This is reposted via Spacebattles. It takes the form of a quest, a type of communal story where other people vote on what they want the main character to do. Without the additional context from the forum thread, parts of this story may not make much sense, jump around, or stop abruptly.

Everything is dark, and wet. You can feel yourself moving through a long tunnel. Your consciousness is scrambled; you can't form a coherent thought. The only thing you know is that you're moving.

Light crashes onto your vision. You start to long for the comforting blackness over this whirl of colors. Along with the harsh visuals, you can hear sounds now too. Beeps, and loud voices, and someone is crying; is it you? The torrent of feeling and thought is a never-ending tidal wave. You start to become aware of your self.

You're not a formless nothing floating aimlessly anymore; you have a body. Arms, legs, head, torso. It feels familiar. You open your eyes like.. this?

A tear-streaked face is smiling down at you. She's so big.. or maybe, you're just small. You're not crying anymore, but you can't keep your eyes open. The sensory overload is too much, the shock of being too intense. You fall into slumber gratefully, hearing your mother's voice crooning somewhere above you as your consciousness fades.

"My baby girl.. Ginny.."

The image in your mind shifts, as does your perception. You're not a baby anymore. Instead, you're a girl with blazing eyes flying on wings of fire.

Time seems to flow irregularly for you. At some point, you've changed environments. From your vantage point in your mother's arms, you can't see much. She hasn't let you down since you came home. It is loud and noisy, and you are treated to many different curious faces poking and prodding you. It's annoying, and you try to bite any wandering fingers that roam too close to your face. It doesn't work without teeth.

You finally get some peace when night falls. You have a comfortable, worn crib to sleep in. Your mother is watching over you even now, snoozing on a chair opposite you. You fall asleep next to her comforting presence. Your dream takes you to an imaginary place.

Shana.

The name rises to your lips unbidden. That is.. no, was, your name. You're not a baby anymore- you're a young girl. You look down at your hands. This body feels familiar and comfortable, but at the same time, it's entirely alien.

You look at the world around you. You're in the middle of nowhere. A bright white expanse extends forever in every direction. The floor beneath your feet is hard. There isn't a sound to be heard anywhere apart from your own breathing.

You try to walk forward, but you're too clumsy. You don't know how to do it. You fall on to your face with an unseemly splat. You feel tears threatening to fall, but you resist the urge to cry.

An extended hand enters your field of vision. You look up to see.. yourself. She's smiling at you. No.. this is Shana, you think to yourself. Then who are you? You don't have an answer.

There are no words exchanged; there is no need. She helps you up, and leads you to another place. You look upon a younger Shana. You look at her questioningly as if to ask, is this you?

She nods affirmatively. The scene in the dream abruptly stops, and she turns to you. She touches her hand to yours. You can feel the question she's asking. Will you let me in? Shall we watch this together?

You nod tentatively, and close your eyes. You can feel her hands sink into yours. She's melding with your own being, and the scene before you changes in your perception from an interesting movie to a fond remembrance.

You recall being rescued at an early age. The scene shifts to your life at the Heavenly Palace. Even as young as you are, you're training to be a Flame Haze, like those who rescued you. From the very beginning, you were going to be the next Flame-Haired Blazing Eyed Hunter. It was the duty that defined you for most of your life. You don't regret any part of it.

The Power of Existence that resides in you is still present, even in this second life. Alastor said you were a 'Great One;' someone with a powerful destiny. Even if you hadn't become a Flame Haze, you would've had a great impact on history. You have no reason to believe it will be any different this time around.

It is good for you to watch yourself train again. With a new body, in a new world, you won't be the same as you were before. The part of you that doesn't understand any of this can't fly on wings of fire like you could. Not yet.

But the dream is already falling apart. You'll have to wait until next time to continue rediscovering yourself. You recede back into the corners of her mind, and rest.

Eat, sleep, relieve yourself; the days are a cycle of basic needs being filled. The waking world isn't nearly as wonderful as the sleeping one. Even still, some core part of you feels a drive- an ever-burning flame- to advance. To become independent. To learn.

