Night World Lessons:
The week flew by, and while Serena and Ryan seemed to be making a strong bond in the Day World, they still hadn't managed to make the connection between their Day and Night World friends. The dampeners on their appearances still hadn't entirely been lifted, although day by day, the pair of them became even more attractive than before, and there seemed to be a new grace in their movements. A few noticed this in the Day world, but they had assumed that this was because of their new found friendships Ryan and Serena were blissfully happy, and it was evident to the world. Their training was going extremely well, school was as fun as it could get, their friendship blossomed, and they were both getting to grips with their magic.
Raksha and Kherron watched the pair of them carefully, and grew more and more proud of them as time went on. They were quicker than ever, grasping new skills and techniques quickly. There was precious little left that they could teach their young charges, and after that... who knew what would happen. They had many small concerns over their charges, which led to many a serious conversation.
*~*~*
"Kherron."
"Raksha."
"Kherron, what are we going to do about those two?" Raksha whispered, looking over the hall at Serena and Ryan.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't play stupid with me, Kherron, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Soon they'll be recognisable in the Day World, just give it a few more months, and they're exposed."
"Yes, but they are brilliant fighters, and they are cautious. You worry too much, Raksha."
"But they haven't found each other in the Day World... they need each other to fight well and protect each other..."
"What makes you so sure that they haven't?" Kherron lifted an eyebrow to look down on Raksha.
"Haven't what?"
"Found each other?"
"Kherron? Do you mean?"
"I'm not sure. But I've seen into Ryans mind, and I know that he has a friend in the Day World called Serena, and I'm pretty sure that its her."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Just little things about her, and her looks."
"Oh, that's all?" Raksha sounded relieved, something which excited Kherrons curiosity.
"What do you mean, that's all? Is there something else?"
"I was just thinking about the... the link between them."
"Ah yes..."
"Kherron, I really think that they may be-" she was abruptly cut off by Kherron.
"Don't say it. Even if it is true, they can't realise it. Not at all. They have their whole lives mapped out in front of them. They can't ruin it over this."
"But-"
"No buts. It must be done. We have to raise the wards higher."
"I have, I did it tonight. They are as strong as I can make them. But sometimes they may waver a little, thought they won't collapse. It can't be helped."
"As long as it doesn't make too many problems, its will be fine. We should start to see the differences immediately?"
"Yes. They should appear somewhat more platonic, although I think that they will still remain close."
"How long will the charms last?"
"About a year or so..."
"That should be long enough. For now, we just have to wait and see."
*~*~*
"Right, Serena, come on, into our practice court."
Serena, panting and wiping the sweat off her forehead, followed Raksha from their gym into a private practice room. Technically, students weren't meant to use this particular gym or the practice rooms, but Raksha had said that they had permission, so Ryan and Serena practiced in the Gyms every day. It was Saturday, and all the students of Circle Dawn had to come in for a full day of lessons and training, a bit like extra school. Serena didn't mind... she liked the extra practice.
Today had been a good day. They'd decided to do another staff fight, and after that Kherron and Raksha had joined them, to create a new exercise. This involved Serena and Ryan standing back to back, holding a fighting stick each, and clasping hands with each other with their non-dominant hands. Raksha and Kherron were not holding hands, and walked around them in a circle, attacking either of them every now and then randomly. Ryan and Serena had to know how to fight while holding onto one another. It was difficult, but a lot of fun, and Serena had enjoyed the session immensely. It was another form of meditation, Raksha had informed them, and Serena knew what she meant. It was a test of her focus and concentration, and now she felt calm and pleasantly tired.
"What are we doing?"
"What you've been waiting to learn for ages. Shape-shifting."
"Really! I'm ready for it now?"
"You've been ready for a while now. So come on, and sit down on this bench." Serena sat at one of the benches at the side of the practice room, and Raksha sat next to her. "This is slightly complicated, but I think you'll be fine with it. Most shifters have to hold an animal and learn its shape, but I don't think that you need to do that. It should be easier for you. You can just think of the animal your shifting into, and become that animal."
"Oh."
"So, let's get started. I think we'll just start with your signature shape first, seeing as you have to get used to this the most. This is a Snow Leopard, right?"
"Right."
"So, what you do is think of a snow leopard... you know what that is right?"
"I- I think so."
"Just imagine a regular leopard, but with white fur and grey and black spots. Focus on that image, and try to imagine yourself changing into it. Your hands and feet turning into paws... your whole self turning into a panther. Concentrate hard enough, and you should change..." And with that Raksha disappeared and in her place was a black panther. Serena swallowed her initial panic and tentatively reached out a hand to stroke her. She was beautiful... her fur was silky and black, her spots an even darker black against the rest of her fur. She withdrew her hand, realising that a panther was just a black coloured leopard. And a second later, Raksha reappeared. "...like this. See what I mean." Serena nodded. "Most people would also need to wear special clothes, or they won't reappear when you shift into human form, but I don't think that you'll have to worry about that either. What you need to do to change back is the opposite of what you did before. Imagine yourself as a panther turning back into a human, and imagine the clothes that you are wearing, and you should turn back. Now you try it."
Serena closed her eyes and concentrated. In her minds eyes, she saw a sleek animal, just like Raksha, but with fur the colour of pure snow, and spots of soft greys and black. Her tummy was white and her tail was long and springy... she focused hard on the image, but for a moment it seemed as if nothing was happening. Then, all of a sudden, she felt it. A tug from her inner self, and suddenly she was dissolving... her body was disappearing. For one blissful moment, she was nothing, neither girl nor cat, and then she fell into her new shape... her arms and legs shortening and a tail whipping around behind her. And then the tugging feeling disappeared.
She looked around and tentatively tried a few steps in her new form. It was amazing... there was nothing to get used to at all... it was just as if she'd always been a cat. Somehow she automatically knew how to move around in this form... and for a few moments she just ran around the practice room, jumping on some of the furniture, her tail lashing behind her. It was almost as if it were instinct, she knew exactly what to do... and she still had control over her body. Raksha held out a mirror to her, and, curious to see what she looked like, she padded over to it. She could see her reflection... it was just as she had visualised it in her mind. Her fur was creamy white, her eyes were a feral yellow/amber colour, and she had tufted ears and delicate whiskers on either side of her pink nose. But that was just on the surface. Serena could feel that there were more changes than just appearance. Her senses... they had expanded. She could hear the air moving around her... her eyes picked up the smallest details of the wood grained floor, her padded paws could feel every joint in the floor, and she could even sense the heat radiating off Raksha. She was also radiating... some kind of other signal too. Serena sniffed delicately, nosing around near Raksha, wondering what it was, when it hit her suddenly. She was a cat... a big cat. Her memory suddenly threw an image at her, of one where Raksha had told them that she shifted into a cat... and now she could sense it. That was a weird feeling.
After a few minutes of exploring her new shape, she turned back into human and turned to Raksha expectantly. Raksha, she noticed, looked pleased at her progress. "Well, that was quick! We're going to meet Ryan soon, and get used to knowing each other in your respective shapes, and you'll get a chance to explore your shapes then. Until then, let's just get on with your other shapes too, shall we?"
*~*~*
Ryan sat back, his eyes shining with triumph and excitement. "Wow! That was so cool"
"You did very well" Galen seemed surprised at his progress. "I've never known anyone take to any shape as quickly and as well as you have with all these shapes. We've now been through all of your shifting shapes. You are very lucky. Most people don't have this level of power, and This allows you to be able to train as a shape-shifter now. Both you and Serena will train together in shape-shifting. For now, you will learn to train alone, but later on, we'll give you any extra coaching that you need, between Raksha and myself." Ryan nodded mutely, still ecstatic over the thrills of shape shifting. "Come on now," Galen added. "Let's go back to the main gym, where you will meet Serena and start on your shifting powers."
Ryan stood up and followed Galen out of the practice rooms. This was his first session with his shifting trainer, and he had found that he had a wry respect and something like admiration for the blond man with green eyes as piercing as his own. He hadn't been too surprised to hear that Galen shifted into a leopard- the man seemed to have an air about him that just screamed 'cat'.
Galen also seemed to have accepted that Ryan was just a very able shifter. Ryan suspected that Kherron had something to do with that, and had probably used some sort of influence to make sure that Galen didn't accept him. He'd taught Ryan about mind control a week ago, and from what Ryan could tell, he'd done an amazing job. Testing the control on Galen's mind himself, he could sense that Kherron had laid an intricate spell, which meant that Kherron could lift the memory block whenever he wanted, and Galen would be able to remember everything except his suspicions when the spell was on him. Ryan was mildly impressed- it took a fair amount of power to lay down a spell like that.
Following Galen out of the room, he could see Serena and Raksha emerging from another practice room. They met with their trainers in the centre of the room, and Ryan tried a grin at his partner, who smiled back. Strangely enough, he found that his heart didn't flutter around her anymore. He was surprised... he'd thought that he cared for her... but obviously that was just a temporary infatuation. He shrugged it off mentally, glad for the fact that he wasn't attracted to her anymore. It meant that he could concentrate on his fighting, which was actually important, instead of thinking of her all the time, which didn't seem so important right now.
Looking up at his trainer, he saw something a bit strange. It looked like Raksha and Galen were having a conversation, but their lips weren't moving. Their expressions made it seem as if they were asking questions and responding, but there was no sound coming from either of them at all... could they be using... telepathy? Galen caught him staring, and started to address him, speaking out loud. "Right, so we think that it would be best if the two of you took a private practice room, and shifted into all your shapes with each other. Make sure that you know each other's shapes and what you look like in your various forms intimately, so that you'll be able to recognise each other if either of you change into a shape." He and Raksha followed Ryan and Serena into the practice room.
"Don't forget," Raksha added, "things look different when you're looking through the eyes of an animal. So make sure that you shift into every combination of shapes that you could possibly have, so that you will be able to recognise each other regardless of what forms either of you are. Learn the shapes, smells and characteristics of your partner... it's really important that you do. We'll be back in a while to see how you're doing." And with that, they were both gone, leaving Serena and Ryan alone in the practice room.
*~*~*
They were back an hour later. "Right, are you done?" Serena looked up, now in human form again, and nodded up at Raksha and Kherron, feeling Ryan next to her, shift back into human, get up and nod too. It was strange, but she wasn't feeling tingly just standing next to him anymore. The spark of attraction was gone... Serena knew she should feel sad about it, but she was actually glad. Now she could concentrate properly. And it seemed that Ryan had stopped feeling whatever it was too... so all round it was safe now.
"Good." Raksha walked into the centre of the room. "Because I have something new for you to learn today." She looked at them both seriously, but her grey eyes were sparkling. "Telepathy."
"Telepathy!" Serena couldn't help but gasp. She hadn't known that things like this were possible...
"Telepathy." Kherron confirmed. "The ability to talk to one another using non-verbal communication."
