Briarius felt the presence of Lyndra before he saw her. (Thanks to her Ravensheart Academy Pin.) He moved towards her room to welcome her when he felt an odd sensation. It was like the calming joy he felt when his wife was near. It was there only for a moment before he pushed it away. She was gone...she was remarried...she was dead...she had ascended.

That's when he heard the scream.

He rushed to Lyndra's room and knocked on the door.

"I apologize, but are you well?"

The Headmaster waited on the other side of the door a bit perplexed. He didn't think his knocking was particularly loud at all.

"I apologize, but are you well?"


::...She banged on the window and screamed at the top of her little lungs:: Headmaster!!! Lyndra's hurt!! The mirror spit her out!!



Lyndra's face paled almost to a blue and her hands flew to each side of her head as the window was banged on followed by the high pitched fae voice.

"Akkk! Gods!"

Blink. Green hues shifted to the small trash can. She could feel the swell before the heave.

"Oh.... help.."

Hand outstretched to pull the can over, dumping the contents. It was back up again in time to play catch as the vomit made its crescendo from her throat and took the downward plunge into the trash can. Yep, she definitely had a concussion.

::the fae zipped in and hovered over the scene. Lyndra was getting sick in the bucket and the headmaster was mumbling some incantation she didn't know::

Oh my! oh what happened to yous?!

::She went to Lyndra's side and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder just like her Nana used to do::

Yous 'll be okay once you get rid of that bad stuff. Right Headmaster?

::she glanced his way then back to the vomiting Lyndra. She noticed it didn't seem like Lyndra then, but it was kinda hard to tell with the cuts, bruises and especially the swollen eye::

Maybe I go get the healers?

::He seemed engrossed in his what ever he was trying to do. She darted away and did just that, returning with them in two minutes flat. She moved beside the headmaster and just stayed by his side, waiting to see what was going on and to be a comfort and help. until then she would stay out of the way::

She heard the voices come into the room, but the urge to hover over the trash can was too strong to ignore. The little fae's hand was a comfort, but the note to get the healers had her concerned. Just how bad was she? There was no time to think about it as she was in a very primitive grasp of events. Instinct was her guide as the gentle male voice chanted near by.

"Do you want my help?"

Fortunately, the situation wasn't going to last forever. The urge to hover over the trash can had finally subsided by the time the headmaster was done with his divinations. She was acutely aware of his presence, which made her self conscious about her smell, given what she'd just put into the trash can. A hand was lifted with a graceful circular motion, invoking a silent cantrip to clean up her face, hands and breath. Then she turned her head towards Bri and nodded very carefully. Her voice a pleading whisper.

"Aye... oh aye ye kin."

As for the rest of her condition, it hadn't yet registered in her head other then she was in pain and still disoriented. Even so, a memory flashed, torn and broken up, mixed and strange to her of a beautiful castle and terrible explosion.... The look on her face showed it clearly the destruction of Ravensheart Castle. Oddly, she blurted.

"It welcomed me... it saw 'th dress an beckoned... screamed... frightened... torn.. she wanted 't 'elp it. Strong... but still carried away an broken... she fights fer it! ....'t mend it. It needs te heal! It Needs ye! She begs fer thee!"

She didn't understand what she was saying, wondering why she said it, which was plainly displayed upon her now desperate visage.

The urge to touch his cheek was suddenly strong. Long graceful digits lifted slowly with intent to place the backs of them to the headmaster's cheek. As they came closer to his skin, he could feel the strong pull of familiar magick within them. He could sense the memories within. He could feel her, faint as it was, rising inside the magicks, which were strong in this woman. He could feel the heart of it, clawing from some place, broken and screaming for help..... the odd divinations began to make more sense and took a familiarity. It beckoned to be whole again and She was the key made specially for him to make it whole. It was his gift, a way to return some semblance of things he'd lost, perhaps more.

The whisper begged desperately as her eyes were cast down ashamed and broken.

"Please.. Bri.. help me.. make it right ...."

