Moonshadow~

A high-pitched scream cuts through the music. 

It's muffled, and I'm not sure if anyone else noticed, but my ears go up immediately. Always on high alert, my mind goes to the worst case scenario: Catastrophe's army is here. We're being attacked. 

I run in the direction of the noise, and my ears lead me to the bathroom. The door is wide open, and I cautiously step in. 

A young girl in a floaty blue gown is standing near the door, with her back to me. Ah, she must have been the one who screamed. And in front of her is...Mina. General Mina, of the resistance. And in front of her...I gasp and jump back. It's someone slumped against the wall--dead. A knife sticks out of her stomach and blood is pooling around her. 

I feel sick as I recognize the body as Master Nova.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry for the short post, I didn't want to control anyone. 

Kristjan and I wall through the crowd, chatting lightly. He is telling me about his time with the blacksmith, and I am listening intently. I feel strangely disconnected by the large gap of his life that I have missed, and I hope to be able to learn more about it.

He finishes and we lapse into silence. The couples twirl on the dance floor, and I marvel at how easy they make it look. Dancing was difficult, and I had no intention of ever doing it in public.

I open my thoughts to others around me. I'm not listening to one specific person's thoughts, rather generally casting around for general emotion.

 I feel happiness and vague jealousy from the dancers, and a sharp bite of hate from an arguing couple nearby.

Then I stop. The bathroom. I feel terror and hate and panic. 

I concentrate harder and try to pick out the people. One stranger, Ocean, Moonshadow, and Mina.

My grip tightens on Kristjan's arm. He looks down at me in concern, and I quickly talk to him using my mind.

Something's wrong. Bathroom. Now.

He nods imperceptibly and guides me towards the bathroom. We go as fast as possible without drawing attention, and I try to look happy and calm. The last thing we want is a scene.

We reach the hallway and I run to the women's bathroom. Kristjan follows behind me as I push open the door and enter.

It takes me a couple of seconds to assess the situation. Moonshadow, a ghost, and another girl are standing up against one wall staring at Master Nova, who is slumped against the wall with a knife in her torso. She looks dead. Mina is standing next to her, bleeding from various wounds. Ocean is against the other wall, staring at the blood that covers everything.

I hear Kristjan gasp behind me, but I'm already striding over to Mina. 

She faces me as I walk up.

"What in Kyngdom happened here?" I ask. 

I shake my head and push past Sprocket, push past the small group of people, and walk out of the bathroom. 

“Mina!” Sprocket calls after me, and stops me before I’m outside of the hallway. 

She places a hand on my shoulder, and I defensively throw it off, twist it, and reel around. Her eyes widen, and I catch the small look of terror before it is masked by indifference. I drop her hand and exhale shakily. 

“Mina, what happened?” she repeats, trying to stand straight and act unfazed. 

“We-we...,” I stammer, my eyes looking no where in particular, trying to collect my thoughts. “We got in a skirmish...and I just....”

My eyes blink wildly, my thoughts everywhere. “I just...old reflexes. From the time I was an assassin and spy. I stabbed her.” 

Sprocket stiffens slightly and I can tell by her body language that she has gotten uncomfortable. 

“I was there,” I continue, ignoring it. “Then I was somewhere else. She was just another obstacle. Another target. I was back in the field, and I saw it all around me. I acted on pure impulse, I’ve never done that. I’m...I’ve left the field behind for years now. I just....”

Sprocket’s gaze softens. “Have you ever been tested for PTSD or any post-mental thoughts?”

Suddenly the weight lifts off my chest. She’s concerned about me. Not about Nova. Not about the fact that I just killed someone. She wants to make sure that this won’t happen again, but she does care about my well being. 

“Yes,” I reply. “It was always a requirement. But nothing ever came up.”

“We’ll figure this out, Mina,” she says and then gives a small smile.

I nod and the corner of my mouth twitches up, before I realise that I’ve just killed Nova. “Now to explain.”

Well, that was dramatic. Might as well. It would be Nygrune's nature, anyway.

Nygrune~

I hear something from inside, and when I get there, people are running towards the bathroom. So I follow the crowd.

"...I was back in the field, and saw it all around me," General Mina is telling Sprocket. There is blood on her uniform. The blue-haired girl from earlier is watching, and so are an older, more casually dressed girl and a boy I've seen before. Reinedela Ocean is standing half-hidden by the doorframe with her eyes wide and hands over her mouth. I follow her gaze to a wolf lying on the floor, apparently dead.