"This is something that you both need to be able to do, even when you're in animal forms, to aid you when you're fighting. It allows you to call the other when you need help, as well as plan attacks quickly and effectively. We can also teach you to shield your mind, or part of your mind, so that other people can't read what you don't want them to read."
"Wow." Ryan sounded awed, in Serena's opinion. She agreed with him. Who'd have thought that they would be able to access powers like these?
"So, let's begin." Kherron pulled over two chairs in front of him, facing each other, and sat down on a nearby bench. Serena and Ryan walked over to him and sat in the chairs. "Now," Kherron began, "Close your eyes. Even out your breathing, just like in meditation." His voice was soft and soothing, and for a few moments it lost its cold, harsh tone. Serena relaxed and fell into her meditation pattern. "Now, without opening your eyes, try and... reach for each other. Try and sense each other. Reach with your minds... you may find it easier to do if you go inside yourself and use a bit of your inner power... your inner shifting power."
Serena breathed in and reached with her mind. She couldn't describe how she did it, only that she expanded her mind somehow, letting it stretch around her until she could feel Ryan's presence, and she just directed a thought towards him.
*Hi*
Even as she did it, she felt a bit silly... thinking that she had felt someone's mind...
*Hi* Her eyes snapped open as she heard his voice in her head, and they widened in surprise as they met piercingly green orbs. He had heard her?
*Yes, I heard you* He'd replied again! He'd heard her thought and replied to her. His voice was... different. She knew it was him... it sounded like him in her mind, but it also felt different, soft, wondering. His voice was like a cool wind, rushing through her mind, it was gentle and precise, and it was... Ryan. She couldn't decipher it in any other way. It was just him, his essence. She could feel what he was feeling... and right now, he was... as shocked and surprised as she was. He was amazed at the feel of non-verbal communication, but he was enjoying it too. She tried to reach further, to get closer to him... but she found herself blocked. There was a shimmering white veil between their minds... preventing them from crossing it... she felt mild disappointment, but brushed it aside as he spoke again. *This is so cool, don't you think?*
*Yes* She couldn't think of what else to say. Her mind was reeling... deep in thought. In comparison to this, normal talking seemed pointless and broken. You couldn't tell what a person was thinking if you spoke to them. With telepathy, you could.
*I know what you mean. I could get used to talking like this. It uses so much less energy, plus you get to chat even when you're not supposed to!* He laughed mentally, and she got a mental image of a wry smile in her mind. She laughed too.
"Okay," Raksha's voice transported her back to reality, and the world of normal speech. "You guys certainly got the hang of that pretty quickly! But remember that you should be able to block your thoughts too. For instance, if I'd wanted to, I could have eavesdropped and even interrupted in your conversation just now. But you can easily stop that from happening by just using a touch of your power and send it with your thought, so that no one will be able to tell what you're thinking unless you want them to. Over time, as you get used to talking non-verbally, you'll get used to it, and the blocking will become natural, right Kherron?"
"Yes, that's right. And you'll be able to converse with any vampire like this easily, as well as a few other stronger Night World people. Never humans. All Night Worlders will be able to hear anything you say to them in this way, but some will not be strong enough to reply, or to communicate. And many people, even vampires, may not have the strength to telepath over long distances."
"Right," Raksha was saying. "We'll leave you alone for a while again. Now, I want you to get used to conversing in this way, and doing the same while you're in any animal form. I'll be back to check on you later.
*~*~*
Later turned out to be another hour later, but Ryan didn't mind. He was having too much fun exploring his animal shapes and telepathy with Serena. They'd found that they could communicate easily in any combination of forms and even when one of them was flying and the other was on the ground, or facing away form each other. When Galen walked in, Ryan didn't notice for a few minutes. He was too busy playing with Serena who'd transformed into a baby snow leopard. He was holding, stoking, tickling and playing with her all at once, and was talking with her mentally at the same time. She was so cute, he couldn't help noticing. She looked like a little kitten in this form... soft, white and fluffy. She was curious about everything and playful and clever... he couldn't resist messing about with her. Impulsively, he changed too, into a baby panther, and began to tackle and play with her as Galen watched on, unnoticed. Leaving them to it for a few minutes, he slipped out again, to call Raksha.
Meanwhile Ryan the baby panther was having the time of his life, chasing Serena around the practice room. He pounced on her playfully, and the two kittens rumbled one over the other, over and over, wrestling amiably with one another.
*No fair* Serena squealed mentally, as they stopped rolling over one another and Ryan ended up on top of her, looking down on her. Her voice sounded breathless and soft... inexplicably gentle and warm, even in his mind.
*Yes it is. I'm just better at this than you, that's all!* Ryan teased back, still trying to swipe at her playfully with his paw.
*Can we stop for a moment? I'm exhausted.* She was panting lightly, he noticed. He stopped pawing at her for a moment, though he didn't climb off her. However, it seemed to be a trick, for the minute he relaxed his muscles, Serena tried a swipe at him. Growling playfully, he pinned her back down with his paws, and felt her relax her muscles properly this time. He didn't release her from his grip though, and stared down at her. Her eyes seemed to a beautiful honey/amber colour, and they stared back at him. As he stared back at her, he felt something inside his mind lift away for a moment, and he was suddenly stuck by just how beautiful she was, even as a kitten. He couldn't help it. The mental phrase slipped out before he knew what he was doing, or tried to stop it.
*You're so beautiful*
He felt her freeze in surprise under him. Her eyes widened slightly in shock, and he felt her lose control on her power and she dropped back into her human form. As her cat form dissolved from under him, he panicked, and shifted into human too, and a moment, they were both in human form in the same position as before.
Looking down at her, he saw her looking like her normal self, her brown eyes flecked with gold staring at him with an emotion that he couldn't decipher. She was wearing practice clothes again, like him, and her hair was loose, her tumbling raven waves splayed over the floor right now. He could feel himself move up and down slightly as she breathed, and she felt soft and warm underneath him.
Still staring at him, she stopped her weak attempts at trying to get away from under him and just looked back at him. He could feel uncertainty radiating from her in waves, and couldn't help but stare back. She looked so vulnerable, even in a black turtle neck sweater and training suit trousers, both her hands pinned over her head by one of his hands. He felt instinct take over him, and his free hand moved up to her face and traced her jaw line. She shivered slightly, closing her eyes for a moment, before holding his gaze again. *You're so beautiful* he repeated mentally. Her warm eyes softened slightly, and he leaned down ever so slowly...
A loud click caused them both to look up in surprise. Raksha had opened the door and was coming in. The noise broke the atmosphere in the room, and Ryan scrambled off Serena and they both struggled to sit up and look as innocent as possible. He felt something shift back into place in his mind, and suddenly he could no longer feel the attraction to Serena again. What was going on? He looked at her, but she was deliberately avoiding his eyes.
*I'm... sorry* He hadn't meant to upset her.
*I understand... it was just a... a moment*
*Yeah,* he agreed, relieved that she knew it too. *I didn't mean anything by it... but I'm sorry that I made you uncomfortable*
*It's okay.* Her voice was calm and cool in his mind.
*Will we be... okay to work together?* He didn't want to break up their partnership.
*Sure.* It didn't sound entirely sincere, but it was enough for the moment.
*Cool*
"So, I want you two to start training together now, in your animal forms. Learn to fight against each other, and then when Galen and I return in about half an hour, we'll fight against you, so learn a few tactics too."
So both of them tried to cast the last few moments out of their minds, and focused on their work with grim concentration.
*~*~*
"So, as we can see, there have been several impressive lines of royalty within the Night World, each with their own extensive history, and they are all intertwined with one another..." Lupe Acevedo, the History teacher droned on and on. The whole circle was seated at desks behind her, and though they were all valiantly trying to pay attention, you could tell that they were all bored. Some passed notes to one another, while others were practically dozing off.
Seated at the back, in adjacent desks, Serena and Ryan were trying to pay attention too. However, they kept getting sidetracked, usually with the telepathic conversation that they were having.
*God, this is so boring!* Ryan's mental voice sounded bored to Serena
*No, it's not!*
*Really?* His voice was so full of disbelief and sarcasm, that a small smile spread across her face.
*Well, okay, it is a bit tedious, but it's better than the other history that we were learning before!*
*Can't disagree with you there. Why do they teach us all this stuff anyway?*
*Apparently we need to know it* Serena didn't have a clue either.
*I know, but why?*
*That is the million dollar question!*
*Well, at least we can chat through class and go undetected.* Serena nodded, knowing that he would see it. They'd managed to learn how to block eavesdroppers over the past few days of practice... and they both seemed to be taking full advantage of their new skill. Not that Serena was complaining.
"So, that brings us down to the current Drache royal family.." Serena picked up the words Lupe was saying, and immediately her attention was caught. Her family... they were talking about her family.
"Aren't there any princes or princesses... you know, children?" Someone at the front who was actually paying attention had asked the question. Serena sat forward, ignoring Ryan's mental chatter for a moment, her eyes riveted to the teacher.
"Well, no, not really..." Serena felt her heart sink, but Lupe was still speaking "It's funny you should ask... there was a rumour that there was a Drache Princess born to the current rulers, but nothing has been heard or seen of her since. People thought that she had been given up for some reason... but no one's ever managed to find her. She would be about sixteen now, I suppose. She was supposed to be born on New Years Day, on the stroke of midnight... or so the legend says." Serena felt colour flood into her cheeks at the mention of her birthday, and tried her best to look nonchalant, like the others. "Many people think that it is a myth, but some still talk of the prophesised princess, who was supposed to do great things for the Shifters. Of course, it's probably a myth, like the other missing Royals."
"Other missing Royals?"
"Yes, there is a missing witch princess and a missing vampire prince." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ryan sit up and stiffen slightly, but she was too busy trying to hear what Lupe was saying to care. "There was supposed to be a baby vampire, a Redfern prince born almost exactly a year before the shifter princess, making him about seventeen by now, and he too went missing... or at least that's if he ever existed. Anyway, no-one's ever seen him either... he's supposed to have special powers too... or something like that. Destined to be great... I think, were the words that were in his prophecy. And the witch princess... well she wasn't born to the Harmans, but she was prophesised about, just like the other two. She was supposed to be someone that wasn't a witch by blood, but someone who had the greatest witch powers of them all, hence she was given the title princess. But again, no-one like that has ever fit the description, and so I guess she, like the other two, were just figments of an overactive imagination. It's funny, isn't it- witch, shifter and vampire royals going missing all around the same time... they were probably just myths, the three of them. You know, just imaginary idols, people made up to give people hope for the future..." She paused, and the class was silent, all of them processing this information.
"Why were they given up?" another student piped up. Yeah, that's what I want to know, Serena thought to herself, unaware that Ryan was thinking the same thing.
"Well, if any of them actually existed... there could have been any number of reasons for them going missing. The rumours used to be that there was a dark power out to get them, and they were put into hiding to protect them. Whether that is true or not, no one actually knows. Now, onto the next topic of history- famous Night World Pioneers"
Serena sighed and resumed her conversation with Ryan, settling back into her seat again. The lesson had certainly given her some food for thought.