You soak up the language spoken around you. Trying to utilize your mouth to talk, to say anything at all, is a lot harder than you would've thought. You can only make incomprehensible baby noises. You crawl determinedly, and struggle to stand. If somebody helps you up, you can keep yourself upright. Most of all, you try to equalize your experience in your sleep, with your experience in reality. You're so limited out here.

Your parents are impressed. Their little girl is so strong, to be able to stand at all. And so smart, she's already trying to speak. Your mother positively dotes over you. and your father loves holding you as well. Your brothers are not nearly as impressed.

If you're trying to stand, one of them will tip you over. If you try to speak, they'll laugh at you. It makes you angry. At the very least, the biggest ones don't pay much bother to you. It's only the ones that are small, like you, that seem to find you of any interest. You wish they'd be interested in something else. Their attention is always unpleasant.

The dreams continue. You carefully note the methods used in manipulating your power. Once you're more independent, you want to regain your former abilities as a Flame Haze. You would ask yourself why, but.. it just feels right. You wouldn't be you, if you weren't the Flame Haired Blazing Eyed Hunter. You won't let yourself dishonor the title, even if nobody knows it but you.

Soon, you'll run out of immediate goals to pursue, and you'll have to determine what you want, but for now; you don't need to worry.

Your first birthday is a big celebration with your family. Your brothers aren't allowed to be mean to you today, at least, not where your parents can see them. You think you're starting to pick out what people's names are.

You can't open your presents without help, but that's okay. None of it is stuff you want or need anyways. Mostly, this is an occasion for your mother. Your brothers are visibly disgruntled with how much she's enjoying spoiling you. You now have an enchanted set of glowing stars to hang over your crib as you sleep. It's very pretty.

You can feel the fusion of souls progressing after every dream. Your levels of thinking are becoming much more advanced from Shana's influence. Your eyes reflect the knowledge of someone much older and wiser than your appearance would indicate. If you continue this way, then by the time it is done, you will be an adult in a child's body.

You can sense the Power of Existence in yourself. Your contract with Alastor must not have been voided just because you were reborn, or you wouldn't be able to. Nobody else has any, to your confusion. Isn't that what keeps everybody alive? How can you have none? Things must work differently here. There might not even be a Crimson Realm.

You remember the incident at the Heavenly Palace. You see yourself forming the contract with Alastor, and defeating the creator of Nietono no Shana to prove your strength. The sword you would use your entire life is your prize. Your gaze lingers upon it longingly.

You want your sword back. You can make another one, you're sure of it. You wielded it for long enough; and your control over Power of Existence bordered on legendary. One day, you'll put forth efforts to recreate your favored Treasure Tool. It's a promise.

You remember your initial travels with Alastor. You reach for the pendant you always wore, but it's not there anymore. It makes you feel sad. You recall the first missions you undertook with Alastor. You're still very young, and new to the duty of a Flame Haze. Even though you had trained for it, it couldn't possibly fully prepare you for what awaited you.

You feel a sense of anticipation. Soon, you'll meet the person who changed your life, who set into motion the events that defined your place in history. Yuji Sakai, a Mystes, the holder of the Midnight Lost Child. The man you fell in love with.

The dream fades before the moment can be reached, to your disappointment. Maybe tomorrow..

You know everybody's names now. They get spoken often enough. Your brothers, from oldest to youngest, are Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George, and Ron. Your parents call each other Molly and Arthur, but all the children just call them Mum and Dad.

Ron is hardly any older than you are. He's only just learning to walk, and is loud and messy. He doesn't bother you much. Fred and George are twins, and are hardly ever apart. Most often they are the ones interacting with you. You think they just like to see how you react to different things. Pulling your ears, trying to tickle you, or pretending to throw spells at you with stick wands. It's made you a bit paranoid whenever you can't see them. It's odd that they don't bother Ron as much, but maybe they realize you understand more than he does?

Percy follows his two older brothers around a lot, but he doesn't seem to do much. Bill and Charlie are really close, and always off together doing things. You often see Percy prowling around the house trying to find them. You don't see much of either Bill or Charlie. They probably have better and more entertaining things to do.

