Everyone was a bit nervous with the giant serpent moving along its merry way around the base but it never caused any trouble. It curiously poked its nose into everything but there was nothing aggressive about its behavior. In fact, when it wasn't sniffing in pockets or poking around cabinets it followed Bryan like a baby duck. Bryan patted and rubbed its head. That only encouraged friendly nudges from it.
"You're not going to hurt anybody are you." Rachel said. She too patted its head and the big snake snuggled against her too.
"Well it sure seems friendly enough." Launchpad said. "Not like those ones back at the factory." He wasn't scared, per say of it but still wary.
"This is so cool!" Gosalyn said. She jumped on its back and walked up its coils to its head. The White Snake didn't protest at all. Quite the contrary it actually lowered its head and opened its hood, giving her a wider surface to stand on. "Higher!" Raised itself up and she used its long back as a slide. The snake let her do that several times before tiring of the game and sticking close to Bryan.
From then on it only obeyed his command unless ordered to do otherwise.
"I have so got to try this!" Rachel slid to the floor where the crystal shards still lay.
"A most interesting phenomenon." Darkwing said thoughtfully. "This must be carefully observed so that I may better understand how tiny, insignificant pieces of fallen monsters can create an ally." He rapidly gathered several bits of odd equipment and sat close, carefully watching and monitoring the equipment.
Rachel fiddled with the pieces for some time. She looked them all over carefully shuffling through them like she were putting together a very complicated puzzle. Launchpad looked over her shoulder but didn't say anything. Bryan respectfully kept his distance and Gosalyn kept trying to get the Spirit to play with her or at least do something cool. Rachel had stopped listening to Darkwing's mutterings as he watched. Sounded like was trying to sound smart as he watched her work and worked out theory after ridiculous theory as to how it was possible. She wanted to point out she and Bryan had seen all sorts of impossible things, including talking superhero ducks that ride motorcycles and have secret lairs in bridge towers.
"Find anything yet?" Bryan asked.
"I think I'm on to something. These few here I know are all from the same kind of Dream Eater. These," Rachel gestured to some that he had collected. "Also feel like they should be together. And when you put some of these to each pile something just feels right about it. But I still think something's missing from this one. That might change when we get more."
Finally after a bit more shuffling Rachel found a combination that felt right for her. The second she decided that the pieces were perfect, they glowed just like her brothers' had. When the light faded another huge Spirt took the place of a pile of crystals. Only this time it was a beautiful unicorn, like the ones she'd encountered in the Phoenix Forest. The UniGlow lay on its side, head hung down and ears laid back peacefully as it dozed. Only when Rachel gave it a nudge did it wake up. They locked eyes for a moment then the Spirit stood up. It was much prettier than its Nightmare counterparts by a long shot. A Nightmare UniGlow was mostly black and dark browns with contrasting markings of dark magenta. But the Spirit was a lovely teal with a turquoise mane, pink stockings on its front legs and blaze on its face and golden cloven hooves.
Darkwing's machinery had gone crazy when the magic happened. It spewed out miles of graphs and charts and readings. He muttered and exclaimed all sorts of big scientific sounding words but was ultimately saying nothing. His confidence would suggest he understood the phenomena as easily as understanding why a red sock in the whites is a bad idea. But neither Rachel or Bryan were fooled. He didn't have a clue how what had just happened was possible. But everyone was in agreement that if the Spirits were supposed to be able to combat Nightmares they would be invaluable in a fight.
Rachel and Bryan were understandably excited about the discovery but couldn't try to make any more. They'd expended most of their collected shards. But from now on they would certainly start hoarding them like how a crow gathers shinies. The UniGlow stood face to snout with Rachel, nickering softly and asking for pets.
"She's beautiful," Rachel breathed, gently touching the curved horn with her fingertips. The Spirit held its head a little higher with an air of dignity. "And a diva by the look of it."
"Gee gear! This is way too cool!" Gosalyn climbed up on the back of the couch and jumped onto the UniGlow's back, hoping to engage it like the White Snake. The Spirit, however was having none of it. It stomped around, twisted its head around as far as it could and nickered at her, very annoyed. This Dream Eater had a very different personality than serpentine counterpart. Gosalyn immediately jumped off. "Easy, easy. What's wrong with it?"
The unicorn marched over to Rachel's side and tossed its head like had been insulted and expected Rachel to do something about it. The key bearer rubbed the UniGlow's muzzle and it was comforted.
"You've got the personality of a true diva, don't you? No one's gonna make you do anything you don't want, are they?" Incredible. Rachel laughed quietly to herself. She'd thought to herself a long time ago how every little girl dreamed of being a magical mermaid, a fairy princess or having her own pet unicorn. Now, at a point in her life where most others would have stopped dreaming, she finally had all three.
The UniGlow shook its mane and leaned in for another pat.
"Hmmmm, what am I going to call you?"
"What do you mean?" Bryan asked. "It's not like it's a pet horsey or anything."
"I know that. But I expect they'll be with us a while so it just makes sense to give it a name." The Spirt looked at her with unmistakable eagerness. It were certainly intelligent enough to understand what she was saying. Rachel looked her over again. "I think I'll call you…Fantasia."
"After the last world?" Bryan asked. "Really?"
"What's wrong with that? That's where I first saw one of these. And the word just sounds so magical, like the UniGlow. Fantasia, like fantasy. What are you going to call him?" Rachel gestured to the serpent.
The White Snake looked at Bryan from its curled up position at his feet like a puppy expecting to be let out. It flicked its tongue at him in a friendly way.
"I'll have to think about it."