::the little fae returned to see the headmaster kneeling beside Lyndra, who still looked a bit strange. There were some things she didn't understand, but she understood and sensed the strength of magic that was sparking around the two. She also understood the headmaster was getting ready to help Lyndra and knew she and the healers weren't going to be needed here. Something hinted that it was out of their league. she held a hand up to stop them from entering the room::

Maybe we not needed here. Headmaster is helping her. Let's just leave them be.

::Cadence closed the doors, leaving she and the two healers in the hallway with the headmaster and the cook inside the room. Her gaze went to the healers::

Yous two maybe should return to the infirmary. I'll wait. If yous needed, yous'll hear my whispers.

::nodding, the two healers went back to the infirmary. She waited nervously, twittling her thumbs while her wings beat irradically lifting her gently up and down off the ground while she paced the hall. Something was happening, something big... something powerful. She didn't know what but something was about to happen::

Briarius looked away...in shame.

"I fear that I am no longer the Briarius you knew...he died in that accident long long ago that left you alone. You moved on...and you were happy. I don't want to take your happiness away again."

He looked at her again.

"I will do something that he never got a chance to do. Something he wished for millenia that he could have done."

He leaned in and kissed her with all the love he had.

"Goodbye Shara. I have to go now. Take care of the children...and yourself. I won't be back, but know that I will always love you and just want you to be happy."

The spirits of Alec and Larissia Ravensheart appeared near them. Briarius broke from Shara and hugged Alec.

"Now son, mind you mother and your sister. Always do what is right and be strong."

Alec nodded and he floated to Larissia and kissed her forehead.

"My darling Larissia. Mind your mother and your brother. Use your powers for good and what is right."

The spirit of a white warhorse appeared.

"Blizzard, I free you from the bond that joins us. You were never a servant to me, you were my friend. Now friend, I ask that you help my family because I have to go."

Alec and Larissia got onto Blizzard and beckoned to their mother.

"Goodbye, my family, I will always remember you and cherish those moments."

He moved over to Shara.

"Shara, you need to go back. Exodii needs you. Lord Pyriathin needs you. ...Isabel needs you. The Briarius from that time has said his goodbyes. He can finally rest in peace knowing that his family knows he loved them more than anything."

As the fog of energy lifted, there sat a large dragon. His form had a dark purple base with reddish scales and an opalescent silvery hue to the tips. He watched as the fog of energy lifted. His gaze went to Alec and Larissia as he lifted a claw to beckon them to him. They approached him atop the white horse. He bowed and then they followed him away, into the heavens of his grandmother's domain. Isabel was on the other side to greet them. Oddly enough, so was Sharilis. The three plus Blizzard moved through the portal and disappeared as a fog arose, closing the portal behind them.

::Cadence paced up and down in the hallway. She'd felt openings to other realms before and remembered the one that opened from the abyss. She sensed something similar going on nearby, but it wasn't into a hell this time, which was good. Still... she felt like crying and in fact she did have tears. They actually hurt her eyes. She paused and tilted her head. Oddly, it fell very very silent in the hallway. Cadence freaked! Her attempted "hello?" had no sound and neither did the scream that followed! She went invisible and flew up to the cieling, hiding behind the light fixture up above peeking out from behind it.....blinkblink::

"Enough! I cannot stand idly by and watch my gifts abused any longer!"

Tear soaked hues shifted as another entered. It was no mere man that had stepped through that portal. She knew this and all became clear to the Goddess. It would take a Godlike being to allude things from another of the same basic ilk, and he had been at it a bit longer then she.

"Eversmart..."

She floated with the Headmaster while they were seemingly berated, and stood by him as he knelt before the elder god. Her hand came to rest on the headmaster's shoulder.


"First and foremost, Briarius. I gave you a new life after all the pain you went through and all you want to do is mourn your lost life. Live your current life and forget your old.

Shara, the Briarius you fell in love with is gone, but not lost. He is here with me."


Abuse? Forget? Gone? Oh yes, she was going to say something!

Then suddenly, a sapphire light flared in her emerald hues, revealing clearly the truths. Her aura flashed with a brilliant sapphire glow, a holy presence in the light that broke through the barriers of the walls for some distance while it illuminated blindingly for a moment.