You're determined to be able to move about the house all by yourself. It's just embarrassing having to be carried everywhere. This won't do at all. Your mother is supervising you closely. She knows what you're trying to do, so she simply watches, and waits.

You put one foot in front of the other, and walk. You fall on your butt in a graceless display. Your mother runs forward to hold you, but you're already levering yourself up off the ground. You don't cry. You get up. Your mother can only gape as you put all your determination into this single, deceptively simple act.

You put one foot in front of the other, and walk. As soon you can do it once, you can do it again. Bipedal motion goes like this. You know that if you can hone your instincts, you won't ever have to think about this again. You're moving across the floor now. You've taken several steps.. but you can't keep it going. You stumble, and fall into your mother's onrushing arms. She lifts you up and hugs you tightly. She's so excited about your accomplishment, she's squeezing hard enough that it's hard to breathe while she's talking rapidly. When she finally puts you down, you gasp for breath.

You use your newfound ability to explore the house, much to your mother's dismay. You've learned that she doesn't like not knowing where you are. She always keeps close tabs on you, but she at least seems to have resigned herself to the fact that she doesn't need to flip out if she can't find you.

You lever yourself up the stairs slowly and deliberately. It's a lot harder than walking, but it will be worth it to reach the rest of the house, formerly out of your reach. When you reach the top, you look for a room to go into. You choose the closest one.

Bill is in there, and he looks equal parts confused and annoyed at the interruption. He's reading a book. You pay no heed to his scrutiny and wander around his room, inspecting it. There's a poster of people riding brooms on the wall. One of them waves at you as you pass. There's a dresser against the wall that you walk up to open, but you're stopped by a hand on your shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Bill asks.

You turn to look back at him. "Just looking," you say. You go back to inspecting the pants drawer. A bit later your mother comes and drags you out of his room and asks you to repeat yourself. "Just.. looking..?" you murmur.

Those are your first words. You were unaware that was an important landmark, so you were surprised when your mother scooped you up in her arms and squealed happily.

Your infant brain is amazing at helping you decipher language, and your house is always filled with talk and laughter, so it isn't hard to learn. Your vocabulary isn't large, and your sentences are short and simple, but you can make yourself understood. You aren't even two yet.

Fred and George did magic today. They were apparently running from your mother and managed to turn invisible. It's something you'll be able to do too, eventually. You try to look for some kind of magical core you might possess, like you'd look for your own Power of Existence, but you can't find anything. You'll just have to wait until it happens.

You understand that Bill is leaving the house to train at a school for magic. Your mother and father both went there, and all your brothers will too. You'll be the last one. It'll be kind of irritating having to wait your turn, but at least you'll have plenty of first-hand knowledge about the place from your brothers.

Your second birthday party isn't as grand as your first. Just a dinner in your honor, and some new clothes from your parents. It's a nice atmosphere. Your home is absolutely filled with positive feelings. It makes you feel a little awkward. It's why you secretly appreciate your brothers being stupid sometimes. You know how to react to that. A swift bop to the head has claimed many victims since you first started utilizing it. Your brothers tell you that you hit like a troll. You just smile smugly at them.

It's an odd experience living through it again. At the time, what you were saying made complete sense. But now, looking at it in hindsight, you just sound cruel. You're just a Torch. It was true, wasn't it? He wasn't even a blip on your radar at that point. His flame would run out, and you'd forget all about him.

But his flame never extinguished. Part of that was just luck; what were the odds he held the Midnight Lost Child- but, you'd like to believe that the other part was simply his burning desire to exist. He never gave into depression, not like all the other Torches you'd seen come and go. He tried until the very end, and even then he still accepted his fate. When his flame rekindled, he was as surprised as you were.

He showed you the importance of having a name. A self. Your commitment to duty would never be in doubt, but from Yuji you learned that it was just as important to be someone. That no one could become an ideal; that even a Flame Haze was a person. It was a lesson that Hecate never really learned.

He's so in over his head at the beginning. He doesn't really appreciate the true scope of the conflict that you dedicated your life to, at least.. not yet. You see you and he collaborating. It was so infuriating in the beginning, that you were essentially dependent on him. You couldn't get your wings to work if he wasn't there. The feelings that arose interfered with your duty, made it harder to fulfill your purpose. You were very irritable back then.

