Ciana used to have her hair clip on her, but she actually left that behind in her hospital bed as a sign of goodbye… which she frowned remembering as the girl gets ready to move along with the boys. "So… where are you guys heading anyways?" Ciana now asks, curious what they planned on doing and going.
"Right, uh... we had a map, right?" Zorah looked to Izuku as they walked down the road a leisurely pace. Then he perked up. "Oh, you have it... why?" Then he cocked his head. "I don't care where you put it, why do you need a map, you're an illiterate?"
While Zorah had this one-sided conversation, Izuku pulled back a bit to answer the clear look of confusion on Ciana's face. "Th-this happens a lot, j-just give it a minute..."
This guy made it look like he had a split personality… but chuckled amusingly at the display. "You seem to have your hands full Izuku… but he sure is interesting." Ciana smiled a bit more, he's pretty funny.
While the teens discussed this, Zorah had reached the point a migraine was coming along. "-It's how we got stuck in this God forsaken place because 'You' screwed us over!" He yelled off to the left at that last part, his brow twitching.
Then, from his own shadow, a figure jumped out looking equally as pissed. "Shaddup! I knew where I was going!"
She wore a white crop-jacket with electric-blue lines up the arms, sporting just a black sports bra underneath, revealing her toned abdomen. Black cargo shorts and an electric-blue sash wrapped around her waist, the cloth draped against her left thigh. Last, she wore black boots with the same color blue stars against the laces.
As for appearances, short, spiked onyx hair pushed back say for a few locks down the sides of her face and forehead, one large lock matching her blue scheme. All while a pair of predator's eyes stared back at Zorah, pure white in tone. She had pointy ears and her grit teeth revealed her fangs with a pair of bat-like wings flared wide from her back.
"Oh, sure you did! Explain to me then how we nearly became Timelost because of you!?" He jabbed at her chest, their foreheads jabbed together.
"Hey, I got us to a safe realm in one piece didn't I!?" The girl argued back with a whine, then huffed and looked away with her arms crossed while throwing said map they required in his face. "Hmph, you're being a real jerk today..."
"Whoa!" Ciana froze in shock seeing what just happened… another person just came out of his shadow? She guessed she was right about the split personality… still, this startled her enough to hide behind Izuku. "Uh… e-ether my fever is getting worse or that actually happened…" Ciana was pressed behind Izukus back as she held onto his shoulders while peaking her head to the side.
And she thought the other world was crazy enough. "Nothings normal anymore…" Ciana sweat-dropped.
"So it's not just me..." Izuku agreed with his eyes closed, simply processing everything.
"Like you're one to talk..." Zorah muttered, looking over the map before pointing at the girl's head. "Greenie, Traveller, meet Echo, my Nightmare... much to my dismay sometimes," She then flicked his ear.
"And this Zorah, my Host... much to my dismay sometimes," Echo recited with a cheeky grin, then blinked at the pair of teens. What was a strange similarity with Echo happened to be she had a matching tattoo around her right eye like Zorah's only on his left. "Wow, Zorah was right, you do work fast, Izuku!"
"...this is going to be a long trip..." He chuckled weakly, scratching his red cheek.
"They look more like siblings…" she smiled sheepishly while rubbing her neck, glancing at Izuku now with a raised brow. "Do you often attract girls if you don't mind me asking?" Ciana teases, cocking her head with her arms behind her back as she asked this playfully. "I mean the way the guy talks, he makes it sound like your a chick magnet…"
"Nah, Zorah just likes teasing him," Echo answered for the still embarrassed Izuku, with the silverette holding a thumb up of approval. "In any case, sorry 'bout that scare there, I don't come out often but it's been forever since I've had a girl to talk to."
"We had girls in our party in the last realm!" Zorah yelled back, clearly exasperated.
"Well, you make me desperate for socializing!" Echo huffed then flashed Ciana a toothy grin. "Anywho, nice to meetcha!"
"Nice to meet you too." She giggled with a wave, this sure is different meeting than with the other Izuku. "But hey, least you both got company… I never like being on my own anyways." Ciana had no idea what she's going to do, but hopefully she will figure out a new plan for herself. Now frowning as her gaze looks in front of the road sadly.