"I acted on pure impulse. I've never done that. I'm... I've left the field behind for years now. I just..." Mina continues, as I tear my eyes away from the body and step forward. 

"Hey," I whisper, and tap Ocean on the shoulder. ("Have you ever been tested for PTSD or any post-mental thoughts?") She spins around, startled, dropping her hands. ("Yes. It's a requirement. But nothing ever came up.") Then she recognizes me and bursts out crying. ("We'll figure this out, Mina.") I reciprocate her hug ("Now, to explain.") and lead her away. 

Her governess comes running as soon as she sees us, skirts gathered up and fury on her face.

"What did you do to her?" the lady demands.

"I promise you I have done nothing harmful and the Reinedela is safe. However, there's been an incident in the bathroom which I must attend to, and therefore I hope she will not object to your custody."

Ocean sniffs loudly beside me and steps forth.

~And I don't actually know what she has to say about this, and I don't want to be controlling. But Nygrune can definitely heal Mina, assuming he can get close enough. 

“No thank you, I’m alright,” I respond as politely as I can. 

“Mina,” Sprocket persists. 

“I’ll tend to them on my own. I should be going anyway.”

“I can help-“ the girl continues.

“No thank you.”

“But like Sprocket said, we have to help-“

“You were eavesdropping,” Sprocket deadpans. 

Her eyes widen. “I um-“

“Save it,” Sprocket interrupts wearily. “I could feel your thoughts as you did it.”

“Sorry,” she mumbles, but I’m already out of the hallway. 

Once I reach the ballroom, I only receive more gasps and stares. 

“Get back to your dancing, will you?!” I abruptly shout. 

They freeze before scrambling around as noise and music begins again. 

“Mina!” I hear a small voice shout. 

I look down to meet Ocean’s wide blue eyes. 

“Please, you need to get help!”

“Please Mina! You need help! I’ll go find Mother and Father!”

I shake my head. “I’ll be fine, Ocean.”

“I’ll be fine, Leva.”

I watch as Ocean cautiously but curiously touches the gash on my arm. 

Suddenly, without warning, a golden dust-light? Dust? Eh, both-flows from her finger tips and to my arm. She looks just as surprised as I do. Soon, the wound cleans and seals, and the fabric of my uniform even fixes itself. 

Slowly, she does the same for the wound on my shoulder and on my side, until it looks like I was never in a fight at all. Well, except for the small scratches on my face, which I don’t bother her with. Surely she must be tired from using so much of this magic, but then when I see her, she looks full of energy. 

“Ocean,” I say quietly. “How-how did you do that?”

——

Ocean~

“I...I,” I stammer. “Well I don’t know.”

Suddenly it looks like a lightbulb goes off in her head. 

“The Crown,” she mutters. 

“What?” I ask. 

She’s pulled out of her thoughts and shakes her head sharply. “Nothing. Um...thank you, Ocean.”

I smile thoughtfully.

“Isn’t it time you told us what happened?” I hear Sprocket’s voice asks. 

Mina nods, takes a deep breath, and begins. 

Davina ~

"No thank you. I'm alright," Mina says. I roll my eyes, but she doesn't seem to notice. 

"Mina," Sprocket ( I think that's her name) warns. 

"I'll tend to them on my own. I should be going anyways."

I consider yelling to all the guests what she did.

"I can help--" I start.

" No thank you. " She says, harshly. Rude! I offer to help, she cuts me off and yells!

"But like Sprocket said, we have to help--"

"You were eavesdropping." Sprocket says. Of course, I think, Who wouldn't ?

"I um--"

"Save it," She moans, "I could feel your thoughts as you didnt." Huh, I was going to say why, but. .. I guess not. 

"Sorry," I mumble, but I don't really mean it . 

"Arg, we have to help her. All she's doing is hurting herself," I grumble. Sprocket nods. But as I do, already a girl is spreading a magical gold dust over her. "What in Kyngdo m!" Sprocket exclaimes.

~~ 

Pftt, well, looks like my RP has been partially invalidated. Not that I'm surprised--Mina and I posted at almost the same time. But still. *wanders off to try to figure out how to reconcile story with time and space*