looking like a perfect morning, but now my excitement for the day ahead had been soured by the red head’s visit.

So why did she want to see your room?

I shrugged. “Most likely to look for my journals. The Trio knows that I have them. They’ve actually caught me writing in them a few times. I’ve always been careful not to let them get their hands on the books though.”

I see…

Seia and I sat in silence for a while before I stood up. “C’mon, I want to go for a run. Sitting here dwelling on her visit isn’t going to change anything.” The Wisp agreed and I set off through the trees, quickly gaining speed before leaping into the branches above.

I sighed as I slid my key into the lock of the shelter’s rooftop door. It was much earlier than when I normally visited, but Emma’s visit that morning had put me in a bad mood and I was feeling restless.

My run through the woods at the back of our house had taken the better part of three hours and by the time I made it back home the Barnes’s had left. A quick inspection of my room showed that my hunch about Emma searching for my journals had been correct. The sheets on my bed had been pulled away from the corners of the mattress and the drawers of my desk had obviously been gone through. The spot at the back of the closet had remained undisturbed, however, and I was glad to see that the journals were still safe in their box.

I then spent the rest of the day in my basement garden caring for my crops and harvesting some fresh produce to take to the shelter. Dad once again drove the produce that I planned to give to the shelter to a street corner nearby, this time to the south of the building, and I hauled the baskets to the rooftop access. 

The lock clicked and the door swung inward. I propped the door open with the wooden wedge that had been left on the landing and began to tug the heavy baskets inside. After pulling the baskets inside, I ensured that the door was once again locked before allowing it to swing shut. As I was fairly certain that there were some residents who were still awake, I planned to wait at the top of the stairs for about an hour before sneaking down to check if the way to the kitchen was clear.

This changed when I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. I panicked. There was nowhere on the landing for me to hide and I briefly debated leaving altogether before I realized that there was no way for me to hide the baskets of produce that I had brought with me. I quickly dismissed the thought of leaving after that as nothing screams ‘Suspicious!’ more than hiding despite obviously having been in the area.

I shifted anxiously from foot to foot and once again wished that my fur wasn’t quite so obvious. Seia had flown behind me the moment we first heard the footsteps and the Wisp was now nestled in the thick fur at the back of my head, her glow disguised by my own.

It didn’t take long for the owner of the footsteps to come into view and the man paused, obviously surprised by my appearance. I once again found myself hugging my tail for comfort as we inspected one another and I fought the urge to fidget.

The man was tall, likely over six feet, with neatly trimmed dark hair and eyes. He appeared to be in his late thirties and was dressed in black button down and slacks. Noticing the clergy collar around his neck, I realized that this must be Father Jonas. Seeming to get over his initial shock, the priest smiled warmly at me and I felt myself relaxing slightly. 

“You must be Spirit.” He said. I shrugged uncomfortably and, seeming to pick up on my discomfort, he continued. “I apologize for rushing up here suddenly. There are sensors for each of the doors linked to the computer in my office. When the one for this door went off, I was worried that one of the residents had come up to smoke and locked themselves out again. They sometimes forget that the door has a working lock now.”

“I-I see…” I said, as I slowly began to relax. I vaguely gestured at the baskets of produce beside me. “I, uh, brought some more food for the shelter.” I explained lamely. This was why I wanted to stay anonymous, I really wasn’t good at talking to people!

Father Jonas’s smile widened. “Wonderful! I’m sure that the residents will be thrilled. Several of them commented on the superb quality of your produce.” He took a step towards the baskets. “May I?” 

I nodded and he strode forward before hoisting one of the baskets into his arms. I hesitated for a moment before also picking one up. I figured that if any of the residents were awake they would see the basket that Father Jonas was carrying and know that I was there anyway, so I might as well continue what I was doing in the first place. Seia was hidden and I felt confident that I could out run just about anyone here so I gritted my teeth and followed the tall man down the steps, trying not to show my discomfort.

The halls of the shelter were dark and quiet, as usual, and I could tell that most of the residents were already asleep. However, I did occasionally spot a person here and there as we made our way through the building. Each reaction was the same. They would spot me and stare for a moment before recognizing the baskets that Father Jonas and I were carrying and stare even more. I was certain that by the time I left later this evening the entire shelter would know that the cape healing them was a glowing, fluffy, white, cat-thing.

We reached the kitchen and Father Jonas paused to speak with a resident who was heading up the stairs. I didn’t catch what he said, but the man nodded as I made my way to the counter and shoved the heavy basket onto the surface. The other man left the room and the priest placed his basket next to mine before turning to me. 