Soon, the dream comes to a close with Yuji being rescued from Hecate's clutches. You still can't stand that girl. You could never figure out why Yuji sympathized with her so much. Maybe re-watching everything will give you some insight.. but probably not.

Your eyes are open, both literally and figuratively. You can make connections between important concepts, things that you generally took for granted before. It's an entirely new world for you, with an entirely new life to live. What are you going to do? What do you want? You'll have an answer to that soon. You know your dreams won't last forever.

Your mum has been wondering about your hair recently. She keeps wondering if you've been putting glitter in it. You haven't. Your hair is just naturally luminescent, like it was when you were in 'Flame Haze Mode'. Your whole family's hair is red, but only yours is the shimmering shade that catches the eye of all who look on it. You like it. It's the proof of your former life.

Bill brought back 'souvenirs' from Hogwarts for everybody on Christmas. You couldn't see what everyone else got, but you now have a tiny little animated cat plushie. It's soft and squishy, but it keeps trying to bat away your hands with its nonexistent claws whenever you pick it up. You thank Bill for the gift and put it next to your pillow. You like sleeping next to it.

The house is big compared to your tiny self, but you're determined to have the whole place mapped out in your head. Percy is sharing a room with Ron, the twins have their own, Charlie is alone now that Bill isn't here, and you have your own room next to your parents. You'll have your own bed soon. Your mother just keeps saying 'when you're older' when you ask for one. You don't like sleeping in a crib.

You made it to the attic one day and found an absolutely hideous ghoul-thing there. You'd always thought the twins were joking about that, but apparently they were dead serious. You most definitely weren't scared, and you are most definitely going to set it on fire if you see it again.

The kitchen is a place that is usually out-of-bounds. Your mother always yells at your brothers to shoo while she's in there. But apparently, she makes an exception for you. If you toddle in there while she's cooking, she'll plop you on the counter and let you watch. You try to pay attention, but cooking isn't really something that interests you. You usually end up daydreaming about the day you'll finally obtain some melon bread. You should start bugging Mum about that.

Your parent's room isn't nearly as interesting as you'd have thought, given how many times they shoo you out. A huge bed, pictures of everyone, dressers, a connected bathroom.. it's all stuff you've seen elsewhere in the house. Their bed is really comfy though.

The real secret place is the 'workshop' in the backyard next to the storage shed. It resembles a large red-painted barn. Your dad disappears in there often. When you followed him in one day, you caught a glimpse of a bunch of electric appliances before he kicked you out. You guess that because your family uses magic for everything, he finds the 'non-magical' methods interesting. Or maybe he's finding ways to combine the two.

Exploring everything is a lot easier when you're as nimble and strong as you are, comparatively to your size. You can climb the stairs with ease now, pull yourself on top of counters and boxes, and you're still small enough to hide under the sink. It makes you think.

You're starting to wonder on the effects of the contract on your reborn body. There's no way you should be as strong or as fast as you are right now, considering how old you are. As Shana, you were essentially 'remade' into a superior being when you made the contract with Alastor; that's why your physical abilities were so impressive, and why you couldn't age. Your regular self was 'erased' and you became a Flame Haze.

Will you stop aging after a certain point? You can't say for sure, but you don't think so. It's certainly a welcome bonus. You don't have to be stuck looking thirteen years old for the rest of your life, and you still get the superhuman abilities. You wouldn't be able to use most of your techniques without the enhanced attributes.

It will only become blatantly obvious when you're older, and only if you're not careful to show off. Then again, there might not be any point in hiding anything. They can probably come up with some kind of explanation involving magic that will satisfy them.

Your third birthday party is another fun day for you. The novelty of your existence has worn off for Fred and George for the most part. They still call you their 'favorite sister' and drop in to annoy you occasionally, but they've been a lot more independent lately. They told you they wouldn't prank you on your birthday, with the air of someone bestowing a great favor. You rolled your eyes in reply.

