Hours passed since they started their journey toward the depths of the dungeon. Convivial's feet begging for rest and from what he could see, Marie wasn't looking too good either.

"...Ugh, My feet are killing me." he thought, searching for a stone to rest his Lute upon "This looks like a nice spot. Yeah." He sat down near the stone and relaxed his back, looking up to the child who stood still in silence.

"...come on Marie, have a rest" he smiled "After killing a couple hundred hunter flies you should be tired, I'm sure a little rest won't hurt."

She silently stared and sat on the rocky ground, tail wrapped around her legs. Marie sighed slightly in frustration, clenching her fist. In one violent movement she let out some blue energy, obliterating a bolder. Throwing off her shawl, looking down in discontent at her bandages wrapped firmly around her chest, she growled slightly, turned around, letting out another blast at the cavern walls, causing a slight rumble. Though it surprised the bard, he remained calm, and for the time; silent. He returned to slumber to let the child vent off some energy instead of intervening.
After a few more fits of rage, she knelt on the ground, pounding her fist on the rocks, then ceased, hearing a voice, a familiar one of an enemy lurking about. Briefly glancing over, trying to get a grip on her rage, she saw a humanoid fox-lady approach, the assassin who took her first life many years ago. The fox's voice, distorted as much her scarred body, picked at Marie's wearing patience.
"Awww... is my enemy in discontent?" she mocked, taking out a scythe "I wonder why?"
"Shut-up, Kiza" Marie replied coldly, tearing off her bandages. Sapphire blood started to trickle from her chest, yet she ignored the pain. Kiza approached, continuing to antagonize the child.
"You're living a lie" she said "Bottling up the anger and discontent. You hide it away with a happy face, but deep down inside, you desire something greatly, vengeance!"
The child gasped, looking away in denial. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the sounds.
"But you can't get that one simple thing, to fulfill your promise" Kiza continued. "You know why?"
A brief moment of silence passed as she awaited an answer. Impatiently, she answered herself "It's because YOU'RE WEAK! You pitiful excuse for a deity, you shouldn't even deserve to be immortal! You can't even control your forbidden powers!"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Marie yelled back, holding up a glowing hand. Like before, it emanated in white, catching Kiza off-guard. A blast flew from her hand, as it decimated her enemy. She didn't notice this, being caught in a rage of blind fury, the white energy surrounded her, causing air to ripple, and a painstakingly loud noise echoed through the cave, waking Convivial. Groggily opening his eyes, he stared on dumbstruck, never seeing such energy before. Before he could identify it, it shot at him, sending him flying back and slamming against a wall. He winced slightly as he leapt out of the way to avoid another oncoming attack.
"Wh- what's wrong?" he asked, but no reply came as another barrage of energy headed his way. It halted though, before it could reach him, a silhouette forming in front of an elegant cat lady, fur soft and snowy-white. She spoke in a delicate voice "Please, listen! You have to stop her somehow, that energy; it's tearing away at your reality!"

He nodded, steadying himself and held his right hand to his throat and cleared it. "Frost joke, don't failed me now..." he whispered as he grabbed a sheet of paper from his shirt and extended his left arm to read it "And Today, I made a Mocking Hood!" A cold wind blew through the room, but had no effect on Marie.

"That won't work!" the spirit plead "That energy has power beyond any imagination! The only person who would stop it is Marie herself" she explained "But it has manipulated her stress and rage, causing her to snap under the pressure!"

"Then I'll let her have some time to herself, without harming me!" Convivial yelled over the surging energy Marie was creating. "...Well you can't do it with lame jokes..." he heard from a nearby Deviruchi (since his reality is shifted, he can hear things talk in his mind) "...Lame huh... Lame huh? LAME HUH!" He began screaming at the top of his lungs. "I'M THE ONE WHO PUT THE ARROWS IN THE OLD BLUE BOX!" The cold draft flowed through the cave yet again, causing the mini-demon to stiffen and freeze. This affect also took place on Marie's clothing, slowing her down slightly.

"You don't get it!" she said "That magic is tearing away at reality, your world could easily be destroyed by the time she regains control, she needs help somehow... a way to overcome the rage..."

"She'll never overcome it in this form, and I won't be able to do anything when I'm dead will I!" Convivial yelled as another bolt whizzed past his head and was deflected from the Deviruchi's frozen shell. "...That's it!" He dove over and grabbed the monster, ducking behind a boulder for cover "Marie! I know you're in there! You don't want to do this!"