“Spirit, may I ask you a favor?” He asked.

I gave him a guarded look. While I didn’t think that the shelter’s administrator had any ulterior motives, I was remaining cautious. “Depends on the favor.”

A sheepish look appeared on Father Jonas’s face. “I’d like to follow you on your rounds through the shelter tonight. I’m quite curious about your abilities and would like to see you heal first hand.”

I blinked. In hindsight his request was fairly obvious, though I honestly hadn’t expected the question. “Sure. It might take some time to go through the shelter though, I noticed that more rooms have residents now.” 

The priest raised an eyebrow, obviously surprised by my quick agreement. “May I ask why you agreed so quickly?” 

Shrugging, I turned and began making my way back upstairs. “Because I get it. You’re worried about your residents. A strange new cape showing up out of the blue and healing people in secret? I know that it doesn’t exactly scream trustworthy.”

We stepped to the side as the man that Father Jonas spoke to came down the stairs followed by two other residents. They were carrying the other baskets of produce and I felt rather relieved by the fact that I wouldn’t have to lug the heavy things to the kitchen myself this time. I was just about to enter the first room when another question from Father Jonas stopped me. “If you understand how it looks, then why are you healing in secret? I’m sure the PRT would leap at the chance to recruit a healer. Especially one of your caliber.”

I cringed. I could tell that this question would come up several times in the future. Briefly considering my options, I decided that the best course of action was to be truthful. “My, uh, power doesn’t like the PRT. The best way I can describe it is like a sort of danger sense. If something’s a threat to me it warns me. I have no idea why the PRT gets a reaction but just the idea of speaking to them makes me feel sick.”

The priest hummed thoughtfully. “That’s understandable. If your power is pushing for you to avoid them, then I can’t blame you for doing so.” He looked at me seriously. “However, let me offer you some advice as someone with a bit more worldly experience than you. You will not be able to hide your presence forever. While I have no intention of revealing your visits and the homeless population are notorious for being tight-lipped, the fact that you frequent this shelter will eventually become known. So, I have to ask… Are you prepared for the fallout of that knowledge?”

I looked down at my paws in silence for a moment. Father Jonas was right and his words touched on a subject that I had been unconsciously avoiding for quite some time. If I was being completely honest with myself, I wasn’t ready. I had exactly one combative skill and, while Spirit’s Edge was powerful, it definitely wasn’t enough to stop most of the capes in the city. 

I flinched when I felt a large hand land on top of my head gently and I looked up to see Father Jonas smiling down at me. “I don’t mean to scare you, I simply want to make sure that you are staying safe. You’re far too gentle of a soul to be lost to those gangs.”

Halfheartedly returning his smile, I continued into the room that we had stopped in front of. Of the two occupants, only one was asleep. I checked the sleeping resident over first, bathing the room in a gentle green glow, as his roommate and Father Jonas watched in silence. The man was one whom I had healed previously, so checking him over took little to no time. 

Afterwards, I turned to the room’s other occupant, only to find that both he and Father Jonas were looking at me in awe. The priest, seeing the odd look that I was giving the two of them, hurriedly explained. “Spirit, while I knew that you could heal, I had no idea just how beautiful your power was. That light you summoned, it was…” He trailed off, seeming to be lost for words and I looked down bashfully.

I could feel pride radiating from where Seia was in my fur and I resisted the urge to reach back and check to make sure she was still hidden. In an effort to hide my embarrassment, I stepped toward the room’s other occupant and gestured toward the empty bed. “May I?”

He nodded eagerly and sat down as I made my way over. Gathering my light into my paw, I reached out to touch him but hesitated before I made contact. “I, uh, haven’t ever done this on someone who’s awake, so I apologize if this feels strange.” Having given what little warning I could, I placed my paw on his shoulder.

The man gasped as my light rushed through him, soothing sore muscles from a day of hard work and mending his minor sprained wrist. He also was someone who I had previously healed so the entire process only took a few seconds. He opened his eyes, which he had unconsciously closed, and looked at me with an odd expression. “Y’know, I honestly can’t describe ‘ow that felt. I feel like I could run a mile, but I’m also tired at the same time. Get it?”

I shrugged in response, unable to tell him exactly what happened without going into an explanation about my origins. Something I was not planning on becoming common knowledge. Father Jonas, seeming to sense my discomfort, gently ushered me from the room. “I’m sure that Spirit would like to continue her work for the night. You go ahead and get some sleep Eric.”