The mood shift in Ciana didn't go unnoticed by Zorah or Echo, with the latter glancing over to her Host as he kept his eyes trained on the map. Sighing, he turned to Izuku and Ciana. "Now that we're all getting to know each other, here's the plan, see?" Zorah drew them all in. The map was of the whole continent of Crescent Shores, the two tips of the land mass pointing west from how Zorah held it. "Currently, we're on the northern tip of the Yuei Kingdom, the kingdom itself is to the center of the continent in the plains, here,"
He tapped the middle of the map where the land curved to form the sea between the two crescent points. "Most of the land between us and the kingdom is forest and villages in between, the large forest is called the Silver Grove, while to enter we need to cross the Divide,"
"Yeah, the letter mentioned the problem originated from the mountains north east of the Silver Grove... Black Talon..." Izuku echoed the name of the mountain range to the north of the forest. His brow then furrowed. "It sounded bad, whatever it is... but in order to get there, we have to pass the kingdom first."
"So much walking..." Echo whined as she flapped her wings.
"Wouldn't have to walk if someone didn't toss us into this realm, y'know?" Zorah hummed with a flat stare at Echo who recoiled with a wince.
"A kingdom?" Ciana perked up at this, as in castles and a royal family? If she was like 7 years old again this would be a dream come true. "There's like a castle nearby or something? I-I mean that sounds pretty awesome! Is that where you plan to be a knight?" She now asks, knowing her Izuku wanted to attend UA to be a hero, wondering if this is the same for him to the castle.
"W-well, sorta. See, this?" He pulled out from under his tunic a silver chain necklace with a bronze dogtag with his name and other details etched into the metal. "It means I'm a Bronze adventurer, in order to become a Paladin, I have to reach the final rank, b-but doing so takes alot of time, training, and work, n-not many people survive past Gold, and very few are Platinum,"
"Death for glory, pretty much the standard price of any in that profession," Zorah remarked.
"We technically don't count since nothing can kill us," Echo shrugged, she eyed the map then smiled brightly. "Oh-oh, I recognize this route now! We'll make it to the Divide by sundown, totally!"
Ciana stared at the little tag he had, which is really cool as the girl seemed very wowed at the news, perking up more with her hands pressed together in a cheerful manner. "Wow that's amazing Izuku! I bet you will even get to be a top knight in no time!" Knowing Izuku, she already believes he has the potential to be an amazing knight in shining armor.
"I mean the way you came to my aid I can already see you have a heroic heart." It's true he did, especially when he comforted her when she was a wreck at first…
"Ah-hah, y-you think so? G-guess that makes it t-two people..." He smiled bashfully, feeling a lot better with the encouragement. The sacred sword he carried felt like he never earned it, not yet anyways, so to hear anyone say otherwise made it far less heavy to bear.
She nodded with a big smile, not looking like she's lying at all. "Of course! I know training to be a knight is never easy, but as long as you have the heart to stand up for people and come to there aid shows you have the potential. There's more to being a knight besides having the skills after all."
"Make that three too!" Echo swooped down behind Izuku, hugging him tightly as she nuzzled his head. "You're just so cute~!"
"Th-th-thank you... I-I guess?" He stuttered as the girl cooed in his ear.
Just ahead, Zorah folded the map, looking up at the sky. "Azure, give me strength..." Shaking his head, he led the way through the plains with the the girls laughing behind him.
Ciana blinked in surprise by this, seeing a girl hug and nuzzle him like that… this Izuku was still bashful but didn't look as bad as the Izuku she knew, the girl smiled sadly at the sight. Part of her wished she could embrace him too but he's not the person she loved…
Eventually Ciana requested to stop and rest, sitting on a tree stump while coughing into her hand. Still pretty sick and woozy. "I-I don't think I can go any farther… I-I need to rest…" Ciana was still damp and felt kinda mucky from diving in the lake, hugging herself with her arms. Wishing she had a blanket…
By now, the sun was starting to fall, they had a few hours left in the day so while Echo acted as a moving target, Izuku kept trying to hit her with his sword. Zorah stood next to the tree, glancing down at Ciana. "I bet, your aura's very weak, the hell did you do before you warped?"
