Greeting again, I know it's been awhile and I apologize for keeping you waiting. I had lost the will to continue this story, but your reviews helped pull me through. Special Thanks to my Beta readers, Zellie and Skelethin, you helped put another chapter out. Hope you all enjoy. Read and review.

Forward: I don't own The Psychic Academy, though I wish to open one in the future. The wonderful Katsu Aki does. When her Characters do appear, they will be mentioned in the forward.

Psychic Academy: On the Other Side

Based on the popular manga series by Katsu Aki

By Darkensea

Chapter 13:

Myria walked silently through the darkened hallways of the academy. There was an eerie feeling in the air and the cold made her shiver. She could not remember what she was doing there or where she was going but she continued to walk on, fighting both the cold and the feeling of fear rising in her chest. Silence hung like a shroud heightening everything that struggled to break it, the sounds of her own footsteps or the creek of the floor. She turned the corner and took the stairs to the roof. Opening the door noticed a thin layer of mist hovering above the floor. Xaioto stood at the protective barrier, his sights turned out over the campus. Something about him sent shivers down her spine. He turned and looked at her, his purple eyes glowing ominously. Mist erupted from around him, descending on the campus. The silence that had haunted her shattered, and she wished for its return. The air filled with agonizing screams of hundreds of students rising as the mist descended.

Myria bolted up in bed, and looked around her room, awakened by the nightmare that had plagued her since her since her freedom from the Defenders. She had been lucky enough to get a single dorm this semester, but now she wanted company. She drew her sheets closer around her in an effort to block out the cold, and for the first time in a long time, she wept.

It was another warm and pleasant day as Xaioto, Myria, Soni, Moon and Yukeri sat in the courtyard they still had three days with no classes and sitting around talking had become the groups favorite past time.

"So you wait, until I'm in the hospital to hook up with Yukeri?" Xaioto asked Moon.

"You waited until you were in the hospital to beat the Defenders within an inch of their lives." Moon replied jokingly.

"We should get out. Head down to the beach and just enjoy the day." Myria cut in. She was looking toward the sky and her voice seemed distant as if she was talking to herself. "It would be nice to change the scenery every now and then."

"We would have to get passes this time." Xaioto reminded her.

"Ask the Doc. You can say, its part of your recovery process." Moon said jokingly.

"That really isn't a bad idea." Xaioto rose from the steps. "I'll see how many I can get." He turned and disappeared in to the building. Yukeri gave Soni and nudge, and Soni quickly rose and followed him.

Myria watched them disappear, then turned back to the sky. She was trying to fight the memories of the nightmares, but losing horribly. She glanced over at Moon and Yukeri, who had begun to make out. They wouldn't understand, she thought, I'm not sure if any of them would. She closed her eyes and resumed her internal struggle.

Xaioto and Soni returned a short while later. "We got the passes but there was one condition." Soni explained.

"There is always a condition when you ask those two, but they always give it to you so you can't complain." Moon sighed. "What's the condition?"

"That they accompany us on this beach trip. According to them we keep interrupting their off days, so they are going to take ours." Xaioto explained.

"Fair enough, so when we leaving?"Yukeri cut in.

"They're giving us thirty minutes to pack what we need and change, then they meet us by the front gate."

"Sounds good." Moon replied rising to his feet. The group separated as they headed back toward their dorms to prepare.

The group arrived a the beach a short while later led by Doc and Nurse Kerla. The beach was rather empty today, strangely there weren't many students around, even though they had no class and could enjoy the day. There also weren't many families from the town there either. So finding a spot for themselves wasn't to hard. They began to set up, playing around and joking with each other as they went. When they finished the boys laid back on the beach while the girls went swimming.

"Xaioto, can I ask you something?" Moon asked breaking the silence that had settled over them.

Xaioto looked over and was met by a scene he had grown accustomed to seeing. Moon laying back with his headphones on, eyes closed, appearing to be zoned out to the world. Something about this scene was calming. "Sure, anything?" He replied

"How do you feel about Soni?" Xaioto laid back in the sand. Out of all the questions Moon could of asked him, this was the one he was least prepared to answer. Moon continued. "Cause now you have Myria hanging out with us much more, and even though everyone thinks she is your cousin, this questions will come up."

"I don't have an answer for that. I really don't know."

"Pardon my eavesdropping, but isn't Myria your cousin?" Doc asked leaning over them from his lounging chair.

"Not really." Xaioto answered him. "We spread the rumor she was my cousin so us talking to each other wouldn't cause any conflict with her class mates."

"Much help that did." Doc replied sarcastically. "Righteous mess you left Azural in, though. " They laughed at this statement, helping to ease the tension of Moon question. "But seriously," Doc said changing his tone. "In this case it might not be a matter of who you like more but who you have put more effort on. Looking at all the things you did for the little Lighting bug, you deserve to at least give her a chance. Not that any of this is my business."

"Little Lighting bug." Xaioto said. "I've only heard one other person call her that. Where did that name come from?"

"A little of her history." Doc started. " When she first came in to the academy, she wasn't as social as she is now. Her silence was mistaken for a pompous attitude and she got into a fight with another student with the same domain as her."

"Perzo." Xaioto replied. He caught the confused look on Moon's face and explained. "An student from the upper class, with an aura domain similar to Mryia's."

"Right. Well Perzo had been one of the students who had shown his aura from a very young age, and was very used to his aura applications. She didn't stand a chance. I said it was like a lighting bug going against insect lantern. It was such a adorable nickname, I kept it. Just like full Moon over there. From that day it was her goal to beat him and she put everything she has in to training to be strong enough to complete that goal."