"I... can't..." even her thoughts were controlled by the anger "It can't stop! The darkness!" She glared, letting out even more power. It nearly enveloped the room, but the spirit kept Convivial remotely safe. The bard glanced over to his Lute that remained on the rock opposite his side of Marie "...If music soothes the savage soul, then you're my only hope."

He dashed from behind the rock directly toward Marie with the ice cubed monster still in his hands. Using it as a diversion he tossed it directly at Marie and leapt as high as he could, successfully reaching the ground behind her, head first but not very badly bruised. He grabbed his Lute and began playing, panting as he did winded from his leap. The music calmed her, still the anger tried to drive itself, but it showed hints of weakening. The energy slowly subsided as Marie clutched her head, slowly falling to the ground. As the cat spirit faded away, she slowly opened her eyes, gazing up at the blurred figure of Convivial. She blinked, saying "Hey, how'd I end up on the floor?"

"Phew..." Convivial said though a sigh, avoiding the question as he leaned onto the rock behind him, grasping his chest as if his heart were about to burst "...Next time a mysterious being tells me something, I'm following it."

Marie sat up, noticing her shawl and bandages gone. Her wounds felt sore, blood trickling out. "What happened here?" she asked, seeing all the destruction about.

Convivial opened an eye to look around as well.

"...Oh, nothing too serious." he said, closing it "As a Matter of fact, I think our path is a little bit more clear now..."

She nodded, seeing the blood "I just remember getting real angry... then being surrounded by darkness... I guess I had a nightmare" she figured "But it felt so real, I even tried to fight against it" she sighed "But now I feel so much better."

"That's ...good..." Convivial said, beginning to slouch on the rock. "...maybe now I can get some true rest."

He slipped off into dreamland with his hand over his Lute, playing a slight tune unconsciously. Even in his sleep, he was fairly musical. As he slept Marie stumbled about trying to find her bandages and shawl. They both laid by her feet, as she picked them up, trying her best to retie the bandages, except "Geeze... I can't get these bandages wrapped on... my wings...Bah... later, too tired..."

She laid down on the ground, dozing off in an instant. As Marie slept, a familiar shadow kept toward her "Finally... and chance at her blood..." It took its humanoid form and stood above her, pointing the palms of its hands toward her chest, causing himself to glow a deep crimson color "Yes...yes, I can feel the energy surging through me... yes...wait, this isn't it... this isn't the energy I want."

He let go, unable to pierce her own immortal aura "...Blast! I was sure that I could..." He spotted the bandages lying near her, picking them up and absorbing what little blood they had on them "...All that waiting...and all I get is this... This is nowhere near enough to support my raid on Glast Hiem..."

He noticed Marie beginning to stir, and squinted. She woke up, blinking; she noticed the shape-shifter, asking "Hey, what are you doing with meh bandages?" She cautiously materialized her sword, forcing herself to focus. "You're one of those out ta get me, aren't ya?"

"..." the figure shifted its from in the shadows, Marie's slightly blurry vision preventing her from noticing. It returned to view in the form of a young girl with amazingly long hair, holding the now clean bandages in its hand.

"...I'm sorry, I didn't know..." An innocent voice came from his mouth and echoed through the caves rather ominously, though Marie didn't really care to notice.

"Here..." It said as it stepped behind Marie, tying the bandages back on "...I saw that you needed help with this. I'm sorry if I startled you..."

"Thanks" she said, letting the sword disappear "it's really hard for me to get them around the wings..." she thought "And my shawl's over there, though I could help myself there..."

The girl picked it up and handed it to Marie. "...I'm glad to be able to help you…" a heartwarming smile spread across the child's face "...I have to head home now, my father's probably waiting for me..."

Marie nodded, drifting off to sleep. Whilst the two slumbered, the cat spirit left a message in Convivial's dream "Please, look after her, keep her happy……we can't let this happen again..."

"...Yes... I don't want to be shot anymore times than necessary..." Convivial nodded in his sleep, banging it against the rock and waking himself up "...Ow."

As he rubbed the back of his scalp he looked toward Marie, grinning in relief to see that she was still sleeping "...Yes, keep her happy..." Just before nodding off again, he noticed the girl who helped Marie standing just before her. Long, flowing black hair, traditional ancient Japanese wear.

"...Sohee...?" the shape shifter heard his voice and looked over toward him, with an innocent smile. Convivial began to rub his eyes. "I can't believe...!" As he opened his eyes he saw nothing. The figure had disappeared entirely. "...I guess my mind is playing tricks on me..." He shrugged and went back to sleep.