"I healed someone who was badly hurt…" she answered while gazing at Izuku sorrowfully, this Izuku is working hard like the other she knew… by now Izuku probably figured out she's gone, Ciana was afraid to imagine how he reacted to that. "I didn't realize I overused it when I did… made me feel pretty ill in the process…"
"Judging by your bandages, you clearly haven't healed yourself, of course you'd overtax your body," Zorah berated with a huff, then placed his hand atop her head. "Soul Forge - Esoteric Art," Then a cooling sensation travelled down her whole body, a snow-white aura pressing to her skin before fading away. "And for good measure; Warming," Then a light red glow made her feel much warmer as steam rose from her clothes, drying them in seconds. "Should've done that an hour ago, but then Echo happened, I accept all thank you letters in the mail, your welcome,"
Cianas eyes widen in surprise at this, she guessed that this guy must be a wizard to do that. Feeling a bit more better now and more dry, Ciana smiled a nod of thanks towards the man. Normally she be pretty wowed but she wasn't in the best mood to show excitement. "T-thank you, I-I definitely needed that…" At least she felt more warmer now, though it will get cold again when the night rolls around.
"I'm guessing your a wizard to perform magical tricks like that?" She theorized already, while still keeping her eyes on Izuku.
"Pfft, yeah, okay, sure!" Came his snarky laugh. "I just know spell seals, though I'm more proficient with sound based ones like Echo is - if the name didn't tip you off," Then he added as they watched the pair train. "Seems you've got an affinity for light magic, though it's hard to see it under all those brooding emotions of yours, like I'm seeing my past self... not a pleasant feeling,"
"It's more of a curse then anything magical…" Cianas eyes narrowed a bit in annoyance to her powers, still hating it what it put her through. "Basically you can say I was cursed with it from a dark wizard… which is why I'm here to hide away from the monsters out there…" her hand went to her chin to hold her face up, knowing she lost a lot because of it…
A gentle wind blew by, the leaves parting a bit for Ciana to see it along Zorah's arms, dozens upon dozens of scars, some looked like cuts, others like the heels of boots, all etched into his skin. "Heh, believe me... I understand completely how that feels, to be cursed to endure nothing but shit from the world... like nothing can ever go right," Letting out a small breath, he stared ahead. "Echo... was the only thing, and my master, who held me together, a broken mind so close to going over the edge, I've tried killing myself far too many times back then,"
"Sounds pretty similar what I'm going through, sometimes I even wonder if I'm better off dead…" Ciana would never say that to Izuku, knowing he be horrified bringing something that depressing up. "Lot of people say I'll overcome this but things just end up becoming more complicated… I had to leave them all behind to ensure their safety from me…" her fists clenched, but knew Izuku will be just fine without her.
"Yeah, I thought the same; who'd ever want to be around a mistake like me?" But his lips curled up. "...then I met my team, stubborn as all hell, I kept asking myself why they'd bother with someone as broken as me. I only seem to cause more harm than good, they had no reason to trust or to follow me... but they did, through everything that I endured; it wasn't because they felt obligated or pitied me, rather, they cared, simple as that,"
"Look, I'm not going to give you the same shit like 'you're more than a monster' or some other cliché bullshit you hear, I've heard it far too many times, instead, here's what I've learned," Now their eyes met, and he waved his hand dismissively, eyeing the silver ring on his finger. "I told someone... really important this once,"
"If the world's against you, then hate them, show them how little their lives mean to you, they bite, you go for the fucking throat. Who cares what they think? You want to stand your ground like anyone else; You damn right do so. Be it a single person or the world. I'm willing to stand by anyone who has the will to bite back, human or monster," Then he smiled similar to that of Echo. "The whole saying of 'don't stoop to their level' is right; you should pull the stool out from under them and show them how much better you are,"
"You say that like it's easy…" her gaze goes down to her lap, she had more dangerous people coming after her, plus she could doom their world… this was obviously the best solution she should do, but even if she does go back now her friends might be mad she just ran away… Ciana could tell both Yuuki and Shoto were annoyed, she just felt more like a nuisance. "For now I think everyone just could use a break from me… I'm better off being on my own…"
"Hmph, what part of any of this is easy to you? And yeah, that's a good way to look at it," Zorah nodded. "I'm not one for pep talks, my solutions are more so to beat the problem with a bat than anything else. So... what are you running from?"