*~*~*
"Ryan, there's one last thing that we have to go through together before you'll have been introduced to all your powers."
"Oh?" Ryan looked up from where he had been stretching on the floor. "And what's that?"
"Shifting as a vampire."
"Oh, yeah, you said something about that."
"I'm glad you remember. Basically, you get a choice- you can be either a raven or a bat, if you choose to shape-change at all. Of course for you, it isn't entirely necessary, as you can already change into lots of animals, regardless of whether you are in vampire or human form, but I figured that you might want the opportunity.
"Of course I do!"
"The shifting is almost exactly the same as before. However, this time, you have to reach into yourself and use power from your vampire source, not your shifting."
"Oh, okay."
"And this time, you can pick either one or another, not both. So which do you pick?"
"Um... raven I guess."
"Fine. But before you start to change and explore this..." Kherron interrupted as Ryan sat down and began his meditation exercises, "There is something else I want you to know."
"Oh, what's that?"
"It's about your vampire abilities. They are naturally weaker in sunlight, and there isn't a lot you can do about it. Some full vampires use rings or talismans, but most are okay in sunlight. Either way, you have some human blood in you, so I think that you will be okay, but you may find that your vampire powers are weaker somewhat, in sunlight, so beware of that. It may even affect your other powers too... although I doubt it will. Not to mention that wood will hurt you in every form, although, of course, it won't hurt as much as it will when you're in vampire form. But still, you have to be careful. And..." He broke off for a moment.
"And..." Ryan prompted.
"No, it's nothing for you to concern yourself with now. You'll find out soon enough." Ryan opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it as Kherron gave him a stern look. "And I also wanted to let you know that we will eventually start your training as a prince. However, that will be a while in coming, probably in about a year or so. There is no need for it now, as you will be formally introduced at your parent's court at the end of the year, when you are seventeen."
"Eighteen."
"Pardon?"
"I'll be eighteen."
"Oh, I thought that you were a year younger than that. Does this mean that the rest of the circle are all seventeen now too?"
"No, I'm just one of the oldest in my year, as I was born on New Years Day."
"Right, I see. Anyway, enough chat, let's get on with your shifting."
*~*~*
"More Shifting?" It was a few days later, when Serena followed Raksha back into the private practice room that they had occupied before for their shifting lessons.
"Yes, I'm afraid so. You've learnt all your fighting shapes, and have nearly all of your powers mastered, but we still haven't gone through your heritage shapes yet."
"What do you mean, my heritage shapes?"
"Well, it's kind of complicated. The thing is, like I told you before, you have an Omni-changing power, and this allows you to change into any animal at will. There used to be shifters that had this power. They were known as dragons, and they could change into anything they liked, whenever they liked, as long as they had something to take an impression of. You have that power, but you won't need an impression for most things. Oh, by the way, Ryan doesn't know that you have these powers. You can tell him that you have a powerful gift, and can change into any animal at will, if you want, but don't tell him that it is because of your heritage. Just say that you were given a charm to help you with your shifting, and this was a side- effect. Now, let's get started. Just look inside yourself and meditate for now..."
Serena closed her eyes, but said "Hey, I was wondering... when do I get to meet my parents?"
For a long while, there was no reply, and Serena opened her eyes. "Sorry, did I say something wrong?"
"No, no..." Raksha hastened to assure her, but her eyes were guarded, and her voice had lost some of its enotion. "Um... I don't know when you'll be able to meet your parents... but it won't be for a while yet. For one, people don't know that you're around, and you could be put into danger if this is not done carefully. Another thing is that your parents are extremely busy right now, and for a third, you haven't actually had any formal training."
"Training?"
"Yes, to be a princess."
"Oh. When do I do that."
"Not for several months yet at least. We were thinking of introducing you at court around the end of the year, when you'd be seventeen."
"Only if I'm lucky..." Serena muttered. When Raksha looked at her sharply, she explained, "I'm one of the youngest in my year. I was born a second before midnight on New Year's Eve. Chances are I'd still be sixteen."
"Oh well, never mind. It shouldn't make a lot of difference. Anyway, I know they are anxious to meet you and catch up with you." she paused, thinking about something, and then shook her head. "But enough talk. Now meditate."
However, Serena had barely heard her, lost in thought with a lonely, despondent expression crossing her features. Raksha touched her shoulder gently, a warm maternal air surrounding her, although it was slightly guarded.
"Look, I know it seems hard to understand, but your parents gave you up for a reason. An important one. But they never really stopped thinking about you, not once. And they love you more than words can say. But you can't meet them at the minute because... you're not supposed to exist at the moment, and you could be in danger if you're exposed before you're ready, or before you get a real grip on your powers. Do you understand?"
Serena nodded, miserably, thought the load in her heart was lightening at these words. "They do love me."
"Don't doubt it, not even for a minute."
*~*~*
"Ryan," Kherron greeted him as he walked into the practice court where Ryan was practicing his fencing. "I just wanted to see how you are doing. You know, how you're holding up with all this."
"Oh, I'm fine, I guess..." Ryan didn't know what to make of this conversation. Kherron rarely cared about anything, much less how someone was coping with workloads. He just expected it to be done. But then again, Ryan had a different relationship with his trainer in comparison to most people. Ryan understood him, which was partly why they got on so well.
"Because," Kherron continued, "I know that it was a lot that you took on board, especially all at once. But, I have to tell you that I am really impressed with how you've coped with all this, as well as your amazing progress with all your newfound skills." He smiled at Ryan, a rare occurrence, but when he did, he looked much younger and more amiable.
"Um... thanks. But yeah, I'm fine. Nothing wrong. It just... makes sense, you know. All this, it makes sense. I feel like I have a purpose now, I belong somewhere. I have a home, a reason to be around."
"More than you know." Kherron muttered the words in a low voice, but Ryan heard him.
"What does that mean?"
"Nothing... nothing."
"No, tell me!"
"It's just that you do belong... in so many places... there is still so much that you don't know about... that you have to learn about."
"Like what..." Ryan's curiosity was piqued.
"There's no point going into it now... you can't learn it for a year or so anyway..."
"Oh please... I just want to know..."
"Fine. Alright." Kherron sounded tired and resigned, but he grinned at Ryan, who grinned back knowingly. Ryan could be very incessant when he wanted to be- most people couldn't refuse him anything for long. "Well basically, you know that there are two worlds, right?"
"Yeah, the Day world, and the Night World."
"Yes, and you live in both. Your normal life is kept in the Day world, but when you come to train, you are in the heart of the Night World."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, technically the Day World and the Night World exist together. We follow the same time scale, and you will find that all Night Worlders with only a few exceptions will live in both the Day and the Night World simultaneously. The Night World is more like a secret society that normal people don't know about. That's all. And we just charm our meeting places like this, so that people don't come anywhere near it."
"Oh, I see. So the Day world and the Night World are really one world, just that the Night World is more... elite than the Day World."
"Precisely. But... what you don't know is that there are actually another three worlds out there."
"What! More worlds?"
"Yes. Three of them."
"And I can live in those too?"
"I'm not sure." Ryan was surprised, he had thought that his trainer knew everything there was to know about him. "You might be, in the future, perhaps, but not at the moment. Now, you only live in the two that you already know about."
"Riiight...." Ryan was still confused.
"Now listen carefully, because I'm not going to tell you again for a long time. Basically, there are three worlds, the Enchantment Realm, the Mage World, and the Enchantment Realms. These worlds are like parallel universes, running alongside ours. Most of the people in those realms have no connection to those in the Day/Night world. But there are a few people... who can travel between the universes... and live in more than one."
"And I'm one of them?"
"Well you could be, perhaps. Like I said, we're not sure at the moment. Though, I do believe that you may have a connection to some of these worlds."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, as I was saying, there are people who can travel between these universes, but there are also other people, who, whilst being unable to travel between the worlds, do have an existence in these worlds..."
"So... I can go live in the other two worlds?"
"Sort of... you see... there are two types of crossers. The first type can travel between worlds, once taught how to do it. And they suddenly... appear in these realms. You see they don't exist in these other realms, and so when they cross, it is as if they have dropped out of thin air, and brought into existence. And when they leave that world, they seem to vanish. They have no self already in that universe to connect to, and so they just suddenly appear and disappear. They are quite rare, mind you."
Ryan considered this for a moment. "And the other type?"
"The other type... they have several... I don't know what the term is... I think forms or selves is the best word for it. Basically, they already exist in all these realms separately. I think that you may be one of these. As far as I know, you may have a connection to the Enchantment Realm and the Mage World... though I'm not sure about the Divine Realms. The problem with the Divine Realm is that you have to be a God to have access to it, unless you can find someone who has access and then travel with them somehow, and I am pretty sure that, talented as you are, you are not divine." He smiled at Ryan.
"What do you mean? I don't think I understand what you mean about having other selves."
"Well, when you were born, in the Night World, another person was born in the Mage World at the same time. If you ever cross worlds to the Mage World, you will immediately become that person."
"I become someone else?"
"No, that person is another form of you. It means that when you do go into your other self, you pick up the knowledge that person has, because that person has had a life, technically it is your life, and that knowledge gained from that life will be passed to you. When you cross to that world, you assume that persons body, and you combine yourselves. That sounds more complicated than it actually is, considering that each self is an approximation of you anyway. It means that when you move from world to world, if you choose, you can leave behind one of your selves to continue living in that world, rather than just disappearing."
"And my parents?"
"They may not be connected. I think that your parents are not able to cross into all the realms. So you were born in each world to several different parents."
"So I have real parents."
"More than most people!"
"I think I get it... what about the Enchantment Realm?"
"Well, the thing is, the Enchantment Realm is like the Night World in the way that it works alongside the Day World. The people who cross between it and the Human world can live in both, just like Night Worlders. It is like another elite group or society. And they have protections on their buildings and such, like us. But to cross from one building to another, you don't have to walk into a club, you have to pass through magical barriers, which transport you to the Enchantment Realm."
"But we transport to come here."
"No, most people don't. You do, however, because you are special, and people might see you going in and out. This is safer, and makes sure that you can't be traced here. Anyway, so in the Enchantment Realm, you will have someone else, another form, and you will slip into this person when you transport there. They will have a different name, and all, but you will become them. If that person comes back into the Human Realm, he will either come back as you, and turn into Ryan, or your two selves will split up, and then reconnect when you both return to that realm. But I wouldn't worry about that, because most people rarely leave their own realms."
"Oh."
"So even though I am one person, I actually have more than one body... more than one life, and more than one world?"
"Basically... Yeah."
"So, why can't I go to these realms now?"
