Chapter 63: Dream fuel spirit.

Dear Croix.

Wait. Can I even call her "dear" after we broke up? It's just a normal thing to put before letters, right? Or emails, in this case. But… I don't know. It feels wrong. Especially considering this is the first email I'll send her after our break up, but…

Ugh. What to do?

Hey Croix.

It's been a long time, hasn't it? How have you been? Busy trying to get that scholarship, I assume.

I've been busy myself, you know? Shiny Chariot stuff. And… speaking of which, I kinda need a favor.

This is so stupid. She won't answer! Who am I kidding? I bet she's still mad about my shows, and Wagandea, and the words, and… Yeah… She won't answer. But I guess it can't hurt to try, right?

I have been trying to unlock the seventh word, but I've made no progress so far. And I kinda need to do it before this week ends. That, or find some method to use magic without needing the Philosopher's stone, if that's even possible.

So… yeah. You think you can help me? I'd appreciate even if you just gave me the name of a book I can read or a piece of information I can follow. Anything. Please.

Sincerely, Chariot.

I sigh, unhappy as to how this email turned out, but press "send" anyways. This would be so much easier if she was still here, if we were together, if only-

No! Stop it, Chariot! Stop. It can't be. Thinking about it will only make my heart hurt more, but…

I close the laptop and go to lay on my bed, closing my eyes and trying to sleep. As I roll into my side, however, I can't help but remembering how it felt like when I slept at the Astronomy tower with Croix. I remember her warmth against my skin. I remember the sound of her heartbeat on my ear. I remember the softness of her shirt under my hand as I cuddled into her, but… as I reach out, I only find an empty space.

It's been months now! Why do I still long for her so much? Why, even after everything that happened, after our fight and after breaking up, I still wished she was here with me? Supporting me, loving me, helping me… just like the old times.

Why did it never occurred to me that all of that would come to an end eventually? Why couldn't time just stay still in a time when we were happy? Why did she have to go?

I wipe away my tears and close my eyes tightly.

This is so stupid.

I shouldn't be missing Croix! I shouldn't be wishing she came back. I shouldn't be imagining a thousand different scenarios in which my email reaches her and suddenly she appears outside my door and tells me she wants us to get back, and we kiss and the seventh word is unlocked.

I know it's not that simple. I know it's not going to happen, but… I can't stop myself from wishing for a miracle.

Maybe it's just because I'm frustrated and stressed. I only have one week to come up with some way to make my shows better, or else who knows what my manager will make me do in order to not lose even more fans.

Just one week.

My life literally depends entirely on what happens in the next few days.


It's Sunday afternoon and I'm in the library. That should show just how desperate I am.

I even refused to go with my friends to town today! I told them I needed time to work on my thesis project, but I guess we all know that's a blatant lie; the probabilities of me graduating are astronomical at this point. Still, it got them off my case, and it left me the whole day to try and do some research.

Research. I huff in annoyance. All I've been doing is flipping through the pages of endless piles of books looking for something that'll help me; any clue at all about the seventh word, the grand triskelion, or how to use magic without a Philosopher's stone. But still, even as the day is ending and my palms get sweaty and my muscles tense because of time literally weighing down on me, I find absolutely nothing that can actually help me.

And that's when it happens; the miracle I'd been waiting for.

A knock on the door makes me turn around, not expecting anyone to come in at this time of day on a Sunday. And there, standing nonchalantly like no time has passed at all, is-

"How have you been, Chariot?" Croix says as greeting, and I can just barely restrain myself from launching at her arms and kissing that stupid grin of hers.

"Croix!" I exclaim.

Even as I hurriedly get up and walk briskly towards her, this doesn't feel real. Oh gosh. Did I fall asleep? Is this a dream? It looks real, but…

"What?" She laughs, raising an eyebrow at me. "You look like you just saw a ghost."

"I- W-well…" I stutter, unable to get my mouth to work properly for a few seconds. "I j-just… Why are you here?" I end up asking the obvious.

"I was taking some time off in Blytonbury, to try and clear my mind, when I saw your email and decided to pop by for a quick visit." She says nonchalantly. "Come on, it's not that weird, is it?"

"I didn't even think you'd answer my mail, much less…" I trail off, looking her up and down, still trying to convince myself this isn't an advanced illusion spell or something like that.

In response, she sighs, looking to the ground for a moment, before her green eyes land on me again. She looks tired, with black bags under her eyes, like how she usually does when she's been overworking herself, but… there's something different in her. A glint in her eyes. A new idea? A breakthrough? I know her well enough to detect these kinds of things. At least I think I do. I wonder what is going on in her head.