"Bad people…" she answered, Ciana never took her eyes off Izuku. "Evil wizards wanted to use my curse for something bad and I'm putting people in danger because of it… so I came here to free everyone from the danger of me, I…." Her gaze became more sad towards Izuku, now averting her eyes. "I even had to leave behind the person I loved… but it doesn't really matter much cuz he never really needed me…"
"Okay, first off, quit with the whole 'magic' BS, even if you were good at creative lying, Nightmares and their Hosts can see through them," He flicked her temple lightly. "Second, join the club, I had several Nightmares like Echo, much stronger than her too, after me, my school, and all my friends years ago, one of them... used my family against me, reason I nearly lost my mind; point is, anyone with power, there will always be someone who wants it, that a law of nature; the weak get strong, and the strong obsessed pray on them,"
Ciana clutched her fists in anger now, she had enough of the blunt talk people been giving her lately… she stands up annoyed now. "I already heard this over and over and I don't need to hear you calling me stupid for it too! So just stay out of my business!" The girl ended up walking away now, she really needed to be alone… decided to take a little walk.
Zorah blinked at this, then shrugged and closed his eyes. "...well, that went better than expected, surprised she didn't blow a blood vessel too..." Even with his eyes shut, three burning embers were within his sight. One flickering wildly with a sea of emotions crashing against the void.
Meanwhile, Ciana continued to walk around the meadows, it was a beautiful sight if she wasn't fuming. She had been given all forms of advice, from Izuku's calm and patient voice, to Shoto's and Yuuki's direct answers, Katsuki's gruff yelling, Ashido's sisterly words, Edgeshot's and All Might's wise words. Deep down, she understood their feelings, she understood them wanting to help her, but she only felt fear, pressure, and an abundance of conflicted emotions that couldn't be settled. Even in this world, she still felt haunted by them.
Ciana could see there was a little pond with a waterfall too which made the sight more breathtaking, the girl sighed annoyed though as she sat back against a tree. Clutching her head. "Maybe this was a bad idea to tag along with new people… maybe I should just be on my own… I understand what everyone is saying but this is getting to be too much… I'm sick of people telling me how ridiculous and stupid I'm being… they just don't understand this torment I'm going through!"
She lowered her head in her knees, hating her life right now. "I may be clueless about their worlds but I don't need all this harsh talk… i probably be better off if people just forget about me!" Her hands hugged her knees, shaking a bit. "I-I just want to go home at this point… and relive my normal life with my dad…"
On the opposite side of the tree, Echo frowned listening to this, eyes downcast as she let out a silent breath, moving to walk away and leave the girl in peace. Being alone often does a person wonders than having someone breathe down their neck constantly.
Ciana doesn't return for a while, she remains where she is as she took a nap… she stayed long enough for the sun to go down. Opening her eyes eventually and glanced up to see the night sky appearing. "It's getting that late already? I wonder if the others gone to sleep by now…" the girl sighs, Ciana still didn't feel very right as her fever was still there, maybe she should have recovered before jumping to another world… Ciana was a bit chilly as she sat up, she didn't have any medicine to take which is not good. "I-I don't know how I got to be so ill but healing Izuku really took a lot out of me..." Speaking of him… Ciana frowned very sadly thinking about him, hugging her knees.
"By now he probably is realizing I never returned his call… can't imagine all the texts he's writing to try and get a hold of me, Izukus going to know somethings wrong…" her eyes become more sad, clutching her knees tighter. "I promised I would never abandon him… and yet I did… but, it should be okay… Izuku has so many friends supporting him now. H-he never needed me…" that thought was enough to bring tears out from her eyes, trying to wipe them away from her eyes.