"I told you, you can't. For one, we're not entirely sure that you are one of the few that are able to cross universes like that. And anyway, even if you were, it takes a lot of power to transfer from world to world, and slip into someone else's body. And it's not the type of power that you have yet. This power matures over time, and you need to let your power settle within yourself for a while. It may only take a year. It may take two. You have to wait and see. And don't worry about missing out, because your other selves will be living out there, and you will gain their experiences when you shift into them."
"Any more questions?"
*~*~*
"So, let me get this straight. There are lots of different worlds, and I am able to cross into some of them." Serena's eyes were wide open. It just seemed so... amazing. Just when she thought things were settled, and couldn't get any better or more complicated... they changed.
"Well, no, you are actually able to cross into all of them, I think, but let's keep that particular piece of information to ourselves, okay? But, like I was saying earlier, there are two types of time-crossers and you are the first type. When you first travel to a universe, you are just going to... appear in that universe, as if from thin air. After that, when you move in or out, you can either create a copy of yourself to remain in the realm, and you will just drop into that self every time you visit that world, or you will just disappear or appear."
"Oh, and I have all my powers in all the worlds?"
"Yes, your power is always with you, but I don't advise you to show them to just anyone in any worlds."
"And I'll look the same." Serena wanted to know.
"Almost... your other selves are just approximations of you as you are now... and this is only your human form, remember... you actually look slightly different as your true self, the princess. But we've already taught you about disguising yourself, so that you can change small things like eye colour and even hair colour if you want, so that people won't recognise you."
"Oh. I see."
"When will I start learning how to do this?"
"Well, you are strong enough to start learning now... and I can tell you what to do... but I can't come with you into all the worlds. Only the Night and the Day Worlds. So I will tell you what to do, but practice it without using magic first, and then one day, when you're alone, try it. But be careful, because if something goes wrong, I can't go out to help you. If I were you, however, I would only start off with one world... and then give yourself a few months to adjust to it before starting another one, otherwise your magic may not cope."
"Well okay. Can we start soon? Like.... tomorrow?"
"Sure. But then we may as well start with the easier things first. For instance, I can teach you how to teleport between here and the Day World, without the use of a necklace... so that you can do it when you want or need."
"Cool."
"Yeah, but keep the necklace, just in case you have to prove who you are as a Night Person one day. Don't let it out of your sight." Raksha didn't mention that the spells were strongest when the necklace was on or near Serena- she didn't need to know that.
"Alright. I won't take it off... so what do I do?"
*~*~*
"That's it?" Ryan was incredulous. "It's so simple... I can't believe that if that's it, I have to wait for a year to move to other worlds."
"Well yes, it's easy enough, but it takes power and your power is still new to you. Once it settles, you'll be able to transport. Besides it takes less power to transfer between integrated worlds, such as the Day and Night Worlds, and seeing as you now have already been in both worlds, the crossing is easier than it would be to travel to a new realm for the first time." Kherron told him.
"So... basically now you can come here whenever you want. You can now move between worlds at your own free bidding. I tell you this because that power has been removed from the key ring I gave you. Keep it with you anyway, because it will identify you as a Night person, but now you don't need to have it to come here for practices. It also means that if you can't make it alone at exactly a particular time, nothing will happen. You can just try to go someplace alone, and then transfer."
"Cool."
"That doesn't mean that you can miss your lessons though, and it doesn't mean that you can be late either. It's just to make things easier for you."
"Well, of course. I won't be late Kherron, I promise."
"Good. And, now that you have mastered most of your skills with your partner, Raksha and I have decided that you only need to come in on Saturdays for your training and lessons. You are free to come in during the week, by yourself or with your partners to practice, but you are not obligated. Also, if you want help, you can always telepath me and we can meet here. Okay?"
"Sure."
*~*~*
"Ah, good, I found you." Serena looked up. "I wanted to talk to you about something... kind of personal." Raksha seemed a little uncomfortable, and for a moment, she just stood staring at her charges, as a tense silence followed.
"Well, what is it?" Serena asked, laughing slightly. "Whatever it is, it can't be that bad! I can take it!" She was dying of curiosity. It took a lot to shatter Raksha's cool confidence, so whatever it was, it must be big, or out of the ordinary. "Is it another change to the training rota?"
"No, no, it's nothing like that! Like I said, it was more personal than that. Its about... well it's about guys."
"Guys?" Now it was Serena's turn to look embarrassed.
"Yeah..." Raksha seemed uncomfortable, unsure of how to bring up this topic. "How... how are things on that front?"
"Um... the same as they always are, I suppose."
"What do you mean?"
"Just that there isn't anyone in my life right now, not like that, never has been, and it doesn't look like there will be anytime soon." She sighed, and then, thinking about Ryan, coloured. "I don't know that many guys, but I'm only friends with those that I do know. Why?"
"Well, you know that you can't afford to get distracted now, Serena... there is so much going on, and distractions could prove fatal."
Serena laughed. "You make falling in love sound so serious! But even so, I'm not about to fall in love or go out with the first guy I see... you shouldn't have to worry about that!"
"The thing is... it's more than that. You need to be careful, Serena... there are rules that you have to obey."
"Yes, I know. Don't fall in love with a human, don't tell them we exist, and don't have a relationship with your fighting partners."
"No. Well, yes, you have to abide to those rules too, but there are others... different rules that you have to comply with."
"What do you mean." Serena was confused. There were more rules? Life was complicated enough as it was!
"Well... there some rules concerning your personal life... maybe this isn't the best time for this."
"No, tell me. Please Raksha," she pleaded, as the older woman made to move away.
"When we first met, I told you that you were a princess."
"Yes"
"And you willingly took on all that it entailed, powers and duties combined."
"Its not like I really had a choice, but yes, even if I had, I think I would have taken it."
"And, as you know, eventually, you'll have to be trained to enter court and live as a royal."
"What are you getting at, Raksha?"
"There are several obligations that you have to fulfil as a princess..."
"Such as attending balls and ruling people and stuff like that?"
"Well yes, but there are others."
"Yes, but what does this have to do with-"
"Look, Serena, you're a princess. You have a duty to your people, and you have to sacrifice certain things, certain liberties because of this, for the good of your people."
"Okay... getting rather deep here, but I understand and accept that. I mean how bad can it be?"
"Well, basically, you're betrothed."
A long silence. "I'm sorry. I think I misheard you. I could have sworn I heard you say that I was affianced to someone!"
"You are."
"What!"
"Yeah. You've got to marry someone... some prince. I- your parents arranged it a long time ago."
"I can't believe this! I-" Serena was shocked, but Raksha was still continuing.
"Listen to me Serena. You were a prophesised child. You know that. Part of your prophecy was given to you on the night you first joined Circle Dawn. Your job is to unite all the worlds somehow. The thing is, we already have an alliance with the witches, formed by m-your mother. We do need, however, an alliance with humans, or with the vampires, and I'm afraid, your marriage has been settled to be formed with one of those. Vampires I think."
"But-"
"No buts. There's nothing you can do about it. It was arranged almost before you were born. If you were a girl, you would marry a prince that your parents chose for you at the appropriate time, and if you were a boy, you'd marry a princess."
"So who am I going to marry?"
"The thing is, it hasn't been finalised, because most people don't know you exist at the moment, and your parents want to keep it that way for now, to keep you safe. However, there is a list of young princes from whom they'll pick, I guess."
"But what if I refuse to marry him." Serena knew she was being rude, but she couldn't help herself.
"Well, you can't. And anyway, there's more."
"More!"
"You're not allowed to...you can't have a relationship with anyone except the person who you parents pick for you."
"Huh?"
"You're not allowed to have a relationship with a guy except for your husband. Its an old tradition that is upheld by all royal families, and therefore by you. You have to be completely chaste, and be untouched by man. Corny but true."
"You're lying."
"I'm not. I'm just letting you know."
"So I can't-"
"Date a guy, kiss a guy... you know what I mean... some families used to go as far as to say you weren't to hold a guys hand either, but I think that can be overlooked in recent times." She smiled lightly, but Serena was not to be pacified.
"Well what if I've already had a relationship with someone."
"Well, for one, I know that you haven't. You've had magic put on you until now, to prevent that from happening."
"I can't believe this!" Serena threw up her hands in exasperation. "And there I was thinking that my problem was that I was unattractive. Of course, I should have guessed that there was some kind of magic on me." She bit the last few words out sarcastically.
Raksha's expression softened somewhat. "Look, I'm sorry, okay. There's nothing that anyone can do, okay. The thing is, the spells on you are slowly being lifted, and you have to make sure that you don't fall in love, or kiss a guy except for your husband to be."
"But I can't help falling in love."
"I know, but you just have to make sure that you don't act on your feelings. Find ways to avoid it. I'm sorry, but that's all there is to it. You just have to comply with it."
"And what if I don't?"
"Well, the fate of the world rests on your shoulders. I don't know what will happen, but if you do breaks the rules, people will know, and you can be fairly sure that the result won't be a good one."
*~*~*
Raksha and Kherron found their charges the next day as they were practicing sparring against one another single handed. "You two stop for a moment and come over. We have something we want to talk to you about."
Ryan stopped what he was doing and bent over for a moment, breathing heavily. He always found himself pleasantly exhausted after a workout with Serena. Then, straightening, he sat down next to his partner facing their trainers.
"Right," Raksha began. "Well, basically, we've taught you almost all there is to know about fighting. I know it's only been about two and a half months, but you two have worked really hard and you've moved so quickly... we have almost nothing left to teach you." She looked over to Kherron, who continued the talk.
"The thing is, Circle Dawn is a training circle. We take young people and train them in ways to fight and protect people, hoping that they will use it for the greater good. And once we train them, we pass them over to other circles if they're willing. And, well, we think that it's time to hand you over to another circle."
"It's not that we want to get rid of you. Honestly, you're some of the best charges we've ever had, but it's for your own good. You'll still be our charges, in that we'll still take lessons with you occasionally, but not on a regular basis anymore. That's for you two to do together. But you'd belong to another circle and do work for them. You'd be given assignments as a pair or individually sometimes, and that sort of thing. You'd be able to put your abilities to good use and to meet other people. That is, if you're interested."
Ryan swallowed, trying to contain his excitement as Serena asked "Who were you thinking of sending us to?"
"Circle Daybreak."
"Circle Daybreak? Wow!" Ryan could hardly believe it. "They're the best!"
"We normally train our recruits for Daybreak. But you're the only ones ready for it just now, though some of the others are getting quite close. So I take it you're interested?"
"Of course!" Serena's reply was just as emphatic as his own.
"Good." Kherron seemed pleased. "We'll let them know about it. They told us that if you accepted, the initiation would be next Saturday."
"So soon?"
"Yes, they have a lot of work coming up, and they need you initiated by then. The ceremony is simple, and there is a dance afterwards, so dress up fairly formally. Not too fancy... just smart. So be ready. Besides that, there's nothing you need. People have already been in to talk to us about you two, and they're more than willing to have you on board. So just keep up the good work, and we'll see you soon. Do us proud on Saturday, and have fun, okay?"