The light faded, though a soft glow remained. Her form had shifted slightly. Chestnut brown locks cleansed to silvery blonde hues and her clothes became gleaming white robes. In this moment, Sharilis was, for all intents and purposes, there. She knew she was taking a risk.... yet it was a risk she was willing to make. She would do anything for Briarius.

Then Bri's more human form stepped forward and her words were detained.... She saw what had been done... it was all so clear now. She saw her Bri, her true and only one.

She gently squeezed the Headmaster's shoulder and whispered, though her gaze was locked with his more human counterpart.

"Do nae forget yer past... learn from it, Briarius. Else ye'll be doomed 't repeat 'em. Just let it pass....let yer past be yer foundation of strength, nae means 't fuel yer pain of loss. Don't cry because tha' part is gone, smile because it happened.. because it was and is an important part of ye."

Conflicting words to the elder one's command, yet sage advice ... even for herself as her form split in two. Prominent sapphire hues remained with one form while hazel greens were set in the half elven form of D'Shara, as she was when they'd first met. This one raced to the more human Bri, literally jumping up into his arms and holding him tight with the embraces and kisses of a deep love that only happens in legends and lore. This part of her would fight to remain with him.

Beside the headmaster there still appeared to be someone who looked more like Lyndra, her eyes glowing a sapphire hue, covering up the hazel green still beneath. There was a duality in her voice, an ancient and holy presence in her aura, as Sharilis spoke gently and directly to the elder God with the firmness of her own station.

"So be it. She..." nodding to the pair beside the elder God, "... will be with him always. They and their children Alec and Larissia, even Blizzard, will always have safe passage into and between my haven realm and yours if you so allow ours to touch. This is extended to this new Briarius as well."

This had, in effect, already been done.. the Headmaster could feel the connection to her run keenly through him from his earring. Here her words stopped though the elder god, and only him, could feel her thoughts..

~Though I do suspect that they will eventually have to become one again at some point. I understand now what you did. You are much older, smarter and more powerful then I in many things concerning magick. You have earned that right long before I ever thought to try. Even so, and with all respect, you are not all knowing of everything in every realm of existence, every timeline nor every universe. Neither am I... Yet I do not lack a certain amount of wisdom. I learned this from Pyriathin. Thus, I must say this.. This thing with him ..... like this...~

Her gaze darted between the two Briarius' and back to the elder God.

~...it's truly dangerous. It is something I am aware of keenly. Creating a new soul or wiping memory from it, even blending it with another or even taking a small portion to split temporarily... well that is one thing. Splitting up the soul evenly to start over with one is another matter! The soul degrades.... It's like cloning too many times will eventually degrade the physical aspects, which can be true with souls. It was a dangerous risk. I suspect that future circumstances teeter upon that decision. I know it must not be repeated not only for his sake, but that of others and perhaps even yours and mine. This is why I must insist this... ~

Her words were being spoken again.

"Please respect me here as I do have my reasons... Should any of them - Briarius, D'Shara, Alec and Larissia, wish resurrection rights be allowed, I will not completely deny from my end, but I will decree your approval is needed in addition; that we must both be in agreement to their resurrections, reincarnations and/or manipulations of their souls should circumstances happen that would call for it; that we must be sure that the soul of Briarius, all of them, do not split again like this nor that the return of his soul and the others souls, to the material realms, are allowed to happen too soon or without our divinations and approvals first to be held in check until such time as we agree to drop this decree upon them."

Serious. Clearly, she was not wavering nor backing down with this. Eversmart could sense the underlying tones of a certain budding godlike figure beginning his trek in the realm of the gods who should not be left too much on his own. She hoped her firm plea would suffice. Was there a plea? Yes, there was hidden beneath firm unwavering sapphire hues. She hoped she'd done this right. She truly had her reasons, yet she understood her place in the grander scheme of immortal existence... and the fact that Eversmart also held strong over that budding power, too. They needed this agreement.

"Agreed?"

The Elder God of Magick smiled at his so young counterpart while he continued communicating silently.

~The "forget and move on advice" was because I know Briarius Ravensheart and know that he will slightly rebel against that advice and do exactly what I want, which is what you said.

