Spirits could be anything.
Curious, malevolent, benign and joyful… In some ways they reflected the heart of humanity, born from the imagination and the experience of life. They were the ‘counterpart’ of humans existing in a world of pure thought, made from distilled emotion. This spirit world had its own portals, of which the Well of Power was one. Such exotic portals tended to exist where ley-lines crossed multiple times. The strange roadmaps of energy that connected the Magic world to the Source of Magic, which itself was connected to Earth in a more subtle fashion.
The spirit world was a… place connected by ‘spirit portals.’
The spirit portals were not like the Earth-Magic World portals. They were far more powerful and considered very dangerous. They did not always allow free travel, unlike the normal portals. A person could be ‘pulled’ into such a portal without any desire of the traveller… alternatively a person could be denied entry no matter how much they wanted to enter. There was an unknown factor in play that nobody really knew. Those that travelled into such a portal would encounter into a realm of pure magic… reality becoming…subjective.
Such portals had a ‘caretaker’.
The caretaker was both guardian and advisor for a traveller hoping to cross. They usually took form in one of the ‘six’ senses a person could experience… A person might taste something before being pulled in as their one and only warning… or a person might see a silent ghost shaking their head if they tried to enter. The connection of Guardian and spirit portal was still a subject of debate. Sometimes it seemed that the caretaker had no power over the portals at all and were a ‘mechanical’ construct much like the clockworks… unyielding to emotion and reason. Other times they appeared to have agency and could allow a person through or be persuaded.
The dragon-woman crossed her large draconic arms, wondering on what to do… staring at the vortex of energy that was the center of Stella’s magic school for girls… the Well of Power…
The guardian only had ‘one’ demand for those entering… they had to be an accepted student willing to follow the rules established by Great Stella Herself.
“I know what you are Mara…” She repeated to herself. She saw her in class… and knew something was odd straight away about the girl. A dragon had… certain knowledge about these things. She had no idea how it was even possible… if… it could even happen…
Spirits do reincarnate…
… it was not unheard of.
However, Mara was a boy! It couldn’t be possible for ‘this’ one… One of the most powerful and revered of spirits… chose a boy? Yet… the boy seemed to possess knowledge he couldn’t possibly know. There was also this general feeling of ‘potential’ she couldn’t ignore and a growing aura of energy.
The dragon-woman looked a little sombre in thought as she stood towards the Spirit Portal in quiet contemplation.
“Well of Power, I seek to speak to the Guardian…” She called out.
She waited… and a flicker of light appeared before her. Dancing like a candle without any wax.
It was a simple flickering energy that glowed in the air. With keen Draconic senses Lalira was able to even hear it speak. She looked at it and continued to wait for a few moments to compose herself. “I have to stop Mara from approaching you. I am assuming you will deny him entry? He is not…”
The light flickered.
“…what? But- he’s a boy! The rules-“
Another flickering of the light… it seemed to be… chiding her? A dragon?
Lalira gave an awkward look back. “Well- it’s not ‘technically’ against the rules of the school… he… is a student… and has been accepted as such by the principal- but the challenge… by the spirits? That must happen, a boy can’t simply attain power without going through a trial… that is not our rules that is the way of the spirits. I do not wish harm to befall the boy.”
More flickering of light…
“Oh… oh? Hm…” The dragon broke out into a smile… and started to laugh. “Oh… I see. Well… in that case I suppose everything... should work out. Of course, if he fails, I will demand his expulsion… I mean I can’t have this charade going on forever… unless…”
The light gave a brief flicker
“Agreed… May I ask.. this boy… he looks a lot like- well is he really…”
The light vanished.
“Bah… I know Mara looks a lot like her…” It shouldn’t…. be possible. Spirits have reincarnated before of course. The cycle of life when it involved spirits was quite peculiar indeed.
… but ‘that’ spirit? If so it introduced an… interesting issue for the dragon-woman. She had not had such a student in quite some time… and Mara would occupy a great deal of her attention. The attention of a dragon, twenty-four hours a day…
“Grand Dragon Lalira,” a metallic voice whispered.