The week flew by, and while Serena and Ryan seemed to be making a strong bond in the Day World, they still hadn't managed to make the connection between their Day and Night World friends. The dampeners on their appearances still hadn't entirely been lifted, although day by day, the pair of them became even more attractive than before, and there seemed to be a new grace in their movements. A few noticed this in the Day world, but they had assumed that this was because of their new found friendships Ryan and Serena were blissfully happy, and it was evident to the world. Their training was going extremely well, school was as fun as it could get, their friendship blossomed, and they were both getting to grips with their magic.
Raksha and Kherron watched the pair of them carefully, and grew more and more proud of them as time went on. They were quicker than ever, grasping new skills and techniques quickly. There was precious little left that they could teach their young charges, and after that... who knew what would happen. They had many small concerns over their charges, which led to many a serious conversation.
*~*~*
"Kherron."
"Raksha."
"Kherron, what are we going to do about those two?" Raksha whispered, looking over the hall at Serena and Ryan.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't play stupid with me, Kherron, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Soon they'll be recognisable in the Day World, just give it a few more months, and they're exposed."
"Yes, but they are brilliant fighters, and they are cautious. You worry too much, Raksha."
"But they haven't found each other in the Day World... they need each other to fight well and protect each other..."
"What makes you so sure that they haven't?" Kherron lifted an eyebrow to look down on Raksha.
"Haven't what?"
"Found each other?"
"Kherron? Do you mean?"
"I'm not sure. But I've seen into Ryans mind, and I know that he has a friend in the Day World called Serena, and I'm pretty sure that its her."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Just little things about her, and her looks."
"Oh, that's all?" Raksha sounded relieved, something which excited Kherrons curiosity.
"What do you mean, that's all? Is there something else?"
"I was just thinking about the... the link between them."
"Ah yes..."
"Kherron, I really think that they may be-" she was abruptly cut off by Kherron.
"Don't say it. Even if it is true, they can't realise it. Not at all. They have their whole lives mapped out in front of them. They can't ruin it over this."
"But-"
"No buts. It must be done. We have to raise the wards higher."
"I have, I did it tonight. They are as strong as I can make them. But sometimes they may waver a little, thought they won't collapse. It can't be helped."
"As long as it doesn't make too many problems, its will be fine. We should start to see the differences immediately?"
"Yes. They should appear somewhat more platonic, although I think that they will still remain close."
"How long will the charms last?"
"About a year or so..."
"That should be long enough. For now, we just have to wait and see."
*~*~*
"Right, Serena, come on, into our practice court."
Serena, panting and wiping the sweat off her forehead, followed Raksha from their gym into a private practice room. Technically, students weren't meant to use this particular gym or the practice rooms, but Raksha had said that they had permission, so Ryan and Serena practiced in the Gyms every day. It was Saturday, and all the students of Circle Dawn had to come in for a full day of lessons and training, a bit like extra school. Serena didn't mind... she liked the extra practice.
Today had been a good day. They'd decided to do another staff fight, and after that Kherron and Raksha had joined them, to create a new exercise. This involved Serena and Ryan standing back to back, holding a fighting stick each, and clasping hands with each other with their non-dominant hands. Raksha and Kherron were not holding hands, and walked around them in a circle, attacking either of them every now and then randomly. Ryan and Serena had to know how to fight while holding onto one another. It was difficult, but a lot of fun, and Serena had enjoyed the session immensely. It was another form of meditation, Raksha had informed them, and Serena knew what she meant. It was a test of her focus and concentration, and now she felt calm and pleasantly tired.
"What are we doing?"
"What you've been waiting to learn for ages. Shape-shifting."
"Really! I'm ready for it now?"
"You've been ready for a while now. So come on, and sit down on this bench." Serena sat at one of the benches at the side of the practice room, and Raksha sat next to her. "This is slightly complicated, but I think you'll be fine with it. Most shifters have to hold an animal and learn its shape, but I don't think that you need to do that. It should be easier for you. You can just think of the animal your shifting into, and become that animal."
"Oh."
"So, let's get started. I think we'll just start with your signature shape first, seeing as you have to get used to this the most. This is a Snow Leopard, right?"
"Right."
"So, what you do is think of a snow leopard... you know what that is right?"
"I- I think so."
"Just imagine a regular leopard, but with white fur and grey and black spots. Focus on that image, and try to imagine yourself changing into it. Your hands and feet turning into paws... your whole self turning into a panther. Concentrate hard enough, and you should change..." And with that Raksha disappeared and in her place was a black panther. Serena swallowed her initial panic and tentatively reached out a hand to stroke her. She was beautiful... her fur was silky and black, her spots an even darker black against the rest of her fur. She withdrew her hand, realising that a panther was just a black coloured leopard. And a second later, Raksha reappeared. "...like this. See what I mean." Serena nodded. "Most people would also need to wear special clothes, or they won't reappear when you shift into human form, but I don't think that you'll have to worry about that either. What you need to do to change back is the opposite of what you did before. Imagine yourself as a panther turning back into a human, and imagine the clothes that you are wearing, and you should turn back. Now you try it."
Serena closed her eyes and concentrated. In her minds eyes, she saw a sleek animal, just like Raksha, but with fur the colour of pure snow, and spots of soft greys and black. Her tummy was white and her tail was long and springy... she focused hard on the image, but for a moment it seemed as if nothing was happening. Then, all of a sudden, she felt it. A tug from her inner self, and suddenly she was dissolving... her body was disappearing. For one blissful moment, she was nothing, neither girl nor cat, and then she fell into her new shape... her arms and legs shortening and a tail whipping around behind her. And then the tugging feeling disappeared.
She looked around and tentatively tried a few steps in her new form. It was amazing... there was nothing to get used to at all... it was just as if she'd always been a cat. Somehow she automatically knew how to move around in this form... and for a few moments she just ran around the practice room, jumping on some of the furniture, her tail lashing behind her. It was almost as if it were instinct, she knew exactly what to do... and she still had control over her body. Raksha held out a mirror to her, and, curious to see what she looked like, she padded over to it. She could see her reflection... it was just as she had visualised it in her mind. Her fur was creamy white, her eyes were a feral yellow/amber colour, and she had tufted ears and delicate whiskers on either side of her pink nose. But that was just on the surface. Serena could feel that there were more changes than just appearance. Her senses... they had expanded. She could hear the air moving around her... her eyes picked up the smallest details of the wood grained floor, her padded paws could feel every joint in the floor, and she could even sense the heat radiating off Raksha. She was also radiating... some kind of other signal too. Serena sniffed delicately, nosing around near Raksha, wondering what it was, when it hit her suddenly. She was a cat... a big cat. Her memory suddenly threw an image at her, of one where Raksha had told them that she shifted into a cat... and now she could sense it. That was a weird feeling.
After a few minutes of exploring her new shape, she turned back into human and turned to Raksha expectantly. Raksha, she noticed, looked pleased at her progress. "Well, that was quick! We're going to meet Ryan soon, and get used to knowing each other in your respective shapes, and you'll get a chance to explore your shapes then. Until then, let's just get on with your other shapes too, shall we?"
*~*~*
Ryan sat back, his eyes shining with triumph and excitement. "Wow! That was so cool"
"You did very well" Galen seemed surprised at his progress. "I've never known anyone take to any shape as quickly and as well as you have with all these shapes. We've now been through all of your shifting shapes. You are very lucky. Most people don't have this level of power, and This allows you to be able to train as a shape-shifter now. Both you and Serena will train together in shape-shifting. For now, you will learn to train alone, but later on, we'll give you any extra coaching that you need, between Raksha and myself." Ryan nodded mutely, still ecstatic over the thrills of shape shifting. "Come on now," Galen added. "Let's go back to the main gym, where you will meet Serena and start on your shifting powers."
Ryan stood up and followed Galen out of the practice rooms. This was his first session with his shifting trainer, and he had found that he had a wry respect and something like admiration for the blond man with green eyes as piercing as his own. He hadn't been too surprised to hear that Galen shifted into a leopard- the man seemed to have an air about him that just screamed 'cat'.
Galen also seemed to have accepted that Ryan was just a very able shifter. Ryan suspected that Kherron had something to do with that, and had probably used some sort of influence to make sure that Galen didn't accept him. He'd taught Ryan about mind control a week ago, and from what Ryan could tell, he'd done an amazing job. Testing the control on Galen's mind himself, he could sense that Kherron had laid an intricate spell, which meant that Kherron could lift the memory block whenever he wanted, and Galen would be able to remember everything except his suspicions when the spell was on him. Ryan was mildly impressed- it took a fair amount of power to lay down a spell like that.
Following Galen out of the room, he could see Serena and Raksha emerging from another practice room. They met with their trainers in the centre of the room, and Ryan tried a grin at his partner, who smiled back. Strangely enough, he found that his heart didn't flutter around her anymore. He was surprised... he'd thought that he cared for her... but obviously that was just a temporary infatuation. He shrugged it off mentally, glad for the fact that he wasn't attracted to her anymore. It meant that he could concentrate on his fighting, which was actually important, instead of thinking of her all the time, which didn't seem so important right now.
Looking up at his trainer, he saw something a bit strange. It looked like Raksha and Galen were having a conversation, but their lips weren't moving. Their expressions made it seem as if they were asking questions and responding, but there was no sound coming from either of them at all... could they be using... telepathy? Galen caught him staring, and started to address him, speaking out loud. "Right, so we think that it would be best if the two of you took a private practice room, and shifted into all your shapes with each other. Make sure that you know each other's shapes and what you look like in your various forms intimately, so that you'll be able to recognise each other if either of you change into a shape." He and Raksha followed Ryan and Serena into the practice room.
"Don't forget," Raksha added, "things look different when you're looking through the eyes of an animal. So make sure that you shift into every combination of shapes that you could possibly have, so that you will be able to recognise each other regardless of what forms either of you are. Learn the shapes, smells and characteristics of your partner... it's really important that you do. We'll be back in a while to see how you're doing." And with that, they were both gone, leaving Serena and Ryan alone in the practice room.
*~*~*
They were back an hour later. "Right, are you done?" Serena looked up, now in human form again, and nodded up at Raksha and Kherron, feeling Ryan next to her, shift back into human, get up and nod too. It was strange, but she wasn't feeling tingly just standing next to him anymore. The spark of attraction was gone... Serena knew she should feel sad about it, but she was actually glad. Now she could concentrate properly. And it seemed that Ryan had stopped feeling whatever it was too... so all round it was safe now.
"Good." Raksha walked into the centre of the room. "Because I have something new for you to learn today." She looked at them both seriously, but her grey eyes were sparkling. "Telepathy."
"Telepathy!" Serena couldn't help but gasp. She hadn't known that things like this were possible...
"Telepathy." Kherron confirmed. "The ability to talk to one another using non-verbal communication."