The man, Eric, waved us off before lying down fully on his bed and I breathed a sigh of relief at having avoided any awkward questions. Father Jonas shut the door to the room and smiled down at me. “Thank you for letting me watch you heal, Spirit. You being so forthcoming has soothed my worries quite a bit.”

I returned his smile warmly. Despite tonight being our first meeting in person, I was already starting to like the priest. I could tell by how he interacted with his charges, that he truly cared for the residents of the Hands of Hope shelter. “Like I said, I completely understand why you were worried. It was the least I could-” The sound of glass shattering cut me off and we exchanged alarmed looks before rushing down stairs.

Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, nothing seemed to be amiss. However, more glass shattering and the sound of shouting from outside prompted me to rush down the hall leading to the shelter’s front door. Reaching the end of the hall, I paused. The shouts were louder now, obviously coming from the street in front of the shelter. I peered around the corner and quickly spotted the source of the noise.

Nearly two dozen men in Merchant colors stood in the street, shouting jeers and insults at the building and its occupants. Each one was carrying a weapon of some sort, mostly bats and pipes, and were waving them threateningly. It was obvious that they had thrown the two bricks that had shattered the front windows and a cold breeze ruffled the cheap curtains on either side of the now empty window frames. What worried me, however, were the four ten gallon jerry cans resting on the ground next to a smirking man near the back of the group.

I looked back at Father Jonas only to see him stride past me and out the front door. The grinning man smiled wider, baring his teeth, and pushed through the group of sneering gang members to stand in front of him. I was unable to hear what they were saying from inside the building and I rushed back up the stairs, dashing past the bleary-eyed residents that had been woken by the shouting from outside.

Reaching the door to the roof, I pushed the door open and thanked the stars that the hinges had been oiled recently. It swung open silently and I made sure that it didn’t slam shut and alert the Merchants in the street below. I moved to the side of the building that was further away from the gang members and carefully leapt from roof to roof until I was on a rooftop slightly behind the group.

Feeling slightly more confident now that I wouldn’t be spotted immediately, I peeked over the edge of the roof. Seia, having left the safety of my fur once we were on the roof, hovered over my shoulder and peeked out as well. I could feel the worry radiating off of my companion and I did my best to send her feelings of reassurance despite my own worry. I still couldn’t hear the conversation taking place below me due to the continued shouts from the gang members but I was able to watch and, judging by Father Jonas’s body language, the discussion was not going well.

A third man joined the pair at the head of the group, though he didn’t possess nearly as much confidence as the first. He shifted about anxiously, peering up at the buildings surrounding the shelter, and I found myself having to duck as his gaze drifted over my hiding spot. I kept my head down for several seconds, not knowing when it would be safe for me to look up again, before cautiously peering down once more. 

I had obviously missed something as now the Merchants were laughing uproariously while Father Jonas looked like he wanted to punch the gang member in front of him. I wanted to go down there and help my new friend but I hesitated. The fact that I was obviously a cape would probably be enough to dissuade them from continuing to threaten the shelter, so it was likely that I wouldn’t have to fight at all. I glanced up at Seia, hoping that she’d be able to give me an idea on what to do. The Wisp shivered, her equivalent of a shrug, and I could tell that she was just as conflicted as I was.

My internal debate was halted by a loud thwack and my eyes flew back to the group below with a gasp. Father Jonas collapsed to the ground, having been struck across the face by the metal bat in the grinning man’s hands. The man was no longer grinning, instead his lips were curled in a cruel sneer and he jabbed his hand at the shelter with the first shout that I could clearly hear. “Burn this righteous motherfucker’s shitty charity to the ground!”

I was moving before he even finished his sentence, having leapt from the building the moment I saw Father Jonas’s crumpled form. I crashed into the center of the group, causing them to scatter with surprised shouts and the gang member I had landed on groaned from his position on the ground. I had been moving at a fairly high speed due to my leap from the building so, despite my small size, I had crashed into him with quite a bit of force. 

The grinning man and the twitchy man whirled around in alarm at the shouts of the gang members. Not wanting to give them a chance to regroup, I yanked one of the balls off of my vest and sent it rocketing towards the pair with a bash. Though the grinning man managed to leap out of the way, the twitchy man wasn’t so lucky and the ball hit him square in the forehead. 

He fell to the ground, out cold, and I relaxed slightly. The balls that I used to bash were made of rubber, so I had been unsure if they would do more than irritate the gang members. Apparently I had underestimated the amount of force I could put behind an object using Bash.