You've been stumped by script written here and there, and you've decided that's something you're going to fix, starting now. You'll bug your mother to teach you how to read ahead of schedule. She'll probably make Ron sit in on your lessons with you. You hope he won't be too insufferable.

Your time with Yuji continues. You learn a lot about living as a person during this time. Yuji's parents are very helpful in allowing you to understand your own feelings. Wilhelmina was a terrible role model in that regard. You also form a friendship with Kazumi. It's a little strange, considering how you were both after the same person. You're glad she was such a good person.

Konoe.. no, Hecate, steps into the classroom. It's so irritating. Hecate was always capable of things that seemed impossible. Her spellcasting ability was legendary. Only she could've made a puppet completely indistinguishable from a human. You should've gone with your first impulse and gotten rid of her as soon as you saw her. But you know Yuji wouldn't have stood for that.

Yuji trains so hard to walk by your side. Casting his first Seal- the mystery of the Silver flames, the appearance of Pheles and Johann. You remember how terrified you were when you thought Yuji might be gone forever. It almost makes you understand how Pheles could be so obsessed.

The showdown with Sabrac unfolds before you again. It feels like a lot of your battles came down to an opponent utilizing a flawed Unrestricted Method to gain unimaginable powers in exchange for a critical weakness. You never had to rely on any such thing. When Yuji and the others destroyed his source of power, you were able to match him head on. Sabrac is vanquished beneath your flames.

You feel a vague sense of dread as the dream comes to a close. The last one will be hard to relive. Though it might have turned out alright in the end, you won't relish fighting against Yuji again.

You take your first steps toward reclaiming Flame Haze status as you sit in the living room in a meditative pose. You reach into the fount of power residing in your soul. The feel of your own power.. it's the only Power of Existence you'll ever sense in this world. It reminds you of Alastor. The pool of energy you have to draw from is as vast as an ocean; the depth of the Crimson God's power is deep. Even in this second life, the Flame of Heaven is helping you out. It's a comforting thought.

It feels good. You're starting to feel more like yourself. It's just strange being so weak. With your eyes closed you breathe deeply, in and out, and materialize your magical fire. A tiny ball of flame makes circles in the palm of your hand. You close your fist around it, extinguishing the fire. You crack your eyes open, and see Ron staring at you, mouth agape.

"How'd you do that?" he asks incredulously.

"This fire is mine. So it's easy," you explain. He doesn't seem to get it. You don't think you could properly explain it in a way that he'd understand anyway. You make another ball of red flame and pass it from hand to hand. Ron's eyes follow its path through the air, but you don't pay any mind to him. You're concentrating on remembering the feel of your own power, and how to control it. You'll scale up your practice when you're more confident in your abilities.

Ron talks about your 'show' during dinner later. Some details must have gotten lost in translation, as he makes you sound like a pyromaniac. Your parents are both proud of your use of 'magic', but your mother also tells you not to burn the house down. You scoff at the notion. You only set things on fire that you intend to.

There's one less person in the house. Charlie is in his first year at Hogwarts now. The house isn't as noisy anymore. It's a little strange how used to the noise you'd gotten. It's still loud, but it isn't quite the same. You let out a sigh, and bump into Fred and George blocking the hallway. "Move it," you command.

They exchange a look. Then, wearing identical cat-grins, they say, "Make us."

You growl, and take an aggressive stance. Your eyes flash dangerously. You're satisfied when a flicker of fear passes over their faces. "Don't make me hurt you," you say magnanimously.

Fred frowns, and turns to question his twin. "Is this the same girl who named her plushie cat Mr. Meow, George?" he asks rhetorically.

"I think it is, Fred," George nods solemnly.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" you yell, an embarrassing blush on your cheeks. You knock them both upside the head a few times for good measure, then walk away determinedly without looking back. That's the problem with family. When you're living together, it's easy to find out embarrassing secrets about each other. You're pretty sure they knew exactly what your reaction would be, but they still did it regardless. Stupid twins.