"This is something that you both need to be able to do, even when you're in animal forms, to aid you when you're fighting. It allows you to call the other when you need help, as well as plan attacks quickly and effectively. We can also teach you to shield your mind, or part of your mind, so that other people can't read what you don't want them to read."
"Wow." Ryan sounded awed, in Serena's opinion. She agreed with him. Who'd have thought that they would be able to access powers like these?
"So, let's begin." Kherron pulled over two chairs in front of him, facing each other, and sat down on a nearby bench. Serena and Ryan walked over to him and sat in the chairs. "Now," Kherron began, "Close your eyes. Even out your breathing, just like in meditation." His voice was soft and soothing, and for a few moments it lost its cold, harsh tone. Serena relaxed and fell into her meditation pattern. "Now, without opening your eyes, try and... reach for each other. Try and sense each other. Reach with your minds... you may find it easier to do if you go inside yourself and use a bit of your inner power... your inner shifting power."
Serena breathed in and reached with her mind. She couldn't describe how she did it, only that she expanded her mind somehow, letting it stretch around her until she could feel Ryan's presence, and she just directed a thought towards him.
*Hi*
Even as she did it, she felt a bit silly... thinking that she had felt someone's mind...
*Hi* Her eyes snapped open as she heard his voice in her head, and they widened in surprise as they met piercingly green orbs. He had heard her?
*Yes, I heard you* He'd replied again! He'd heard her thought and replied to her. His voice was... different. She knew it was him... it sounded like him in her mind, but it also felt different, soft, wondering. His voice was like a cool wind, rushing through her mind, it was gentle and precise, and it was... Ryan. She couldn't decipher it in any other way. It was just him, his essence. She could feel what he was feeling... and right now, he was... as shocked and surprised as she was. He was amazed at the feel of non-verbal communication, but he was enjoying it too. She tried to reach further, to get closer to him... but she found herself blocked. There was a shimmering white veil between their minds... preventing them from crossing it... she felt mild disappointment, but brushed it aside as he spoke again. *This is so cool, don't you think?*
*Yes* She couldn't think of what else to say. Her mind was reeling... deep in thought. In comparison to this, normal talking seemed pointless and broken. You couldn't tell what a person was thinking if you spoke to them. With telepathy, you could.
*I know what you mean. I could get used to talking like this. It uses so much less energy, plus you get to chat even when you're not supposed to!* He laughed mentally, and she got a mental image of a wry smile in her mind. She laughed too.
"Okay," Raksha's voice transported her back to reality, and the world of normal speech. "You guys certainly got the hang of that pretty quickly! But remember that you should be able to block your thoughts too. For instance, if I'd wanted to, I could have eavesdropped and even interrupted in your conversation just now. But you can easily stop that from happening by just using a touch of your power and send it with your thought, so that no one will be able to tell what you're thinking unless you want them to. Over time, as you get used to talking non-verbally, you'll get used to it, and the blocking will become natural, right Kherron?"
"Yes, that's right. And you'll be able to converse with any vampire like this easily, as well as a few other stronger Night World people. Never humans. All Night Worlders will be able to hear anything you say to them in this way, but some will not be strong enough to reply, or to communicate. And many people, even vampires, may not have the strength to telepath over long distances."
"Right," Raksha was saying. "We'll leave you alone for a while again. Now, I want you to get used to conversing in this way, and doing the same while you're in any animal form. I'll be back to check on you later.
*~*~*
Later turned out to be another hour later, but Ryan didn't mind. He was having too much fun exploring his animal shapes and telepathy with Serena. They'd found that they could communicate easily in any combination of forms and even when one of them was flying and the other was on the ground, or facing away form each other. When Galen walked in, Ryan didn't notice for a few minutes. He was too busy playing with Serena who'd transformed into a baby snow leopard. He was holding, stoking, tickling and playing with her all at once, and was talking with her mentally at the same time. She was so cute, he couldn't help noticing. She looked like a little kitten in this form... soft, white and fluffy. She was curious about everything and playful and clever... he couldn't resist messing about with her. Impulsively, he changed too, into a baby panther, and began to tackle and play with her as Galen watched on, unnoticed. Leaving them to it for a few minutes, he slipped out again, to call Raksha.
Meanwhile Ryan the baby panther was having the time of his life, chasing Serena around the practice room. He pounced on her playfully, and the two kittens rumbled one over the other, over and over, wrestling amiably with one another.
*No fair* Serena squealed mentally, as they stopped rolling over one another and Ryan ended up on top of her, looking down on her. Her voice sounded breathless and soft... inexplicably gentle and warm, even in his mind.
*Yes it is. I'm just better at this than you, that's all!* Ryan teased back, still trying to swipe at her playfully with his paw.
*Can we stop for a moment? I'm exhausted.* She was panting lightly, he noticed. He stopped pawing at her for a moment, though he didn't climb off her. However, it seemed to be a trick, for the minute he relaxed his muscles, Serena tried a swipe at him. Growling playfully, he pinned her back down with his paws, and felt her relax her muscles properly this time. He didn't release her from his grip though, and stared down at her. Her eyes seemed to a beautiful honey/amber colour, and they stared back at him. As he stared back at her, he felt something inside his mind lift away for a moment, and he was suddenly stuck by just how beautiful she was, even as a kitten. He couldn't help it. The mental phrase slipped out before he knew what he was doing, or tried to stop it.
*You're so beautiful*
He felt her freeze in surprise under him. Her eyes widened slightly in shock, and he felt her lose control on her power and she dropped back into her human form. As her cat form dissolved from under him, he panicked, and shifted into human too, and a moment, they were both in human form in the same position as before.
Looking down at her, he saw her looking like her normal self, her brown eyes flecked with gold staring at him with an emotion that he couldn't decipher. She was wearing practice clothes again, like him, and her hair was loose, her tumbling raven waves splayed over the floor right now. He could feel himself move up and down slightly as she breathed, and she felt soft and warm underneath him.
Still staring at him, she stopped her weak attempts at trying to get away from under him and just looked back at him. He could feel uncertainty radiating from her in waves, and couldn't help but stare back. She looked so vulnerable, even in a black turtle neck sweater and training suit trousers, both her hands pinned over her head by one of his hands. He felt instinct take over him, and his free hand moved up to her face and traced her jaw line. She shivered slightly, closing her eyes for a moment, before holding his gaze again. *You're so beautiful* he repeated mentally. Her warm eyes softened slightly, and he leaned down ever so slowly...
A loud click caused them both to look up in surprise. Raksha had opened the door and was coming in. The noise broke the atmosphere in the room, and Ryan scrambled off Serena and they both struggled to sit up and look as innocent as possible. He felt something shift back into place in his mind, and suddenly he could no longer feel the attraction to Serena again. What was going on? He looked at her, but she was deliberately avoiding his eyes.
*I'm... sorry* He hadn't meant to upset her.
*I understand... it was just a... a moment*
*Yeah,* he agreed, relieved that she knew it too. *I didn't mean anything by it... but I'm sorry that I made you uncomfortable*
*It's okay.* Her voice was calm and cool in his mind.
*Will we be... okay to work together?* He didn't want to break up their partnership.
*Sure.* It didn't sound entirely sincere, but it was enough for the moment.
*Cool*
"So, I want you two to start training together now, in your animal forms. Learn to fight against each other, and then when Galen and I return in about half an hour, we'll fight against you, so learn a few tactics too."
So both of them tried to cast the last few moments out of their minds, and focused on their work with grim concentration.
*~*~*
"So, as we can see, there have been several impressive lines of royalty within the Night World, each with their own extensive history, and they are all intertwined with one another..." Lupe Acevedo, the History teacher droned on and on. The whole circle was seated at desks behind her, and though they were all valiantly trying to pay attention, you could tell that they were all bored. Some passed notes to one another, while others were practically dozing off.
Seated at the back, in adjacent desks, Serena and Ryan were trying to pay attention too. However, they kept getting sidetracked, usually with the telepathic conversation that they were having.
*God, this is so boring!* Ryan's mental voice sounded bored to Serena
*No, it's not!*
*Really?* His voice was so full of disbelief and sarcasm, that a small smile spread across her face.
*Well, okay, it is a bit tedious, but it's better than the other history that we were learning before!*
*Can't disagree with you there. Why do they teach us all this stuff anyway?*
*Apparently we need to know it* Serena didn't have a clue either.
*I know, but why?*
*That is the million dollar question!*
*Well, at least we can chat through class and go undetected.* Serena nodded, knowing that he would see it. They'd managed to learn how to block eavesdroppers over the past few days of practice... and they both seemed to be taking full advantage of their new skill. Not that Serena was complaining.
"So, that brings us down to the current Drache royal family.." Serena picked up the words Lupe was saying, and immediately her attention was caught. Her family... they were talking about her family.
"Aren't there any princes or princesses... you know, children?" Someone at the front who was actually paying attention had asked the question. Serena sat forward, ignoring Ryan's mental chatter for a moment, her eyes riveted to the teacher.
"Well, no, not really..." Serena felt her heart sink, but Lupe was still speaking "It's funny you should ask... there was a rumour that there was a Drache Princess born to the current rulers, but nothing has been heard or seen of her since. People thought that she had been given up for some reason... but no one's ever managed to find her. She would be about sixteen now, I suppose. She was supposed to be born on New Years Day, on the stroke of midnight... or so the legend says." Serena felt colour flood into her cheeks at the mention of her birthday, and tried her best to look nonchalant, like the others. "Many people think that it is a myth, but some still talk of the prophesised princess, who was supposed to do great things for the Shifters. Of course, it's probably a myth, like the other missing Royals."
"Other missing Royals?"
"Yes, there is a missing witch princess and a missing vampire prince." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ryan sit up and stiffen slightly, but she was too busy trying to hear what Lupe was saying to care. "There was supposed to be a baby vampire, a Redfern prince born almost exactly a year before the shifter princess, making him about seventeen by now, and he too went missing... or at least that's if he ever existed. Anyway, no-one's ever seen him either... he's supposed to have special powers too... or something like that. Destined to be great... I think, were the words that were in his prophecy. And the witch princess... well she wasn't born to the Harmans, but she was prophesised about, just like the other two. She was supposed to be someone that wasn't a witch by blood, but someone who had the greatest witch powers of them all, hence she was given the title princess. But again, no-one like that has ever fit the description, and so I guess she, like the other two, were just figments of an overactive imagination. It's funny, isn't it- witch, shifter and vampire royals going missing all around the same time... they were probably just myths, the three of them. You know, just imaginary idols, people made up to give people hope for the future..." She paused, and the class was silent, all of them processing this information.
"Why were they given up?" another student piped up. Yeah, that's what I want to know, Serena thought to herself, unaware that Ryan was thinking the same thing.
"Well, if any of them actually existed... there could have been any number of reasons for them going missing. The rumours used to be that there was a dark power out to get them, and they were put into hiding to protect them. Whether that is true or not, no one actually knows. Now, onto the next topic of history- famous Night World Pioneers"
Serena sighed and resumed her conversation with Ryan, settling back into her seat again. The lesson had certainly given her some food for thought.
