Yuri stared around him in shock, "What?"
"What do you mean?" Tessa asked. She was sitting in the courtyard reading a book with Alice.
He shook his head, "Nothing. Nothing."
"Yuri," Kamiya looked him over worriedly, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah. Of course," Yuri nodded. He smiled at her, "I'm fine."
"Okay," Kamiya nodded and teleported to Tessa's side, "C'mon! Chandra said she'd take us all to lunch if we wanted.
Yuri nodded, "Sure." This doesn't make any sense. I remember fighting Athena. Athena hasn't been activated though according to them. And…they're fine. Tessa looked happy even. When was the last time she looked happy?
"Guys!" Jade ran up to them. She grinned excitedly, "Look! Look! Jace and Erin are gonna race again."
"Again?" Tessa shook her head, "Erin knows he's never gonna beat him."
Yuri watched them in amusement. Everyone was happy. No one seemed to be in any pain, emotional or otherwise. I mean Jace is humoring Erin and racing him just because Erin wants to be faster than him. Yuri felt a warm happy feeling rise up inside him. This was the way things should be. No one should have to go through the pain his friends had to. No one deserved to be held down by a past like that. Cain, naturally was calculating Erin's possibility of actually beating Jace.
"Of course it also depends on whether or not Jace decides to go easy on him," Cain explained, mostly to himself. Yuri listened. He made an effort to listen to all of them, make them all feel as welcome and loved as possible.
Leisa, Athena's usual personality, laughed, "C'mon Cain. Why would Jace go easy on him. You know he's just as competitive as Chandra, if not more so."
Yuri smiled. He noticed Elspeth watching him, leaning against the school building. She mouthed the words "come here". Yuri looked at Tessa, "I'll be right back. I'm gonna go get my water bottle."
Tessa nodded, "Of course."
Why did I lie to her? Something about Elspeth's face told him it had to be done. Her eyes were hard and grave. And yet it looked as though she understood completely.
"Yuri."
He nodded. Her tone unnerved him, "Yes?"
"Is this what you want? A world where everyone, even those haunted by horrific pasts, are happy?"
Yuri looked around. Is this not the world I live in? Is this the dream and the battle with Athena is the reality? "Yes," he admitted quietly, "I want everyone to be happy. I want to be able to see everyone smiling and enjoying the life that they have now, instead of being held down by their pasts. I've never seen any of them smile. They're always so serious and so far removed from the rest of us."
"Then help them smile. Living in a false world where they are happy will never be the same as bringing happiness to them yourself when they are so down," Elspeth urged.
Yuri looked up at her, "I never thought of it that way. Honestly I was beginning to think they'd never smile. No matter how hard I tried I'd never see them be truly happy."
"Watch them and you'll see how much progress you've already made," Elspeth held out her hand for him to take. The entire image faded once he took her hand.
Yuri looked at Chandra, "How much longer?"
"Just under two minutes."
He nodded, "Alright."
Isabelle had a grin as wide as Chandra usually did. She warped the paths of the blades that rained on them. Chandra grinned, "You look just as crazy as I do!"
"Oh can it!" Isabelle snapped.
Chandra laughed, "Make me!" Looked at Hades and nodded. The two of them shot forward. Isabelle made it so the blades didn't hit any of them. Athena was once again floating above the ground. Chandra leaped into the air. She super heated the air around her and floated on the cold air, "What's up?" She smirked and attacked.
Isabelle watched the redhead in both amusement and awe. By showing them the things they desired Athena had unwittingly given them the push they needed to beat her. Isabelle remembered her own dream.
She opened her eyes. Her sister was bouncing her bed eagerly, "C'mon Izzy! C'mon!"
Isabelle nodded, "Alright. Alright. I'm coming." She yawned, "What is it Cristi?" Everything had been completely forgotten in favor of giving her sister her full attention.
"I found Mom!"
"Huh? But how would you know her? We were both raised in the orphanage," Isabelle asked in surprise.
"I found Mom!" Cristi repeated, "I asked them to look into her."
"Oh," Isabelle pushed down her excitement. She'd always wanted to meet her mother but practically speaking there was no point in doing so now. She sighed, "Look that's cool and all but why meet her now?"
Cristi shrugged, "I just thought you should know. Oh and this was in your mailbox." The younger girl held out a sealed envelope.
Isabelle swallowed nervously, "Alright." She opened it uneasily. Instantly her eyes widened, "What?! The Philharmonic? What? Why would they want to talk to me?"
"I don't know." Cristi shrugged, "I got one too."