"Let's go for a walk." She suggests. "Why don't you tell me everything about this problem you're having?"


Deciding it's best to leave those stupid books forgotten, I follow Croix outside towards the bridge next to the greenhouse and tell her everything; about the diminishing number of people in my shows, the mean comments on the internet and the pressure from my manager, in addition to the time limit and today being my last day of research before having to present a solution. She just listens attentively; not saying anything, but clearly paying attention, if her serious expression is anything to go by.

I honestly expected her to be more dismissive when I told her this was about my Shiny Chariot career, but… thankfully she remains mostly neutral. I wonder if she has come to terms with my dream… or if maybe she's just interested in this at all because it could lead to the revival of the seventh word.

I better not get my hopes up, but… what if she wants to help me? What if we start spending more time together again? What if…?

No.

No, I shouldn't think about that.

Not now, at least.

"I just want to use magic like no one has ever seen before." I conclude my explanation. "So that everyone is happy."

Croix doesn't say anything after that. I assume she's thinking about it, but I don't know. I'm honestly just looking at the ground; too stressed and anxious about this whole situation to do much more than that. I'm honestly starting to think she won't answer, or that she wants me to tell her even more details (which I'm not sure I can do), but then…

"What do you think about using a new magic I'm investigating?" She says cautiously, startling me. I honestly thought she'd say something about the seventh word. "Although it's still in an experimental stage."

I finally look up at her, eyes open wide and pulse racing. Could it be? Does she really have the solution I've been so desperately searching for?

"What kind of magic?" I ask eagerly. In response, she gets out a little notebook with a black cover and opens it, revealing pages full of diagrams and annotations written in the messy cursive letters I'm all too familiar with.

"Dream fuel spirit." She says, just as I'm reading those same words, big and underlined, in her notebook. "It transforms the energy of people's dreams into magic. With it you should be able to use more powerful spells and show incredible dreams to your public."

It transforms people's dreams into magic? Whoa! That sounds amazing! If it's true it'll help me so much to make my shows better! I won't even need a sorcerer's stone. Though… I don't quite understand all the annotations in Croix's notebook. Something about fulfilling the void of a person's soul? Huh. I wonder how you do that. I hope it's not too complicated.

"So… how would I use this, exactly?" I ask.

"Well…" She closes her book and purses her lips. "At this point it's purely theoretical, but if my calculations are correct, the Claiomh Solais should be able to give you access into people's hearts."

"What?" I tilt my head, confused.

"You'll need some practice, I assume, but seeing how in-tune you're with it, it should be easy." She reassures me. "You'll just need to get people excited about magic, thinking about their love for it and all that… basically get them to be in the same state you are when you use the words of Arcturus."

"Okay?" Should be easy enough, considering my shows. I think.

"Then you just need to connect with the Claiomh Solais yourself and… draw in all that energy."

"I thought you'd use one of your inventions to be honest." I scrunch my eyebrows. I honestly would feel better if she did like some sort of mechanical sorcerer's stone to give me access into magic, instead of… whatever it is.

"It'll be fine." She shrugs. "And besides, I will use my inventions as well. Mainly to absorb some of the magic you get from this method and study its properties. I'll also be documenting the process and possible effects."

"Why?" Now I'm confused. Sure, Croix likes to take most opportunities to study magic and test her inventions, but I didn't think she'd want to get involved with me and my shows to this extent. Not after… well, everything.

"Because I can't use the Claiomh Solais myself." She says matter-of-factly. "And I'd need an ample test size anyways, and you have access to that."

"Is this… for your project? For the scholarship?" I clarify, beginning to understand.

"Of course." She rolls her eyes. "If I can manage to transform dreams into magical energy, they'll pretty much have no choice but to accept me. Think of it as… a mutual favor." She shoots me a crooked smile, that I answer with an enthusiastic one of my own.

"So, you're saying we'll be working together again?" I exclaim, resisting the urge to throw myself into her arms.

"For now." She nods. "Just don't get any funny ideas. I don't' want things to get too… messy."

"Right, right." Now it's my turn to roll my eyes; as if things weren't messy between us anyways. "But if you wanna kiss me, you just have to ask." I add with a mischievous wink.

"Chariot." She gives me a deadpan look. "Let's just… test this out, okay?"

"Ugh, fine." I end up agreeing, though I'm still hoping for a kiss to be honest. Perhaps I just have to give her a little more time. "Show me how it works then."


Croix suggested we made our way to Blytonbury and that I performed an impromptu show as I did before I became Shiny Chariot. And honestly? The suggestion seemed so alien coming from Croix's lips, that for a moment I wondered if this was actually Croix, or just someone else pretending to be her. But the next few minutes that were spend by us flying through the Leyline and her telling me everything about her research on dream energy (using a ton of scientific terms, of course), convinced me that it was indeed her.