*~*~*
"Ryan, there's one last thing that we have to go through together before you'll have been introduced to all your powers."
"Oh?" Ryan looked up from where he had been stretching on the floor. "And what's that?"
"Shifting as a vampire."
"Oh, yeah, you said something about that."
"I'm glad you remember. Basically, you get a choice- you can be either a raven or a bat, if you choose to shape-change at all. Of course for you, it isn't entirely necessary, as you can already change into lots of animals, regardless of whether you are in vampire or human form, but I figured that you might want the opportunity.
"Of course I do!"
"The shifting is almost exactly the same as before. However, this time, you have to reach into yourself and use power from your vampire source, not your shifting."
"Oh, okay."
"And this time, you can pick either one or another, not both. So which do you pick?"
"Um... raven I guess."
"Fine. But before you start to change and explore this..." Kherron interrupted as Ryan sat down and began his meditation exercises, "There is something else I want you to know."
"Oh, what's that?"
"It's about your vampire abilities. They are naturally weaker in sunlight, and there isn't a lot you can do about it. Some full vampires use rings or talismans, but most are okay in sunlight. Either way, you have some human blood in you, so I think that you will be okay, but you may find that your vampire powers are weaker somewhat, in sunlight, so beware of that. It may even affect your other powers too... although I doubt it will. Not to mention that wood will hurt you in every form, although, of course, it won't hurt as much as it will when you're in vampire form. But still, you have to be careful. And..." He broke off for a moment.
"And..." Ryan prompted.
"No, it's nothing for you to concern yourself with now. You'll find out soon enough." Ryan opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it as Kherron gave him a stern look. "And I also wanted to let you know that we will eventually start your training as a prince. However, that will be a while in coming, probably in about a year or so. There is no need for it now, as you will be formally introduced at your parent's court at the end of the year, when you are seventeen."
"Eighteen."
"Pardon?"
"I'll be eighteen."
"Oh, I thought that you were a year younger than that. Does this mean that the rest of the circle are all seventeen now too?"
"No, I'm just one of the oldest in my year, as I was born on New Years Day."
"Right, I see. Anyway, enough chat, let's get on with your shifting."
*~*~*
"More Shifting?" It was a few days later, when Serena followed Raksha back into the private practice room that they had occupied before for their shifting lessons.
"Yes, I'm afraid so. You've learnt all your fighting shapes, and have nearly all of your powers mastered, but we still haven't gone through your heritage shapes yet."
"What do you mean, my heritage shapes?"
"Well, it's kind of complicated. The thing is, like I told you before, you have an Omni-changing power, and this allows you to change into any animal at will. There used to be shifters that had this power. They were known as dragons, and they could change into anything they liked, whenever they liked, as long as they had something to take an impression of. You have that power, but you won't need an impression for most things. Oh, by the way, Ryan doesn't know that you have these powers. You can tell him that you have a powerful gift, and can change into any animal at will, if you want, but don't tell him that it is because of your heritage. Just say that you were given a charm to help you with your shifting, and this was a side- effect. Now, let's get started. Just look inside yourself and meditate for now..."
Serena closed her eyes, but said "Hey, I was wondering... when do I get to meet my parents?"
For a long while, there was no reply, and Serena opened her eyes. "Sorry, did I say something wrong?"
"No, no..." Raksha hastened to assure her, but her eyes were guarded, and her voice had lost some of its enotion. "Um... I don't know when you'll be able to meet your parents... but it won't be for a while yet. For one, people don't know that you're around, and you could be put into danger if this is not done carefully. Another thing is that your parents are extremely busy right now, and for a third, you haven't actually had any formal training."
"Training?"
"Yes, to be a princess."
"Oh. When do I do that."
"Not for several months yet at least. We were thinking of introducing you at court around the end of the year, when you'd be seventeen."
"Only if I'm lucky..." Serena muttered. When Raksha looked at her sharply, she explained, "I'm one of the youngest in my year. I was born a second before midnight on New Year's Eve. Chances are I'd still be sixteen."
"Oh well, never mind. It shouldn't make a lot of difference. Anyway, I know they are anxious to meet you and catch up with you." she paused, thinking about something, and then shook her head. "But enough talk. Now meditate."
However, Serena had barely heard her, lost in thought with a lonely, despondent expression crossing her features. Raksha touched her shoulder gently, a warm maternal air surrounding her, although it was slightly guarded.
"Look, I know it seems hard to understand, but your parents gave you up for a reason. An important one. But they never really stopped thinking about you, not once. And they love you more than words can say. But you can't meet them at the minute because... you're not supposed to exist at the moment, and you could be in danger if you're exposed before you're ready, or before you get a real grip on your powers. Do you understand?"
Serena nodded, miserably, thought the load in her heart was lightening at these words. "They do love me."
"Don't doubt it, not even for a minute."
*~*~*
"Ryan," Kherron greeted him as he walked into the practice court where Ryan was practicing his fencing. "I just wanted to see how you are doing. You know, how you're holding up with all this."
"Oh, I'm fine, I guess..." Ryan didn't know what to make of this conversation. Kherron rarely cared about anything, much less how someone was coping with workloads. He just expected it to be done. But then again, Ryan had a different relationship with his trainer in comparison to most people. Ryan understood him, which was partly why they got on so well.
"Because," Kherron continued, "I know that it was a lot that you took on board, especially all at once. But, I have to tell you that I am really impressed with how you've coped with all this, as well as your amazing progress with all your newfound skills." He smiled at Ryan, a rare occurrence, but when he did, he looked much younger and more amiable.
"Um... thanks. But yeah, I'm fine. Nothing wrong. It just... makes sense, you know. All this, it makes sense. I feel like I have a purpose now, I belong somewhere. I have a home, a reason to be around."
"More than you know." Kherron muttered the words in a low voice, but Ryan heard him.
"What does that mean?"
"Nothing... nothing."
"No, tell me!"
"It's just that you do belong... in so many places... there is still so much that you don't know about... that you have to learn about."
"Like what..." Ryan's curiosity was piqued.
"There's no point going into it now... you can't learn it for a year or so anyway..."
"Oh please... I just want to know..."
"Fine. Alright." Kherron sounded tired and resigned, but he grinned at Ryan, who grinned back knowingly. Ryan could be very incessant when he wanted to be- most people couldn't refuse him anything for long. "Well basically, you know that there are two worlds, right?"
"Yeah, the Day world, and the Night World."
"Yes, and you live in both. Your normal life is kept in the Day world, but when you come to train, you are in the heart of the Night World."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, technically the Day World and the Night World exist together. We follow the same time scale, and you will find that all Night Worlders with only a few exceptions will live in both the Day and the Night World simultaneously. The Night World is more like a secret society that normal people don't know about. That's all. And we just charm our meeting places like this, so that people don't come anywhere near it."
"Oh, I see. So the Day world and the Night World are really one world, just that the Night World is more... elite than the Day World."
"Precisely. But... what you don't know is that there are actually another three worlds out there."
"What! More worlds?"
"Yes. Three of them."
"And I can live in those too?"
"I'm not sure." Ryan was surprised, he had thought that his trainer knew everything there was to know about him. "You might be, in the future, perhaps, but not at the moment. Now, you only live in the two that you already know about."
"Riiight...." Ryan was still confused.
"Now listen carefully, because I'm not going to tell you again for a long time. Basically, there are three worlds, the Enchantment Realm, the Mage World, and the Enchantment Realms. These worlds are like parallel universes, running alongside ours. Most of the people in those realms have no connection to those in the Day/Night world. But there are a few people... who can travel between the universes... and live in more than one."
"And I'm one of them?"
"Well you could be, perhaps. Like I said, we're not sure at the moment. Though, I do believe that you may have a connection to some of these worlds."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, as I was saying, there are people who can travel between these universes, but there are also other people, who, whilst being unable to travel between the worlds, do have an existence in these worlds..."
"So... I can go live in the other two worlds?"
"Sort of... you see... there are two types of crossers. The first type can travel between worlds, once taught how to do it. And they suddenly... appear in these realms. You see they don't exist in these other realms, and so when they cross, it is as if they have dropped out of thin air, and brought into existence. And when they leave that world, they seem to vanish. They have no self already in that universe to connect to, and so they just suddenly appear and disappear. They are quite rare, mind you."
Ryan considered this for a moment. "And the other type?"
"The other type... they have several... I don't know what the term is... I think forms or selves is the best word for it. Basically, they already exist in all these realms separately. I think that you may be one of these. As far as I know, you may have a connection to the Enchantment Realm and the Mage World... though I'm not sure about the Divine Realms. The problem with the Divine Realm is that you have to be a God to have access to it, unless you can find someone who has access and then travel with them somehow, and I am pretty sure that, talented as you are, you are not divine." He smiled at Ryan.
"What do you mean? I don't think I understand what you mean about having other selves."
"Well, when you were born, in the Night World, another person was born in the Mage World at the same time. If you ever cross worlds to the Mage World, you will immediately become that person."
"I become someone else?"
"No, that person is another form of you. It means that when you do go into your other self, you pick up the knowledge that person has, because that person has had a life, technically it is your life, and that knowledge gained from that life will be passed to you. When you cross to that world, you assume that persons body, and you combine yourselves. That sounds more complicated than it actually is, considering that each self is an approximation of you anyway. It means that when you move from world to world, if you choose, you can leave behind one of your selves to continue living in that world, rather than just disappearing."
"And my parents?"
"They may not be connected. I think that your parents are not able to cross into all the realms. So you were born in each world to several different parents."
"So I have real parents."
"More than most people!"
"I think I get it... what about the Enchantment Realm?"
"Well, the thing is, the Enchantment Realm is like the Night World in the way that it works alongside the Day World. The people who cross between it and the Human world can live in both, just like Night Worlders. It is like another elite group or society. And they have protections on their buildings and such, like us. But to cross from one building to another, you don't have to walk into a club, you have to pass through magical barriers, which transport you to the Enchantment Realm."
"But we transport to come here."
"No, most people don't. You do, however, because you are special, and people might see you going in and out. This is safer, and makes sure that you can't be traced here. Anyway, so in the Enchantment Realm, you will have someone else, another form, and you will slip into this person when you transport there. They will have a different name, and all, but you will become them. If that person comes back into the Human Realm, he will either come back as you, and turn into Ryan, or your two selves will split up, and then reconnect when you both return to that realm. But I wouldn't worry about that, because most people rarely leave their own realms."
"Oh."
"So even though I am one person, I actually have more than one body... more than one life, and more than one world?"
"Basically... Yeah."
"So, why can't I go to these realms now?"