As far as his soul degrading, the version with me is now a god of Kadorasil as will D'Shara, Alec, Larissia, and even Blizzard will be. They will be the future of the realm. There will be a third child born here in Kadorasil and that child will be wicked. Once this comes to pass, the three children will create life once again and the realm will be populated. Once this comes to pass, I will take my place obscured by legends. Only truly worshiped by my one race, Elves.

Which brings us to the Headmaster. He is the Primal being for Kadorasil. He is the only life I have created. His quest on Exodii was so that he could get the divine power to keep his soul from degrading. If ever he dies, he will rejoin with his godly counterpart.

As far as resurrection goes, I will not deny it, but I doubt they will want to leave the family that will exist for all eternity.

I will also reward those souls who helped my return by facing Erique with Sha'uri. When they die wherever they exist now, they will be brought into the pantheon. Kadorasil will exist again, but not for several millenniums.

So, in a sense we are agreed?~

~...Once this comes to pass, I will take my place obscured by legends. Only truly worshiped by my one race, Elves.~

As the Elder one spoke in her mind, more truths were revealed in the implications of his words. Many connections were illuminated to her. She understood as the Headmaster moved slowly for the door, and understood how stubborn he was as he was showing it even then. How some things just didn't change...
She also understood that the Elder one had just played her. Her smile matched his and could leave one to wonder of who might've really played who, but it was all good.

Indeed she knew something wicked this way would come....

~Agreed.~

The Elder nodded and closed his portal. He knew that he may have finally earned the rest he wanted for so long.


Meanwhile, the Headmaster had made it to the door and was following where Cadence had gone. When he saw the figure looking into the window, he summoned his mantle of magickal energy.

"Hold where you are! I am Briarius Ravensheart, Headmaster of this Academy. Who are you and what have you done wi..."

His voice trailed when his divinations showed that this was Cadence.

"...Mistress Maycom?"

The Headmaster, not being one to be completely ignored in his own Academy, began to summon the powers around him. Small pyramid shaped objects began to glow black as the snow melted off of them. Additionally some could see that parts of the buildings in the Academy and all of the Headmaster's home glowed black. Beings sensitive to this sort of thing, could feel that Ravensheart Academy was becoming isolated and all portals began to fail or collapse.

"Perhaps we can do this the civil way. I am Briarius Ravensheart, Headmaster of this Academy. To whom do I owe the pleasure?"

Meanwhile... back in Lyndra's room...

She watched the Elder one, blowing him a kiss before he closed the portal. Then she turned around and followed the direction of where Cadence went. She was just in time to see Briarius yell at Cadence before he realized it was her. With her, she knew it was Cadence, but it took her a moment to realize that Cadence looked different. That was a split moment before the girl took off the Academy pin and tossed it on the ground just as she dissappeared with the ... gentleman dressed in black.

"What in the Abyss?"

She glanced around sensing the closure.... Sapphire hues narrowed on the Headmaster as her hand promptly came down on his shoulder to clasp it firmly yet gently pull him to turn and look at her. A catlike grin eased along her lips, more like the Cheshire grin of a cat ready to pounce its prey.

"Yer not planning to try the omnipotent crap on me are ye? There's no need to imprison me here if ye want me to stay. Just ask. I might even share your bed if ye behave like a good boy...."

Amused, she winked, though she wondered if he was going to keep the place so closed off.

"Seriously, it's not good for business to entrap the students here."

Nodding to the children milling about the compound, knowing some of them would soon be wanting to go home. To her, it was obvious this pocket dimension the Academy was in was now being isolated.... The city outside the grounds was beginning to look thin as the portals were closing and the isolation was becoming obvious. Her tones softened.

"Come.. Briarius. Let's go inside and talk. You've been through a lot. I understand. Just let them go and we'll sort it out. It's why I'm still here."

The sapphire glow of her eyes sparkled just a bit. Indeed, Sharilis was still here..

"I would not leave ye."..........and so was Lyndra.

The Avatar watched him walk away and she whispered with a grin.

"New Bri, old Bri...doesn't matter. Just as stubborn as ever."

Then she followed him, walking to stand beside him while he was studying the pyramids.