"A-at least he won't have to put up with my problems anymore, as well as everyone else…" Ciana stood up now, Ciana feels her forehead. Feeling pretty sickly still. "I-I won't be able to heal without cooling myself down somehow, I should try to get properly cleaned…" with that in mind, she now approaches the water, bending down to see how clear it looks. Good thing there's a full moon to see her surroundings better, which makes this a good night to bathe. Looking around to make sure nobody is watching, Ciana began to strip her clothes… now looking very exposed, covering her chest with her arms. Ciana dipped her foot in the water to feel its temperature before stepping halfway in, dunking her body as she gazed up at the moon.
Ciana thought of Izuku's cheerful face… the more she thought about him the sadder she felt, she shook her head to try and put aside her stressful thoughts. "I-I shouldn't make my fever feel worse…" Times like this Ciana would try to sing to cheer herself up, but she can't… knowing what will happen and Izuku wasn't here to overcome it. "Though… maybe if I don't look at myself, t-then I shouldn't freak out… maybe my quirk could even warm myself up if I activate it a little…" debating if she should even do this or not, hugging herself again. Ciana closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to activate her quirk a little in hope to even the temperature to heal.
Ciana kept her eyes closed, she couldn't bear seeing the sight of her hair changing color, her scales and nails appearing as well as the horns on each side of her head… Ciana definitely felt the change, especially feeling the fangs come in… she trembled but kept her eyes closed to try to pretend it's not there, it still became hard… since Izuku is not here she actually tried to sing… ~No matter how I try, the more that I walk. The soles of my shoes, they keep picking up dirt, No different to us. The more we hurt. The souls in our hearts, they just keep getting cloudy~
As Ciana sang, once again the light orbs appeared around her that almost looked like fireflies. ~And when it gets too hard, and nothing seems to work. I think about the reason why you kept pushing forward. I'm meant to be a savior but you saved me instead, I tried to hold your hand but you just held me in the end…~
Thinking about Izuku in that song… Ciana couldn't fight her tears falling as they came out and ended up sobbing as she wailed in pain, her quirk doesn't lose it since she's not panicking about her look. Cianas eyes were still closed as she cried, sitting half way in the water as her hands went to her face while the poor girl let all her sorrows out. At least no one was around to see her like this but she felt so alone… she had no one anymore, all her loved ones are gone and had to leave them all behind because of her stupid curse…
Not far away, Echo silently cooed at the scene with Izuku by her side. "Looks like your girlfriend has some competition, I'll leave you to it, bu-bye~"
"W-wait, don't..." And her body vanished into shadows, "...leave me here."
Turning back to the pond among a small patch of trees, it was like stumbling onto an oasis, and at the center was a siren. Izuku felt his face turn bright red, keeping his gaze down as Ciana was clearly wanting to be alone given her indecent appearance. Her voice was as soft and gentle as sunlight, and that magic she radiated, it was unlike anything Izuku laid eyes on. Only one other person did that... maybe they were related?
But her song... it was so sad, and she was sobbing to herself alone. Whatever happened to her, it left scars that weren't easily healed. That question would have to wait as his hand accidently shifted the rocks on a dirt mound he and Echo had hid behind as they went to look for Ciana, the rocks tumbled, and Izuku froze like a deer at the point of an arrowhead. He didn't look nor did he breathe as a quiet gasp echoed.
Ciana quickly turned her head around and gasped when she heard the noice, hugging her chest again as she dunk herself more in the water to hide her chest. "W-whose there?!" Ciana called out and demanded, not even realizing her quirk was still activated as she shook in a bit of fear. Hoping it's maybe just an animal…
Then she spotted the hand wave up from behind a dirt mound, that night vision paid off after all. "J-just me! S-s-sorry, I didn't s-see anything! M-me and Echo we-went looking for you! D-didn't know y-you were bathing, s-sorry!" He squeaked every other word. If the wrath of this dragon girl came crashing down on him, he'd understand.