Xaioto fell silent thinking back on their battle with Perzo. That was her goal, and with his help she accomplished it. Yet she acted as though there was nothing to it, He might have to ask her about if they had some alone time later, or on their next outing. He looked out towards the water, where Soni and Myria were playing. They seem to have become friends while he was in the hospital. "I am so screwed." Both Doc and Moon nodded in agreement. Xaioto sighed heavily. I have never done anything toward Soni in the romantic sense and I have no idea how she feels towards me. But I like her and I want to keep her close."

"If you can't tell that girl likes you, your worst of than I thought." Doc commented. "For the first half of your hospitalization, she never left your side, hoping you would wake up and wanting to be there when you did."

"Never left my side?"

"She ate and slept next to you, just so she wouldn't have to leave you." Moon explained. "Then when she learned about the golem, she searched restlessly for it only stopping to check in and see how you were doing."

Xaioto laid back in the sand again and fixed his gaze skyward. Such devotion had to be rewarded. He would have to try and make Soni happy. He tried to imagine Soni sitting on the hospital bed next to him, a look of concern on her face over his health. He had to thank her. He closed his eyes and let himself drift away.

Later on in the day Soni, Yukeri and Nurse Kerla sat on there beach towel relaxing and enjoying the last warmth of the day. The sun had begun to slowly set dying the sky a bright vermillion. Soni had set up on the other side of the rock jetty, separating herself from the group. Moon had joined Myria in the ocean.

Soni was sitting on the sand, her mind lost in thought as she stared blankly over the ocean. Her hair stirring lightly in the gentle winds that passed ever now an then. Even though Xaioto had never been to the beach with her, something about this scene was familiar to him. He paused for a second to admire the scene before he became part of it. He took a seat in the sand next to her. She looked at him, but said nothing, and returned to looking out over the ocean. He started slowly. "Soni, I never did get the chance to thank you for watching over me back when I was in the hospital."

"I just couldn't bear to leave you like that."

"Since I first came here, you been there worrying about me and helping me. That is something I know I can't repay you for, but from now on I will be the one to protect you." She didn't respond. "So thank you for always being there for me."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "I was the least I could do for a friend." She said.

He took the opportunity to put his arm around her. "Umi." he whispered, letting the mist embrace wrap itself around her. She began to rub her head against his chest, just enjoying the feel of his aura. He reached over and pulled her into a full embrace, holding her tenderly, letting her head rest on his shoulder. Her scent surrounded him, the light smell of fresh roses. The effect of the first mist embrace faded and he let it go feeling the aura strain it put on him. His tolerance for using his aura had still not recovered from his hospital stay so he settled on restricting his usage for the rest of the day. Soni returned his embrace, rolling on to her side to get a better grip. He loosen his grip on Soni and pulled back so he could look in to her eyes. Seeming to read his thoughts and actions she gently took his face in her hand and drew him closer, kissing him. After a moment she seem to catch herself, and pulled away embarrassed with what just happened. Xaioto pulled her closer, her holding her tightly. "Its okay." He whispered.

In the darkness of his closed eyes, and image flashed into his mind, as Moon's voice whispered in his ear. "Dude, Myria is heading your way." That made him release her. Cursing himself in his head, he told Soni he would be back and headed towards Moon running in to Myria along the way.

"Xaioto, have you seen Soni?" She asked as he approached.

"She is sitting on the other side of the jetty." He responded, hoping that she would not realize that is where he had just come from. She thanked him and headed off to meet her. Xaioto sighed heavily and continued on his way to thank Moon.

Myria found Soni curled up in holding her chest. She took the seat next to her that was previously occupied by Xaioto. "Soni, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Soni took a moment to catch her breath, then replied. "Sure, what's going on."

"It's about Xaioto, and I feel you might be the only person who would understand."

"Xaioto? What about him?"

"You were the only person who saw the golem other than me and the Defenders. Did you notice something strange about it."

Soni found this a very strange question and took a moment to respond. Her mind still on what just happened with Xaioto. "Not really. What are you getting at."

"How well do you know him?"

"Only since he came to this school."

"There was something about the golem... something that was scary."

"And your afraid to see that in Xaioto?"

"Very."

Soni tried to remember her encounters with the golem, and remember the displays of affection it had given her. Mryia was right. The golem had a certain darkness to it , even in it affection. However she didn't feel the same presence with Xaioto just a few moment age.

"Just remember that it wasn't him. Even thought it looked and sounded like him, it wasn't and try not to blame him for its actions. Those were some of the last words it said to us."

"It may not of been him, but it was a part of him, part of his consciousness. The darker side, inside him and it is a part of who he is." She paused for a second. "Has he ever embraced you in his aura?" Soni blushed at the memory and Myria continued without needing a verbal response. "As calming and soothing as it is. It's the same techniques he used to defeat Azural."

"He hugged him in to submission?"

Myria laid back in the sand and gazed at the passing clouds in an effort to soften the memory in her head."Suffocated is more like it. It wasn't pretty."

Soni glanced out towards the ocean. "And after all you've seen him do, you can't see him the same way again. Your scared of what he would do if he loses control again." She paused, still not looking a Myria. "But even in your description of what happened, you had to beg the golem to stop and it listened to you. You should be able to stop Xaioto in the same way."

"You may be right. Thanks Soni, I needed that."

"Xaioto freed you to have who ever you wanted as your friends, and I am here to be one." She smiled softly.

The day drew to a close as the group headed back to the Psychic Academy. Myria and Soni were cheerfully chatting while Moon and Yukeri held on to each other. Xaioto walked in the center in silence. Just happy to be out with all his friends. It was what he had spent his first semester trying to accomplish, and even though he wasn't exactly sure how, he had some how completed his task. His next semester couldn't be as difficult as his first, or so he hoped.