As the two flames slowly drifted upwards into the vortex between the two worlds, what they knew as reality began to melt around them. The space confining the two souls lost its color as it turned to a stark white canvas. Drifting within the endless white one of the two travelers could not help but marvel at the transition,
"This space really gives off a strange feel." Nodding slightly, his red haired partner gave him a look as if she were expecting more. Taking the hint he continued, "it feels as though we have been floating here for eternity, but we clearly haven't been here for more then a few minutes….. Its surreal." Sakai Yuji turned his head, trying to understand the stark white world.
"It is the dimension between worlds, we should be careful not to lose our way in this plain, for it would certainly lead to an eternity of wandering." Alastor's clear voice rung out from within the pendent around Shana's neck. Shana, subconsciously heeding Alastor's words, increased her grip on Yuji's hand.
"You may say that, but where exactly is the exit? I can't feel any Power of Existence at all; it's completely empty here." The Flame-Haired-Red-Eyed Hunter shook her head in confusion before continuing, "Yuji, you created his world you should know where to go right?" Half feinting annoyance, she looked over to Yuji.
"Even if you say that… I didn't play much of a part in the actual creation. That was mostly The Snake of Festivals work, but I have a feeling if we keep going straight we should reach Xanadu soon enough. I hope."
"You hope?! What are you doing to do if we get lost?" Shana shot back.
"Ehh…. well" However before Yuji could finish his thought the two of them where overcome with an extreme sense of vertigo. Color quickly filled in the white world around them as gravity quickly took over their weightless floating. With the ground rushing up below them, Yuji could only let out a short scream before he was yanked upwards by a quick flap of Shana's wings. He let out a sigh of relief,
"Thanks Shana." Smiling brightly up at her.
"What do you expect? But it clearly looks like you to train more." She laughed out, half chidingly.
"That's probably true," Yuji said suppressing his own laughter. As Shana slowly lowed herself and Yuji to the ground, they where met with a massive, almost endless, green field. Shana could help but look out in wonder at the eerily perfect field.
"Where are we?" She quickly received and answer.
"Misaki City…. or where should be." Yuji was unable to hide the sadness in his voice. To Shana it sounded as though he had lost a part of himself.
"Yuji" She whispered, but before she could continue, Yuji cut her off.
"I know…. I knew full what it meant to leave the old world, but seeing nothing but a field stand where the city I grew up in, where so many memories exist, gone….. It really is more of a shock then I would have thought." Yuji's sad gaze floated along the field, were even the Mana River did not remain. An overwhelming sense of loss gripped his soul as he continued to stare out over the field seemingly endless field.
Shana, sensing his grief, quickly searched for the right words to console his hurting heart. However, Shana was not the first to break the heavy atmosphere but instead Alastor spoke up.
"Why not leave some sort of memorial or object signifying the existence of Misaki City, Sakai Yuji? I am certain that it may help to ease the loss." His calm yet strong voice helped to rouse Yuji from his darkness as he slowly turned his head towards Shana.
"Un" Shana nodded in agreement not missing the chance Alastor created, "focus on something about Misaki City that makes it special to you and use that image to create and Unrestricted Spell." Shana smiled sweetly towards Yuji.
"What makes Misaki City special…?" He trailed off. Noticing his confusion Shana continued.
"You know like a location, an emotion, or even a person. Come on, there has to be something that defines Misaki City to you." Shana looked expectantly at Yuji's still confused face.
"Even so there are just so many things that that city held, which are important." He said as his mind was a blur with all the memories from early childhood to the events of the past year and a half. Each one held significance some more then others, but even so they all held significance to who he was as Sakai Yuji. However he soon came to a realization.
Shana continued to stare at Yuji as he deliberated, however she decided to allow him to find his own memory, as it would be important to the success of the Unrestricted Spell. Very soon, however, Yuji's eyes opened and as a solitary tear rolled down his cheek he released the Unrestricted Spell. The air stood still for a moment as the spell insignia formed before being rapidly forced out as the spell insignia expanded over the lush green field. Shana and Alastor stood silent in amazement at the sheer size and energy of the Unrestricted Spell. Soon the ground shook mightily as the spell took effect and a gap, some fifty feet away from the group, opened up. With in that gap, water flowed forth with the power of Yuji's Unrestricted Spell. The sculpted banks of the newly formed river where soon to follow the rush of water as the massive Unrestricted Spell ran it course.