“Hm…” The dragon frowned.
The clockwork girl bowed gently. “I have the list of students that are petitioning for entry to gain their spirit-companion.” She offered the parchment with the names.
“I see.” She took out a clawed hand to read it. “Well, I suppose we best get this started. Let’s send the through.”
In the explosion of energy… a church found itself switched, now existing in the magic world. There were angels in quiet contemplation and prayer, no doubt surprised by the human that had joined them. There were a few other animal-folk, and even a demon… something which may no doubt cause confusion. How did religion work among mythological creatures?
Helen looked around in surprise as she clutched her cross. “Where…what?”
A priestess smiled to Helen approaching towards her. She was a lovely looking angelic woman, though with four wings. “It would seem your Earth has crossed over with ours… some people have become switched around... some of the buildings too. Please do not be alarmed, you can get home with the main portal, if you desire” she explained.
“The… portal…” She looked stunned at the situation and looked outside. A few other humans had indeed been drawn into the Magic World, (and vice versa perhaps) but nobody was particularly concerned as they had a look around. Some humans knew exactly where to go to get back to Earth, while others took it as a chance to have a look around. The younger ones looked excited as always to see animal people…
Helen had never been into the magic world… and couldn’t help but wonder if this was some kind of…
“A sign?” The Angel woman asked.
“W-hat?” She looked at her startled “H-How do you know what I was thinking?” She gasped.
“Just… a feeling.” The angel bowed her head in apology. “Relax I cannot read your mind. Well- I can but I am choosing not to.”
Helen rubbed her hands in quiet fear. “Then tell me… is this a sign that I am here? When I asked for help…” She ended up here! That couldn’t be a coincidence…
“Well- possibly,” The angel woman said. “Come… let’s have a talk in private, shall we?” The angel lead the startled human towards a side room in the church. There were some chairs and a table… a little cozy with a candle on the side. Of course there was no technology… but there was magic and limited craft items.
Helen wasn’t sure if she could trust anyone here but… “So… what exactly do you… pray for here?”
“The spirits come in many forms,” The four-winged angel explained. “I suppose humans would say we have a polytheistic religion, with various entities that can offer advice. There are many patron saints that embody the power of a particular god existing in mortal form. Those who seek an intervention by that power will request it at the shrine”
“So… in this church you might pray to a Demon as well as an Angel?” Helen enquired.
“It depends on what you desire… either can answer your call, or they may ignore you if your reason is not sufficient for their interests.”
“…what interests a spirit?” Helen pressed.
“Many things. It’s hard to avoid being interesting, especially if you are a human” The angel said mirthfully. “Though if you have already had a boon from one it becomes… more difficult for them to take an interest in you. Such is the way of things. I can tell you have already had a boon…”
“Yes,” Helen groaned. “So, I have… but I… have not done right for her. I want to do things better. If I could… I want to start all over again with my daughter.”
The angel tilted her head. “All over again… with your daughter?”
Helen nodded. “Knowing what I know now as her mother I feel I could have done so much better.” She sighed sadly. “Is it selfish to want that?”
“Hm… well, asking for more time is not an unknown request… given how powerful your daughter will become, having her ‘stable’ is in… everyone’s interests...” The angel thought with a quiet contemplation. She seemed to take a moment and nodded. “It has been agreed.”
“Huh?” Helen blinked. “What do you mean agreed?”
“Agreed. Though first a confession… the letter… with your signature.”
“I already know about that. Someone forged it.”
The Angel smiled. “…What if I told you… that it was not forged? You did indeed send it?” She asked.
“I would know if I did… I didn’t send it.”
“Not yet…” she grinned broadly. “One of the powers an Angel has is… to ensure destined actions will take place. You have written this letter already.“
“… I have no intention of writing any letter,” Helen protested. “You certainly can not force me.”
“Well… no.” The Angel explained a little embarrassed. “I can’t force a human- and especially you to do anything. That’s one of the powers of humanity… though you seem to scorn being human too. Why is that? Do you really think so lowly of the Creator?”