Realizing it was Izuku… her face turned so bright red, this is a lot like how her other Izuku catches her in a situation similar to this. So he didn't go to sleep… Ciana didn't expect they want to check up on her, her gaze turns away a bit with expression shown sadness again… turning around so he can only see her back. "Oh… sorry to have worried you… I thought maybe you have gone to sleep by now…" the girl answered, not looking mad or very embarrassed funny enough…
He kept waving his hand to express himself, laying his back on the dirt to stare up at the sky. "We-well, Echo keeps watch w-while Zorah sleeps, but we were going to have food s-soon, hence w-why we looked for you, i-in Zorah's words, 'I know she's going through the ten stages of character development, but she needs to rest or she'll only get weaker, she's still ill' h-his words, not mine,"
"Thanks… I'll be there later…" she answered, Ciana wasn't sure if she wanted to move where she was yet. Staring up at the moon where she was. "I'll probably be on my way in the morning so you won't have to put up with me any longer to get in your way…"
About to get up and leave, her last comment made Izuku pause. "...I guess you have your own journey... but don't you at least want to wait until we reach a village or even the kingdom itself? N-no offence, but you d-didn't seem to recognize any l-locations on the map earlier..." He'd not want to offend her, but if she was lost then the least he could do was escort her to a safe haven.
Ciana just sighed, shrugging even if he couldn't see it. "Your right I don't know anything… but I figured I might figure something out, just seems better this way to avoid becoming a nuisance again." Ciana then noticed her reflection, gasping when she saw how she looked, closing her eyes to avoid the sight but also realize Izuku must have seen her appearance.
"You… saw my appearance… didn't you…?" She softly asked, sounding concerned of his possible reaction.
"Y-you're a dragon shifter... I-I've never seen one, m-mostly because t-they're considered m-myth," Izuku couldn't believe his eyes when he saw her form, even if only her back, the scales, the lights, and the horns, it was definitely a dragon... or a giant lizard, he wouldn't judge.
"It's a curse… I can't blame you if your disgusted by it…" clenching her fists mentioning her quirk, shedding some tears again. "I hope I didn't end up scaring you… but know it's not my real appearance…" Ciana wasn't sure what he thought, hoping this Izuku wouldn't think differently of her now,
"I-I thought it looked a-amazing, if I'm ho-honest," Clearing his throat, Ciana followed his hand's movements. "I can see why you'd believe it's a curse, dragon shifters are rare, as I said, considered myth, b-but I've always liked mythological creatures, dragons are fierce, sure, but they're also beautiful and majestic," He smiled a bit at that, he never met a dragon, probably because he'd be dead, but no one could deny they were powerful and fantastic creatures.
Ciana perked her head in surprise at this, again… he sounded a lot like how the other Izuku described her. She smiled a bit at this and felt her heart flutter, now sitting on the edge with her feet in the water. Ciana ended up making it pretty warm like an actual bath itself. "I… r-really appreciate that… I know dragons are pretty cool but I'm not really fond of how it makes me look…"
Ciana still averts her eyes from her appearance and up to the moon. "It can be dangerous sometimes what it makes me do and behave…"
"That's reasonable, I mean, a human with dragon instincts is a difficult burden, I'm sorry you have to go through that, but... it can't be all bad right? You could do a lot of great things with it!" His finger pointed up, then his hand sagged. "Well, I suppose wanting to be as normal as possible is what's bothering you, is your form... why you used a gatestone?"