"I told you, you can't. For one, we're not entirely sure that you are one of the few that are able to cross universes like that. And anyway, even if you were, it takes a lot of power to transfer from world to world, and slip into someone else's body. And it's not the type of power that you have yet. This power matures over time, and you need to let your power settle within yourself for a while. It may only take a year. It may take two. You have to wait and see. And don't worry about missing out, because your other selves will be living out there, and you will gain their experiences when you shift into them."
"Any more questions?"
*~*~*
"So, let me get this straight. There are lots of different worlds, and I am able to cross into some of them." Serena's eyes were wide open. It just seemed so... amazing. Just when she thought things were settled, and couldn't get any better or more complicated... they changed.
"Well, no, you are actually able to cross into all of them, I think, but let's keep that particular piece of information to ourselves, okay? But, like I was saying earlier, there are two types of time-crossers and you are the first type. When you first travel to a universe, you are just going to... appear in that universe, as if from thin air. After that, when you move in or out, you can either create a copy of yourself to remain in the realm, and you will just drop into that self every time you visit that world, or you will just disappear or appear."
"Oh, and I have all my powers in all the worlds?"
"Yes, your power is always with you, but I don't advise you to show them to just anyone in any worlds."
"And I'll look the same." Serena wanted to know.
"Almost... your other selves are just approximations of you as you are now... and this is only your human form, remember... you actually look slightly different as your true self, the princess. But we've already taught you about disguising yourself, so that you can change small things like eye colour and even hair colour if you want, so that people won't recognise you."
"Oh. I see."
"When will I start learning how to do this?"
"Well, you are strong enough to start learning now... and I can tell you what to do... but I can't come with you into all the worlds. Only the Night and the Day Worlds. So I will tell you what to do, but practice it without using magic first, and then one day, when you're alone, try it. But be careful, because if something goes wrong, I can't go out to help you. If I were you, however, I would only start off with one world... and then give yourself a few months to adjust to it before starting another one, otherwise your magic may not cope."
"Well okay. Can we start soon? Like.... tomorrow?"
"Sure. But then we may as well start with the easier things first. For instance, I can teach you how to teleport between here and the Day World, without the use of a necklace... so that you can do it when you want or need."
"Cool."
"Yeah, but keep the necklace, just in case you have to prove who you are as a Night Person one day. Don't let it out of your sight." Raksha didn't mention that the spells were strongest when the necklace was on or near Serena- she didn't need to know that.
"Alright. I won't take it off... so what do I do?"
*~*~*
"That's it?" Ryan was incredulous. "It's so simple... I can't believe that if that's it, I have to wait for a year to move to other worlds."
"Well yes, it's easy enough, but it takes power and your power is still new to you. Once it settles, you'll be able to transport. Besides it takes less power to transfer between integrated worlds, such as the Day and Night Worlds, and seeing as you now have already been in both worlds, the crossing is easier than it would be to travel to a new realm for the first time." Kherron told him.
"So... basically now you can come here whenever you want. You can now move between worlds at your own free bidding. I tell you this because that power has been removed from the key ring I gave you. Keep it with you anyway, because it will identify you as a Night person, but now you don't need to have it to come here for practices. It also means that if you can't make it alone at exactly a particular time, nothing will happen. You can just try to go someplace alone, and then transfer."
"Cool."
"That doesn't mean that you can miss your lessons though, and it doesn't mean that you can be late either. It's just to make things easier for you."
"Well, of course. I won't be late Kherron, I promise."
"Good. And, now that you have mastered most of your skills with your partner, Raksha and I have decided that you only need to come in on Saturdays for your training and lessons. You are free to come in during the week, by yourself or with your partners to practice, but you are not obligated. Also, if you want help, you can always telepath me and we can meet here. Okay?"
"Sure."
*~*~*
"Ah, good, I found you." Serena looked up. "I wanted to talk to you about something... kind of personal." Raksha seemed a little uncomfortable, and for a moment, she just stood staring at her charges, as a tense silence followed.
"Well, what is it?" Serena asked, laughing slightly. "Whatever it is, it can't be that bad! I can take it!" She was dying of curiosity. It took a lot to shatter Raksha's cool confidence, so whatever it was, it must be big, or out of the ordinary. "Is it another change to the training rota?"
"No, no, it's nothing like that! Like I said, it was more personal than that. Its about... well it's about guys."
"Guys?" Now it was Serena's turn to look embarrassed.
"Yeah..." Raksha seemed uncomfortable, unsure of how to bring up this topic. "How... how are things on that front?"
"Um... the same as they always are, I suppose."
"What do you mean?"
"Just that there isn't anyone in my life right now, not like that, never has been, and it doesn't look like there will be anytime soon." She sighed, and then, thinking about Ryan, coloured. "I don't know that many guys, but I'm only friends with those that I do know. Why?"
"Well, you know that you can't afford to get distracted now, Serena... there is so much going on, and distractions could prove fatal."
Serena laughed. "You make falling in love sound so serious! But even so, I'm not about to fall in love or go out with the first guy I see... you shouldn't have to worry about that!"
"The thing is... it's more than that. You need to be careful, Serena... there are rules that you have to obey."
"Yes, I know. Don't fall in love with a human, don't tell them we exist, and don't have a relationship with your fighting partners."
"No. Well, yes, you have to abide to those rules too, but there are others... different rules that you have to comply with."
"What do you mean." Serena was confused. There were more rules? Life was complicated enough as it was!
"Well... there some rules concerning your personal life... maybe this isn't the best time for this."
"No, tell me. Please Raksha," she pleaded, as the older woman made to move away.
"When we first met, I told you that you were a princess."
"Yes"
"And you willingly took on all that it entailed, powers and duties combined."
"Its not like I really had a choice, but yes, even if I had, I think I would have taken it."
"And, as you know, eventually, you'll have to be trained to enter court and live as a royal."
"What are you getting at, Raksha?"
"There are several obligations that you have to fulfil as a princess..."
"Such as attending balls and ruling people and stuff like that?"
"Well yes, but there are others."
"Yes, but what does this have to do with-"
"Look, Serena, you're a princess. You have a duty to your people, and you have to sacrifice certain things, certain liberties because of this, for the good of your people."
"Okay... getting rather deep here, but I understand and accept that. I mean how bad can it be?"
"Well, basically, you're betrothed."
A long silence. "I'm sorry. I think I misheard you. I could have sworn I heard you say that I was affianced to someone!"
"You are."
"What!"
"Yeah. You've got to marry someone... some prince. I- your parents arranged it a long time ago."
"I can't believe this! I-" Serena was shocked, but Raksha was still continuing.
"Listen to me Serena. You were a prophesised child. You know that. Part of your prophecy was given to you on the night you first joined Circle Dawn. Your job is to unite all the worlds somehow. The thing is, we already have an alliance with the witches, formed by m-your mother. We do need, however, an alliance with humans, or with the vampires, and I'm afraid, your marriage has been settled to be formed with one of those. Vampires I think."
"But-"
"No buts. There's nothing you can do about it. It was arranged almost before you were born. If you were a girl, you would marry a prince that your parents chose for you at the appropriate time, and if you were a boy, you'd marry a princess."
"So who am I going to marry?"
"The thing is, it hasn't been finalised, because most people don't know you exist at the moment, and your parents want to keep it that way for now, to keep you safe. However, there is a list of young princes from whom they'll pick, I guess."
"But what if I refuse to marry him." Serena knew she was being rude, but she couldn't help herself.
"Well, you can't. And anyway, there's more."
"More!"
"You're not allowed to...you can't have a relationship with anyone except the person who you parents pick for you."
"Huh?"
"You're not allowed to have a relationship with a guy except for your husband. Its an old tradition that is upheld by all royal families, and therefore by you. You have to be completely chaste, and be untouched by man. Corny but true."
"You're lying."
"I'm not. I'm just letting you know."
"So I can't-"
"Date a guy, kiss a guy... you know what I mean... some families used to go as far as to say you weren't to hold a guys hand either, but I think that can be overlooked in recent times." She smiled lightly, but Serena was not to be pacified.
"Well what if I've already had a relationship with someone."
"Well, for one, I know that you haven't. You've had magic put on you until now, to prevent that from happening."
"I can't believe this!" Serena threw up her hands in exasperation. "And there I was thinking that my problem was that I was unattractive. Of course, I should have guessed that there was some kind of magic on me." She bit the last few words out sarcastically.
Raksha's expression softened somewhat. "Look, I'm sorry, okay. There's nothing that anyone can do, okay. The thing is, the spells on you are slowly being lifted, and you have to make sure that you don't fall in love, or kiss a guy except for your husband to be."
"But I can't help falling in love."
"I know, but you just have to make sure that you don't act on your feelings. Find ways to avoid it. I'm sorry, but that's all there is to it. You just have to comply with it."
"And what if I don't?"
"Well, the fate of the world rests on your shoulders. I don't know what will happen, but if you do breaks the rules, people will know, and you can be fairly sure that the result won't be a good one."
*~*~*
Raksha and Kherron found their charges the next day as they were practicing sparring against one another single handed. "You two stop for a moment and come over. We have something we want to talk to you about."
Ryan stopped what he was doing and bent over for a moment, breathing heavily. He always found himself pleasantly exhausted after a workout with Serena. Then, straightening, he sat down next to his partner facing their trainers.
"Right," Raksha began. "Well, basically, we've taught you almost all there is to know about fighting. I know it's only been about two and a half months, but you two have worked really hard and you've moved so quickly... we have almost nothing left to teach you." She looked over to Kherron, who continued the talk.
"The thing is, Circle Dawn is a training circle. We take young people and train them in ways to fight and protect people, hoping that they will use it for the greater good. And once we train them, we pass them over to other circles if they're willing. And, well, we think that it's time to hand you over to another circle."
"It's not that we want to get rid of you. Honestly, you're some of the best charges we've ever had, but it's for your own good. You'll still be our charges, in that we'll still take lessons with you occasionally, but not on a regular basis anymore. That's for you two to do together. But you'd belong to another circle and do work for them. You'd be given assignments as a pair or individually sometimes, and that sort of thing. You'd be able to put your abilities to good use and to meet other people. That is, if you're interested."
Ryan swallowed, trying to contain his excitement as Serena asked "Who were you thinking of sending us to?"
"Circle Daybreak."
"Circle Daybreak? Wow!" Ryan could hardly believe it. "They're the best!"
"We normally train our recruits for Daybreak. But you're the only ones ready for it just now, though some of the others are getting quite close. So I take it you're interested?"
"Of course!" Serena's reply was just as emphatic as his own.
"Good." Kherron seemed pleased. "We'll let them know about it. They told us that if you accepted, the initiation would be next Saturday."
"So soon?"
"Yes, they have a lot of work coming up, and they need you initiated by then. The ceremony is simple, and there is a dance afterwards, so dress up fairly formally. Not too fancy... just smart. So be ready. Besides that, there's nothing you need. People have already been in to talk to us about you two, and they're more than willing to have you on board. So just keep up the good work, and we'll see you soon. Do us proud on Saturday, and have fun, okay?"