Seeing a flash of silver out of the corner of my eye I ducked, barely dodging the metal bat that swung through the space where my head had been. I lashed out behind myself with a paw and the gang member that had swung at me doubled over with a groan. I had caught him in the groin.

By this point the other Merchants had managed to regroup and I found myself surrounded by about twenty or so gang members. I pulled another ball free from my vest and launched myself straight up in the air. The rubber ball hit the street with enough force to bounce high enough for me to bash it once again and this time I sent it at one of the gang members. It hit him in the chest with a thump and he dropped to the ground gasping for air, the wind having been knocked out of him. 

My second bash put me outside of the ring of Merchants and I quickly focused my light into the familiar form of Spirit’s Edge. I swung the dull side of the blade at the back of the knees of the two closest Merchants and they both hit the ground. One of the gang members threw something at me and I instinctively returned it with a well-timed bash. The object turned out to be a molotov cocktail and several of the men shouted in alarm when it shattered near them.

By this point many of the Merchants were looking rather nervous, their eyes darting between me and their fallen comrades. The grinning man however, seemed to be rather annoyed and his smirk seemed to be more of a grimace. I was hoping that they’d do the sensible thing and retreat so that I could check on Father Jonas. He was still lying motionless in the middle of the street and, now that I was closer, I could see a faint trickle of blood coming from his temple.

My hopes were dashed when the grinning man shouted at the grunts. “Don’t just fucking stand there, trash this little shit!” The gang members hesitated a moment longer before charging at me.

The Merchant leading the charge swung at me with the pipe he was carrying and I quickly raised my Spirit’s Edge to block it. We were both stunned when, rather than simply stopping the pipe, the blade of light passed right through the metal as if it was made of butter. The man stumbled to a halt and looked at the ruined weapon in his hands before dropping what was left of the pipe and fleeing down the street, survival instinct easily overriding orders. The rest of the Merchants quickly followed suit leaving just the grinning man, who was struggling to move the heavy gas cans while I was distracted by his men.

He froze when I rested the tip of my blade on his shoulder before slowly raising his hands in defeat. I would have preferred to ignore him in favor of treating Father Jonas, however Seia had told me that the priest was stable and recommended that I capture the grinning man as he was obviously the leader of the group. I pulled several zip ties out of one of the pockets of my vest and secured his hands and feet while mentally thanking Dad and his foresight once again. 

The grinning man had been silent since I captured him and I frowned. He seemed to be staring off into the distance at nothing and I briefly wondered if he was having some sort of breakdown before shrugging it off and continuing to secure the remaining gang members. Once all the defeated Merchants were secure, I made my way over to Father Jonas and gently touched him with a green covered paw.

While the hit from the bat had knocked him out, the priest’s concussion was minor and took little time to heal. He groaned and opened his eyes slowly, only to squint at the sight of my light. I cringed and moved away slightly. “Sorry.”

He sat up slowly and froze when his eyes landed on the group of Merchants that were tied up nearby. His eyes darted back and forth, from the various rubber balls that were scattered about to the patch of ground that was still burning sluggishly from the molotov cocktail. The priest’s gaze briefly lingered on the pipe that had been sliced in half by my light before returning to me. “You did this?” He asked.

I shrugged awkwardly. “They hurt you and were going to burn down the shelter. I… didn’t like that.” I said, feeling sheepish.

Father Jonas’s eyes softened at my words and he opened his mouth to respond only to pause at the sound of sirens in the distance. We both tensed as the sound grew louder and it was soon obvious that they were heading this way. The priest looked at me, his eyes hard. “Go.”

“What?” I asked, obviously confused.

“If the police see you they will call the PRT. By leaving now, there won’t be any obvious signs of parahuman activity and I might be able to convince them that this was just an ordinary raid.”

“But-”

He shook his head. “Please trust me on this, Spirit. Things will not go well for you if the PRT gets involved right now. Come to the shelter at your usual time in two days. I will explain then.”

The sirens were much louder now and I was starting to see red and blue lights reflected off of the windows of nearby buildings. Despite how much I wanted to argue, I knew that Father Jonas was right and I let out an irritated growl. With my tail lashing back and forth in agitation, I dashed out into the street and scooped up both halves of the pipe that I had cut in half so that I didn’t leave the priest to deal with questions that he couldn’t answer.

I leapt up the fire escape of one of the nearby buildings and paused once I reached the roof. Glancing back down to the street, I saw that Father Jonas had stood up and was now standing near the gang members, waiting for the police to arrive. Seeming to sense my gaze, he looked up at me before smiling and nodding reassuringly. I returned his nod with much less confidence before sighing and setting off for home.