Helen found herself stunned into silence. What possible answer could she give to that? “… Others… exist. Stronger… faster… magical… you can fly for instance.”
The angel moved her wings briefly. “Yes… I suppose I can fly, but only because humans believe I can… even though logically I can’t. Humans are a source of great magic even if they can not cast it… our relationship is a complicated one, but we are part of the other…”
Helen frowned a little. “You said I could have time… to fix things with my daughter…”
The angel made a gesture… The wall on the side seem to suddenly swirl with energy. Yet another portal? Though this one looked different. There was an odd sound ticking away. The energy from it had bands of gold in the middle, red and blue on the sides. Helen could see different moments of her life just floating like pictures on a television screen. “Your own personal Time… how far back do you wish to go? How far until you are happy for a fresh start?” The angel asked.
Helen looked at the portal. This… could send her back in time? Back to fixing everything… yes. She wanted that so much! How far? When was her first mistake? If she went too far back though she might make more mistakes and lack a roadmap… but if she went too little then nothing would change at all… how much time was enough…
Maybe… when she saw her daughter cry after realizing she was different? That moment she was telling her to hide her demon-form? That would be about eight- no maybe earlier… when she was five? She could change the very circumstances of her birth and maybe go to another country or… live in the magic world?
… or undo her existence entirely? Was Zair…a mistake? She need not suffer at all if she never existed- wait what was she thinking! That was too far… a horrible idea. No…
The Angel looked at Helen sympathetically. “Disturbing isn’t it… this is the power of an Angel. So many lives can be changed by your actions today… and yet everyone has an unalterable destiny… This isn’t an option available but as things stand, your daughter is too powerful and dangerous. This is in everyone’s interest,” She leaned back a little. “So, I ask again Helen… how far will you go?”
Helen gulped. She could hear the ticking of the clock… time itself was being unwound within that portal. Where… when to go? There were so many incredible options. “I think… when she first started realizing she was different… that would be on her fifth birthday… when she made a wish that she was normal on her birthday cake.” She nodded.
“A good choice,” The angel smiled. “Now… just one small thing. Please don’t attempt to use your knowledge of the future to win the lottery or anything like that. This is a miracle just to help your relationship with your daughter… and I do hope you send her to the magic school eventually. She can go at an earlier age if you desire…” She provided the letter. “It is of course your choice… it always was…”
“I’ll think about it,” said Helen as she walked into the portal… picturing that moment. A tiny drop of time… trickled between realities and vanished.
The angel woman sighed as she leaned back on her chair. “I really was a pain back then, wasn’t I,” She laughed a little. “Oh well… sometimes an Angel needs to help her past self.”
Zair gasped for air as she ran towards the center of the school. It was at the heart of this castle… this strange magical place. While at first, she had been amazed by it, she now found the tragic sadness and danger that it presented when you didn’t know the rules. Something going after her friend…
She suddenly felt strange. She gasped as a weird… energy of light flared around her body. At first she thought she was burning again, letting loose the rage and fire. However instead… things around her got bigger. Wait- no…. she was getting smaller! Her body was regressing… smaller… What breasts she had dwindled into their prepubescent state. She looked incredulously as the horns turned into small nubs at the front of her forehead, only just starting to grow. Her clothing changed, into a longer pleated skirt hiding most of her hooves though had a hole for her small tail. She must have only been about… three feet tall!
“W-what happened to me!” She cried out. “This- this isn’t right!” This place was new. It was a... smaller looking building with a pointed roof. Something like a small chateau.
A hand then grabbed her. “Zair are you okay?” Another demon-girl asked. She appeared to be a little taller…
“Who- who are you?”
“You forgot? I’m Akamari! I was told to show you around school.” She smiled brightly. “Are you okay? You worried about your first day?” She asked with a smile. “Don’t worry! I was told to look after you.”
Zair looked around. She was no longer at the magic school… but this was some other school. She was in a freakin’ kindergarten! “Oh no…” she groaned. Somehow, she knew her mother had something to do with this… wait… didn’t she have to help someone…