Isabelle looked at her in surprise. Something's off. Cristi's not a music student. Sure I've always wanted to be able to join the Philharmonic of the area and I always wanted Cristi to be able to do it with me. Suddenly she remembered that she'd been fighting with Athena last she knew. She looked out the window. They were back in Ascension City. The others were all there, acting like the trip to Elendeth had gone over completely smoothly. Kyle was complaining about how their beds were rocks compared to the private school's. Rick was humoring him while Yuri talked with Leisa and Emalia. Emalia skipped over to her, "Oh! You're letter! Aren't you excited?!" Isabelle's roommate grinned excitedly.
Isabelle nodded, "Y-yeah!"
"Are you okay?" Emalia asked. She leaned in close and scrutinized her friend, "You're not mooning over-"
"I don't moon over anybody!" Isabelle snapped angrily.
"You sure?" Emalia smirked.
"I'm just surprised that's all."
"Man, and here I was thinking you might like Cain."
"Huh? Not to be mean or anything but I've never held any sort of conversation with him. Let alone anything else." My God. Of course Emalia would just throw a random name out there. She's just the kind of person that can see a budding relationship in anything. I'm starting to think she's living vicariously through me. Isabelle then noticed Elspeth standing in the corner. She got to her feet quickly. I knew something wasn't right. "I'll be right back."
"Are you alright?! I didn't make you mad did I?!" Emalia called after her.
Isabelle didn't answer. She followed Elspeth out to the backside of the campus, "Elspeth. What is this?"
"A dream. A dream in which your dreams are supposed to become your reality," Elspeth explained.
"That's why the Philharmonic sent both me and my sister a letter even though my sister isn't a music student?"
"Yes," Elspeth nodded.
"How do I get out?" Isabelle asked instantly, "If you're all still fighting Athena then I don't want to stay in this dream."
Elspeth smiled and held out her hand.
Isabelle smirked and took it.
Isabelle smirked, "Yuri, quit playing around!"
"I'm not!"
"Your aim is terrible even with your damned fireballs!" Isabelle snapped.
"I'm sorry!"
"Would you two please stop arguing and pay ATTENTION?!" Chandra said as she dropped down beside them. She picked up Isabelle and leaped out of the way of three of Athena's chains. Hades dropped in front of Yuri and four chains hit an invisible wall in front of him and shattered. He was probably strong enough to carry the blond but he wouldn't be fast enough to get out of the way in time. They'd all had their own dreams. Their own desires were fulfilled. Elspeth came to each of them and reminded them that there is hope beyond a fruitless dream. Hades was going to keep his dream to himself. Elspeth would be the only other person to know that what he wanted more than anything was a family. People that cared about him and loved him. He had known from the beginning that it was an illusion. He just didn't want to leave it behind. All Elspeth had done was remind him the Chandra had offered that he join their family. The family that was the student body of the school, dysfunctional though it may be. He had turned her down every time she'd offered because he'd been afraid. He'd been afraid of the principal but more than that he had been afraid it was a joke. Now he could see that it wasn't. The entire student body watched them in awe. Their eyes glowed brightly, warmly.
Elendeth City was known as the most accepting haven in the world. They welcomed anyone that had a nice heart no matter what their past or even the origins and the attitude of those that shared their title with open arms. They would love them and care for them. Elendeth City was in itself a family. It didn't matter to this city if you were a demon or an angel. If your good intentions matched your actions, or you were on a path that led to a brighter road the city would welcome you. Hades understood this now and had already promised to protect the city. He'd promised Elspeth that he would do his very best.
Chandra caught Athena as she dropped. The armor faded and the girl's hair returned to it's original shoulder blade length. The girl was unconscious and bleeding heavily from multiple wounds. Dawn was there in an instant, having been teleported by Kamiya. Chandra set her down and got to her feet. She stumbled for a second, suddenly remembering the beating she'd taken. She shook her head and looked around. Jenny dispelled her magic circle. Nix set Cain down gently on the ground. Ral was doing better, though he was still pale and sick looking. Lily landed in front of her, "Wow. You guys got beat up while I was gone."
"Eh," Chandra shrugged. Yuri was lying on the ground. He was conscious but suddenly in quite a bit of pain. She looked at Lily, "Put him to sleep."
"No," Yuri sat up painfully and slowly.
Chandra nodded, "Yeah."
Lily did so with a small cut onto his shoulder. He was unconscious within half a minute.
Isabelle sat down next to him and looked at the destruction they'd caused. The dorm buildings were fine. She got to her feet and put in the password that would turn the buildings back into their normal tower like structures.
Chandra sat down on the ground and yawned, "I need a nap."
"Then sleep."
She looked up to see Lilianna standing over her. The necromancer had a very disapproving look on her face. Chandra laughed, "Nice to know you care Lili."
"Shut up," Lilianna sat down next to her, "You are such an incessant little brat..."
Chandra tuned her out and turned her attention to her nap. Everything was going to be fine for a little while at least. Now that everything had been taken care of there was no reason for her to stay awake.