"Cadence will be all right as well. I think I'll be okay, too...."

She could offer to help him understand it, already sensing the layout of magical energies were not much different from the way it sparked in Ravensheart Castle. The Avatar had the memories and know how. However, understanding Bri's stubborness to figure it out on his own, she didn't offer.... merely was waiting for him to ask.

Unfortunately, it gave her a moment to think about herself. The adjustment had been swift and really she had no choice but to let the Godess assume what control she would. But as things settled and she had time to pause, to breathe and think, control was being given back to the one more known as Lyndra.

Sapphire hues faded, leaving the hazel green. The whites of her eyes seemed to have a very slight tint of baby blue. It was not blatent, but if one looked at them for longer then a few moments, they would notice the blue laying dormant. Her hair, however, remained the silvery blonde hue.

How different she felt! The power she'd felt was phenomenal. She'd never known so much, felt so much or heard so much... She was glad the voices faded, became subdued in the background of her thoughts. In fact, it made her feel very weak and unsteady..and dizzy.

"Bri?" sickly uttered.

...... the world spun round and she passed out.

Students and other staff members watched curiously as the Headmaster guided the unconscious blonde back through the compound. Rumors were buzzing through the school as classes let out and other students saw the headmaster guiding the limp woman, some actually seeing him take her into Lyndra's room. There were some in the hallways who had actually seen them as they came out of halway where Lyndra's bedroom was and watched as they moved out of the building, witnessing the appearance of a dark figure that took away some strange looking woman.

That's when the rumors started that the headmaster scared the Head of House out of her wits, making her hair turn white blonde like that and turned the cleaning woman inside out, who then involked the dark spirits calling on the powers of the Abyss which only took her away instead. Others said Lyndra was possessed by someone else, maybe one of the headmaster's ghostly friends. Still, others said it was because the two were performing strange rituals in her room, invoking the powers of the gods and she passed out because she was pregnant.

Then there were the rumors of the cleaning lady who had been secretly performing dark rituals because of the spiders she always let live and how she was always talking to the spirits as if they were her best friends. the rumors went on to include invoking dark spirits, which the headmaster had to come call on the gods which burned the cleaning woman to death while something else was let into the realm and then escaped by calling the hellish powers to rescue her.

Some even included rumors of how Cadence secretly gave birth to zombies that had been running rampant around RhyDin, which was based on the fact the woman came from the dump where some said the zombies came from. And other rumors held that the poor cleaning woman merely gave herself up to the abyss as a sacrifice to save others, that she really wasn't bad, just misunderstood.

Some even said the Headmaster was secretly the Abyss and had tried taking the two secretly as wives and the two women had a fight over the headmaster... Cadence went screaming back to the abyss, which was an ironic viscous circle. There were many other rumors, but those were the most popular ones. In any case, the rumors were certainly out there.

Lyndra felt herself being lowered onto her bed. She opened her eyes just as her body sank fully into the cushion. She reached out to try and grasp the headmaster's arm but her consciousness was short lived. Her eyes closed again and her body slumped down into the soft cushions again.

Sparks ignighted from a few feet away from Pyr. The burst was only about a foot in diameter, sparks were harmless. It left a magical glowing ball hovering in its place. A familiar face, that of his former wife, materialized within it. Her soft sultry tones whispered to him.

"Pyr.. ye're a bit late, Luv. I'm fine. Just had a face lift is all. Amazing ye showed up at all. "

The face changed from what he remembered, though not so very much. Her brows knit in anger but otherwise she was just as beautiful. She had the appearnce of Lyndra, if he ever met her.

"Where were ye during the one hundred and seventy three thousand other times I called 't ye, Hmm? I wasn't even callin ye now, merely said yer name. Now ye show!"

Her eyes flaired with sapphire flame, hands thrown up in the air.

"Go home. I need rest. Here is nae the right place fer this.... I'll allow ye 't enter my domain. This place ain't it. Ye know where.. Ye've been there before. Find it again, Pyr."

The orb popped and vanished from sight. It would be very plain to him that she was in her heavenly domain... presiding over Exodii. Indeed, he had been there before, once upon a time in a swim through a dream. He'd been there many times before.