At the end of her boring explanation, I simply complimented her on her impressive and thorough research, and hoped that what little I understood would be enough. After all, it was a matter of using the Shiny Rod's magic, right? I was an expert on it by now.

Now, technically, I wasn't supposed to be doing shows on my own, much less for free like some street performer. I was a celebrity now, and, most importantly, under a contract. But I just hoped my manager would forgive me for this transgression seeing as it was in direct benefit of improving my shows. And besides, I only wanted to make people happy, and what's a better for it than some free-of-charge entertainment, right?

And so, I begin as usual; with Croix watching from afar instead of with the crowd of kids that quickly forms. It's not entirely as it was before, however, because soon enough I hear people saying "Look, it's Shiny Chariot!" And my crowd becomes bigger than expected, with people coming with cameras and cellphones to film me as I do my usual spells. I don't know why, but this makes me feel self-conscious and a little nervous despite the crowd being a lot smaller than it was in the grand stages I've been performing on, or perhaps because of it. It feels definitely more intimate, that's for sure. And Croix attentive stare doesn't help.

Still, as I feel my magic running out, I'm reminded what I'm here for; dream fuel spirit. It's time.

I take a deep breath and raise my staff, remembering Croix's earlier words: I have to connect to my public's hearts through the Shiny Rod. Should be easy enough, right? I'm so in-sync with it already. I just have to concentrate.

I remember my love for magic then; how I felt when I first rode a broom or casted my first spell. How magic brought me closer to Croix, and how many adventures we had because of it… only the good memories. And soon enough, I feel that euphoric feeling rising on my chest as my emotions connect to the Shiny Rod, except… this time instead of allowing my own energy to flow into it, like I do when using the words, I use it as some sort of antenna to amplify my senses and, soon enough, I feel… something. It's difficult to describe, but… it's like I can see bright spots of light, except I'm not seeing them; I'm feeling them with my heart. I can see tiny tendrils connecting them to my staff too, and cautiously, I pull on those tendrils, feeling as the energy flows into the staff, offering just a little resistance.

I hesitate in that moment. This feels like stealing. It's… invasive. Should I really be doing this? Is it worth it just to get even more flashy magic?

I mean… it should be fine, right? It's just dream energy. I'll just create more dreams with my spells! Yeah, it's not… it's not stealing if I'm giving it back, right?

And so, I pull harder on the energy, feeling as it flows out of them and magic fills my staff completely once more. I then open my eyes and see dozens of tiny creatures of light illuminating the night sky. Did I… did I do that? Is it illusion magic or the manifestation of their dreams? I'm not sure, actually, but they're pretty and the kids seem to like it, so it's okay. Plus, now I'm able to continue the show as usual; just using my staff as if nothing happened. This is truly something else!

And so, after casting a few more flashy spells and earning myself a lot pf praise and applauses, I return to Croix's side; breathless and sweaty, but with a smile on my face.

"So? What did you think?" I ask earnestly.

"Better than usual." She shrugs non-committedly, but a hint of a smile appears on her lips. "I think it'll be beneficial for your shows moving forward."

"And it's all thanks to you!" I beam at her, feeling truly grateful for her help.

"Yes, but there's still improvements to be made, and research to be done." She reminds me. "I'm yet unsure of the possible side-effects, as I commented earlier, and I also want to know how we could use it in the future without needing the Claiomh Solais." I nod in agreement. "I already have an idea of course, with my cubes, but I'd have to test them in your shows."

"You'll need to speak to my manager for that." I say apologetically. After all, I did say earlier that I'd help in her research, but I assumed she'd just take notes from the backstage, not directly test something during my shows.

"That's alright." She dismisses the thought with a wave of her hand. "You'll see him tomorrow, right? I'll just come with you then and explain everything."

"Sure!" I smile at the thought of not having to explain this myself, but I don't think there'll be a problem; as long as my shows are flashier now and last longer, he should be happy.

"Alright then. Let's find a hotel for tonight." She says as she turns around and starts walking towards the busy streets. "We can worry about all of this tomorrow."


A/N: I hope you liked this chapter! Things are about to get... interesting, as you can see. To put it midly XD. Please leave a review/favorite/follow if you enjoyed it, and I'll see y'all in two weeks.

Btw, if you ever wondered what Croix's notebook says in that scene of the anime, I transcribed it all on my Tumblr when I was doing research for this chapter, so if you wanna see it, just search my account there.

Thanks to my beta reader moonwatcher13.