Chapter 3
In the morning when they woke, they found that they were on a vast wasteland of nothingness. The planet had dried up from a drain of the planet's life force. Any creature that had survived the initial drain had up and fled from the starvation and inevitable disease that follows a depletion as large scale as had occurred her. Thus, their hunger would have to wait.
:How do I even start healing something like this. They didn't exactly cover this situation in my training.: Gaea was profoundly disturbed at the sight that lay before her. :I don't think that all they healing power in the world can cure something of this magnitude. This place hasn't seen life force in so long, if I open up to it, it might suck out all of mine before I realize what is going on. Do you have the strength to control something like that Smallone?:
It took Athena a long moment to answer Gaea. Athena was no fool, she knew her own strength and abilities. She thought a moment then answered very cautiously. :Yes. The Element Earth will tell you what the planet will do, if you listen to it. The same goes for Element Water, if you listen, they will tell.: She wasn't sure if Gaea would understand what Athena was telling her, after all, she never got very far into using her talents to find this out for herself.
:Mother said something of the like to me once, she said that I would understand when I was older. I guess I am older now, now would as good as a time as any to understand.: Gaea had cried herself dry after her parents died, she no longer had any tears left. She only felt the sadness and emptiness of their absence.
It took Gaea only a brief moment to recall the evoking phrases that allowed her to tap into the currents of Elemental energy. She closed her eyes and opened up her second sight. When she opened them again she saw everything as it was in magical energies. The ground she stood on, along with the rest of the planet, to be the black color of death. As she looked up into the sky, she saw the currents flowing very far away. She took a deep breath and transferred her conscience over to her metal self-(a mental projection of one's physical self). She then sent her mental double up into the currents of Earth energies above the planet's atmosphere. She touched the largest current that was still close enough for her to reach and grabbed it. She tugged it all the way back down to her physical body and held on to it until she felt it flowing within her. After she was certain that the power would remain flowing into her, she transferred her conscience back to her physical self. When she opened her eyes again, she noticed that Athena was looking at her in a way she had never seem her look at anything before.
:What? Why are you looking at me that way: Athena seemed as confused as Gaea was. Yet she still didn't answer Gaea. :WHAT!: The mental shout seemed to wake Athena up from whatever day-dreamland she was in.
:Oh…nothing. It's just that, well, I haven't seen you like this I a very long time.:
:Like what?: Gaea began to feel annoyed and Athena could sense it, no use in trying to change the subject as she most often could.
:Happy. Really, truly happy. You always were the happiest when you used your mage gift. Now that you have it back…: Athena paused for a dramatic sigh. :It's like having the old Reana back.: Gaea was quite surprise to hear her old name again. No one had called her that in almost 10 years. As she thought about it, she really was happy. For the first time in a very long time, she was happy. There was a long moment of silence that hung in the air like a sheet drying on a clothesline.
:Well,: Gaea said, breaking the silence. :Shall we start?:
It was well after dusk by the time they finished restoring the planet's life force. They were both exhausted and starving. They hadn't eaten in 3 or 4 days, but there weren't even plants to eat yet. Those came tomorrow after the oceans, seas, rivers, streams and creeks that would provide a water source for the things that would grow and inhabit there. But at least the land didn't look the color of dead. Instead of glowing a dead blackish purple, it now glowed red, the color of life force, and not the green of vegetation or blue of water. For now all they could do was attempt sleep on an empty stomach.
In the morning when they woke, they found that they were on a vast wasteland of nothingness. The planet had dried up from a drain of the planet's life force. Any creature that had survived the initial drain had up and fled from the starvation and inevitable disease that follows a depletion as large scale as had occurred her. Thus, their hunger would have to wait.
:How do I even start healing something like this. They didn't exactly cover this situation in my training.: Gaea was profoundly disturbed at the sight that lay before her. :I don't think that all they healing power in the world can cure something of this magnitude. This place hasn't seen life force in so long, if I open up to it, it might suck out all of mine before I realize what is going on. Do you have the strength to control something like that Smallone?:
It took Athena a long moment to answer Gaea. Athena was no fool, she knew her own strength and abilities. She thought a moment then answered very cautiously. :Yes. The Element Earth will tell you what the planet will do, if you listen to it. The same goes for Element Water, if you listen, they will tell.: She wasn't sure if Gaea would understand what Athena was telling her, after all, she never got very far into using her talents to find this out for herself.
:Mother said something of the like to me once, she said that I would understand when I was older. I guess I am older now, now would as good as a time as any to understand.: Gaea had cried herself dry after her parents died, she no longer had any tears left. She only felt the sadness and emptiness of their absence.
It took Gaea only a brief moment to recall the evoking phrases that allowed her to tap into the currents of Elemental energy. She closed her eyes and opened up her second sight. When she opened them again she saw everything as it was in magical energies. The ground she stood on, along with the rest of the planet, to be the black color of death. As she looked up into the sky, she saw the currents flowing very far away. She took a deep breath and transferred her conscience over to her metal self-(a mental projection of one's physical self). She then sent her mental double up into the currents of Earth energies above the planet's atmosphere. She touched the largest current that was still close enough for her to reach and grabbed it. She tugged it all the way back down to her physical body and held on to it until she felt it flowing within her. After she was certain that the power would remain flowing into her, she transferred her conscience back to her physical self. When she opened her eyes again, she noticed that Athena was looking at her in a way she had never seem her look at anything before.
:What? Why are you looking at me that way: Athena seemed as confused as Gaea was. Yet she still didn't answer Gaea. :WHAT!: The mental shout seemed to wake Athena up from whatever day-dreamland she was in.
:Oh…nothing. It's just that, well, I haven't seen you like this I a very long time.:
:Like what?: Gaea began to feel annoyed and Athena could sense it, no use in trying to change the subject as she most often could.
:Happy. Really, truly happy. You always were the happiest when you used your mage gift. Now that you have it back…: Athena paused for a dramatic sigh. :It's like having the old Reana back.: Gaea was quite surprise to hear her old name again. No one had called her that in almost 10 years. As she thought about it, she really was happy. For the first time in a very long time, she was happy. There was a long moment of silence that hung in the air like a sheet drying on a clothesline.
:Well,: Gaea said, breaking the silence. :Shall we start?:
It was well after dusk by the time they finished restoring the planet's life force. They were both exhausted and starving. They hadn't eaten in 3 or 4 days, but there weren't even plants to eat yet. Those came tomorrow after the oceans, seas, rivers, streams and creeks that would provide a water source for the things that would grow and inhabit there. But at least the land didn't look the color of dead. Instead of glowing a dead blackish purple, it now glowed red, the color of life force, and not the green of vegetation or blue of water. For now all they could do was attempt sleep on an empty stomach.