The girl nodded, looking sad again. "Yeah it is… but mostly because bad people are coming after me with this power, I had friends that stood by me but…" now her gaze went down to her lap, glancing at her hands before quickly averting away from the sight. "I-I had to leave them… to keep them safe from my problems… but I'm also becoming a problem to them, I'm probably better off living in a cave at this point…" Ciana scoffed, she had to admit, Ciana didn't like how dumb some of her friends viewed her…
"...All Might, my teacher, he told me that there's much a person can find in themselves being alone; a chance to reflect, to learn, to accept. but... a lifetime of solitude is a fate no one should have to endure," He stared at his hand in the sky, lowering it now to let it rest. "I'm not sure what sinister force is after you, or how hard it was to feel leaving the people you love behind, but I just hope that wherever you go, you'll find the strength you're looking for, I really do believe that,"
It wasn't too much of a surprise to hear All Might is his teacher who probably inspired him… it's clear he brought a lot of hope to Izuku. "It's hard to believe that anymore… but I appreciate your words…" Ciana glances behind to eye the other Izuku. "Hey Izuku… this might be really weird to ask, but… if you had someone you loved as your companion that meant a lot to you, and all of a sudden she up and left without a word… how would it make you feel? Would you get over it eventually if it meant you wouldn't have to put up with her or her problems anymore?"
So that's what this was about? Ciana not only left her friends, but her lover... that made him pick his words with consideration. "Well... I think I'd be... confused, hurt certainly, but if I really did love this person? ...I'd either wait for them or find them myself. The reasonable response is to move on, but that wouldn't feel right to me, if I loved them, then even if I had to wait so long, it would be worth it, because if and when we meet again, I'd want to know everything they did, to understand every problem they face, and overcome them; and I'd never want something like that to happen again,"
He scratched his cheek a bit. "S-sorry if that doesn't make s-sense, I've never been w-with anyone so I can't speak from experience,"
Her eyes widen at this, he ether find her or wait for her? But… wouldn't that just be more painful to him? Ciana frowned in much concern toward the other Izuku. "Izuku…" she muttered his name in worry. "But… what if you had your dreams you wanted to pursue to be a knight like you always wanted? Wouldn't you want to stay focused on that? And… even if she did come back, wouldn't you also possibly be mad….?"
"I'd definitely be mad, I mean, who wouldn't be, right? And yes, becoming a Paladin is my dream, it always has been, but I think being in love, and that person's happiness, take importance too, there are consequences for both, what matters is finding the perfect balance," Izuku tried a different approach. "But Ciana, if the person you loved had left without a trace, ran away believing people were better off without them, wouldn't you do the same thing? I-I mean, everyone's different, but still..."
She flinched hearing the part that he would be upset with her… averting her gaze at this but perking up a little at the opposite direction? Her eyes narrowed. "Well… yeah… I admit I would be heartbroken… but I thought I was doing this for his sake to protect him… people are threatening to harm and possibly kill him if he got too much involved with me…" her eyes teared up a little when bringing this up, especially from the last dream she had.
"You want to keep him safe, I think that's a great quality, but doesn't he get a choice too? Wouldn't he want to stay by you to confront that? It's scary to think about having the people you care about in danger, I'm taking a big risk in trying to pick up All Might's mantle, my village, my mom, they'd all be at risk, but we do it anyway... because if we don't do anything, they're going to be hurt eventually,"
Eventually, Izuku stood up, his back still to Ciana to give her privacy. "Our situations are different, I know that what I say may not compare to your problems, I just ask... to give it some thought, but please, come back soon, food will be cold otherwise,"
Ciana can understand where he's coming from, especially from the very Izuku she loved dearly… but now she was kinda afraid he wouldn't want to be with her anymore by the time she comes back… but she nodded, so far placing her skirt and blouse back on. "I'll think about it… I still needs some time but I'll take what you said in much consideration…" Ciana goes to stand up, now eyeing the other Izuku.
"Hey, um… before we head back. There's a favor I actually want to ask you…" she fiddled with her long blond hair shyly.
He hesitantly turned, thankfully she was clothed again but still in her dragon mode. "Y-yes?"
"I…" she began to blush, looking down nervously. "I'm actually trying to practice coming to terms with my dragon side… do you think you can help me as I try to face it…?" He may not be her Izuku, but in a way he is her hero who will help her overcome this, he's the only one who can help her…
"I see... sure, um, how... exactly?" He looked her glowing form up and down. "N-No offense, but I'm not e-exactly a dragon expert..."