Even when Yuji disappeared on Christmas Eve, you didn't freak out. You knew he'd resurface eventually, and you were right. He was.. different, when you saw him again. Even if he served as the vessel for the Snake of the Festival willingly, he still changed, and not in a good way. He had a cruel streak he never showed before. Breaking Margery's mind like that, making Kazumi cry, and beating you into unconscious all in the span of an hour. It was almost kind of impressive, but maybe he just wanted to make a statement. I don't accept you as a Flame Haze.

He never really understood that part of you until later, when you carved the truth into his hide yourself. You understood his position. As a Flame Haze, you were locked into an eternal struggle with the Denizens; it would never end without the intervention of someone like the God of Creation. Inevitably, you would get unlucky eventually and fall in battle. He saw your fate as pitiable, but he didn't realize that you would've been satisfied with that.

It's hard to watch this part again. That stupid chain Yuji put on you, locking away your powers after he captured you. It turned out okay in the end, since it gave you time to examine yourself. Why are you afraid? What are you running from? It was obvious once you thought about it. Yourself as a Flame Haze, and yourself as the girl who loves Sakai Yuji.. their desires are conflicting. You don't want to fight Yuji, but you have to fight Yuji.

You remembered Sophie and Shiro's words to you; about finding love, and being at peace with yourself. That you didn't need to separate the two parts of yourself like that; you're still just one person. You firmed your resolve and aimed higher. Strike down Yuji, strike down the Snake of the Festival, and find a different solution. Yuji chided you for being naive; that your resolution was too optimistic. The Flame Hazes who made their contracts for revenge, they would never stop hating Denizens. You disagreed.

That fight wasn't conclusive. You couldn't stop Yuji before he completed his ritual. Flame Hazes died by the score as the Bal Masque army marched onward to Misaki City. You would have one more final confrontation to stop Yuji from creating his new 'paradise.'

And your gambit was successful, albeit not in the way you imagined. Xanadu was created despite your efforts. Though you'd stopped humans from being consumed by Denizens in the new world, you learned that the Snake of the Festival could've undone it if he'd felt like it. Fortunately he was not dissatisfied with your 'alteration.'

Yuji was a idiot to the very end. Even after the Crimson God left him, he still felt like he deserved to be punished for all the lives lost during his crusade. He couldn't accept your forgiveness. You fought him one last time and emerged victorious. Showing him the depth of your love and devotion, he finally started believing he could be allowed to live happily. The moment when you kissed and he regained his humanity is the happiest you've ever been in your life.

You departed together for Xanadu, the new world. It was a joyous ending for you. You can't quite remember what happens next, and the dream is beginning to fade, but you can't imagine the rest of your life was anything less than perfect. You know you won't dream of this anymore.

You awaken, and a bright smile spreads across your face. You're whole again. Ever since you've been reborn, there's been a vague discomfort in the back of your mind. You'd become so used to it you'd forgotten it was there. Now that it's gone, the contrast is startling. As a Flame Haze, your self-image is very important in wielding your powers. A small child has only barely begun to form a 'self,' but you're not a young child anymore. You can feel nearly the full scope of your Power of Existence ready to be called to your fingertips.

You know what's holding you back from reaching the highest levels. You don't have a purpose. A Flame Haze needs to devote herself to something. Where you are right now, you don't really know anything about the world you're in.. but that's alright. You don't need to rush things, and you like where you are right now. The love of a family.. an ordinary family, is something you didn't realize you'd come to desire until it happened. You can wait until you're older to grasp the true state of the world. Then, you can ally with like-minded people and fight for the cause of righteousness.

You've finished your reading lessons with your mother. Your house doesn't boast a large book collection, but there's a fair amount of material for you to read if you want. It's not something that's a passion of yours. You seek knowledge for practical reasons. It's enough that you're capable.

Even though you spend a lot of your time training, you're still happy whenever you bump into the twins. They have a mischievous streak a mile wide that keeps the days fun. You can still be the victim of a prank sometimes. You are either very inexperienced at this sort of thing, or they're uncommonly good.

You favor a more direct approach. If you've been victimized by the twins, they automatically start running when they hear your roar of rage. Despite you getting them back every time, they still keep doing it. It's a fun game, not that you'll ever let that show. That would be way too embarrassing.