Shana stood in utter shock near the bank of the newly formed river, only now coming to recognize the significance of the river.
"The Mana River." As the words slowly and almost silently left her lips, she noticed the surface of the water looked somewhat strange as it gave off an almost other worldly glow. Before Shana had any more time to contemplate why the water looked so strange Yuji cut into her thoughts.
"You would only be partially correct. The image, or memory, I used to create this," as he pointed to the river, "was that one morning when you pulled me out to the river bank to look at the sun rise over the city. Its' probably why the water looks odd as it was suppose to reflect the look of the morning twilight at that time." Yuji softly smiled feeling that content with his monument. Shana however was still silent as her face turned darker and darker shades of crimson. "Shana?" Yuji questioned, "you alright?" Trying to hide her embarrassment she quickly stuttered out,
"Oo off course!" She paused for a moment, "I'm just a little happy that your defining memory of Misaki City was something we experienced together." Sneaking a glance over at Yuji she noticed the massive grin on his face. She backpedaled quickly, "d-don't get too ahead of yourself only it was only a little bit." Having long gotten use to Shana's habit of hiding her emotions, however how poor at it she was, Yuji could not help but laugh. "Shut up shut up shut up!" She shouted at her partner pouting slightly before breaking out into laughter herself. After what seemed like minutes, clearing his metaphorical throat, Alastor spoke up,
"While we certainly now have plenty of time now, we still have much work to do in this new world. As such we should start moving. Meeting up with The Manipulator of Objects and the other Flame Haze who chose to travel to this world should be our top priority for the moment." Both Shana and Yuji nodded in agreement at Alastor's suggested course of action. "The Tendo-kyu shouldn't be far from here," he continued, "heading there first would be the best course of action." Shana nodded her head once again.
"We should be able to track it fairly easily, however this world really is saturated with Power of Existence. Its kind of hard to sense anything here, but I guess that was the point." Shana noted turning her gaze west she continued , "I feel a pretty significant source of Power of Existence coming from over there. We should probably start there." She turned her eyes back towards her partner "Lets go, Yuji!" She smiled sweetly, before turning west.
"I'll be just a second Shana." Yuji said looking over his shoulder before refocusing his gaze on the river.
"Just don't take too long, as Alastor said we should get moving." However she really had no intention of rushing Yuji as she knew just how difficult it is to leave a place that was once home.
Staring longingly at his own replica of the Mana River Yuji could not help but feel a peculiar mix of emotions. He felt earnest joy that Misaki City would not completely disappear from the memory of this world once those who actually knew of the cities existence passed. However at the same time he felt unmistakably lost now that he had in a sense, lost his anchor in the world. It was certainly something he had resolved himself to face, but the reality of seeing the open field was much more powerful then expected. Thankfully, to him, Shana's existence was more then enough to fill the void that was left by the departure of his city and everyone in it. Realizing this he wondered at how he ever would have been able to survive had he followed through with his original plan. Before turning to join Shana he took on long glance over the recreation of the Mana River.
"Mom, Dad, everyone even if you may forget about me, the time I spent in Misaki City will never be forgotten as it was truly important, it makes up my entire existence. Well I'm off then." Yuji couldn't help the slightest of smiles as he walked toward the waiting Flame Haze.
"Geez what took you so long, I almost got tired of waiting" Giving Yuji a very rare coy smile, Shana grabbed her partner's hand. "Come on, let's go together, Yuji!" Upon hearing her words the anxiety of leaving evaporated like water on hot day leaving his mind completely clear.
"Un, lets go we have quite a ways to go don't we?"
Authors Notes:
To be honest this could be a single story within itself might continue it might not depends upon how good my story planning is. Honestly haven't really written a real story is more then three years so I am more then rusty. Until next time.