"You don't need to be…" she lifted her gaze as she smiled shyly. "I just need to focus on activating my power more, all I need you to do it… well…" Ciana blushes a little more as she rubbed her neck. "I-I just need you to hold my hands… if I start to get scared, I just want you to calm my nerves down…"
"Calm your nerves..." Mulling it over, his clueless expression shifted to a serious state. "Okay, I think I understand - hm, I may not be like your significant other, but I'll do my best,"
"You are more than you think…" Ciana thought, smiling a bit to try and lighten the mood.
Moving to stand before her, he offered his hands to her, feeling her magic radiate like the sunlight onto his skin. Ciana took his hands gingerly, closing her eyes with a long breath, without realizing it, all this time, she had been prolonging Total Concentration since she arrived in this world. Her body's increased vitality despite her illness caused her aura to bloom, her scales made patches across the tops of her arms, crawling up the sides of her neck slowly while her nails grew.
Now taking his warm gentle hands as her power becomes more active, Ciana opened her eyes to see her more of her changes… flinching at this, Ciana trembled as she clutched Izuku's hand tighter. Already she's becoming scared of her appearance. "I-I'm still me… I-I'm still me!" Ciana tried to tell herself, her head leaning against his chest frightfully while she tried to look past this.
"I don't know what your doing, but your glow's a little shaky..." Then an idea came to Izuku. "Ah, think about your friends, the person you love, your family, all the people that care about you. Think of them, think about all the memories you have of them, use them, make an armor out of their memories - you are more than a monster, you're... a shield to them!"
Is hard to consider that knowing how aggressive she becomes because of this side, but Ciana always did want to use her powers to help people… her tears formed when she thought of everyone, including the Izuku she loved… Ciana now had her arms around the boy to try and calm herself down further, when she did this Izuku could feel a very warm sensations while some light orbs appeared around the girl again.
Holding them both steady, Izuku felt her aura beginning to stabilize. "That's it, you're forcing it back down, just keep that mindset, nothing else matters, just think of them,"
Ciana grit her teeth, her canines beginning to shrink as her scales dissolved into the air. Gradually, her power was retreating back inside of her. Off to the side-lines, Zorah had his arms crossed, watching the pair with a small smirk. "A little rough around the edges, but not to shabby, Traveller..."
"Yeah-yeah, you're a genius, praise the earth you walk..." Echo mouthed off behind him, shoving him along to leave the two to their training. "If that soup burns, I'm hurting you,"
"Won't even let me enjoy the fruits of my labour..." Reluctantly, he allowed Echo to shove him along and out of sight.
Cianas appearance managed to lighten up a little, especially some of the scales and teeth, but her horns and hair light color remained as well as her eyes as she opened them slightly to look up at Izuku… her eyes widen as she took notice of his appearance in the moonlight, he looked… it was hard to describe but his gentle face and his pretty emerald concerning eyes had Izuku look breathtaking to her…
He is still beautiful to her, Ciana paused as her beastly glowing eyes stared up at this Izuku. Caught in a daze by his appearance from how the setting and the moon is making him look.
That look definitely was one to be cautious of. Izuku stared at her, the glow was steady enough, but she was giving him a strange look. "You okay? T-that's a pretty intense stare..." He sweat dropped a little, wondering if this might be those instincts at play.
He could be right, especially how her eyes narrowed in a longingly with her hand going to his cheek in a gentle manner… Cianas eyes twinkled more and unknowing to her it's effect is causing Izuku to fall under her alluring gaze a little…
The moonlight refracted off the pond behind her, magnifying her form as his hands moved to her shoulders instead. He had seen those eyes before... those same alluring orbs that were hard to look away from. "What is this...?" He thought. Where did he see this before?
Whatever it was they caused him to feel more drawn to the beautiful girl before him, Ciana pressed herself against Izuku a bit as her gaze becomes soft and loving towards his own eyes. Ciana continued to gaze at the lovable green boy before her as her head begun to tilt up slightly, her mouth opened a bit as they aimed towards his lips. giving off a warm addictive feeling as the orbs floated around them.
Without much thought at all, the two sealed their lips together, and gone were any lingering traces of Ciana's draconic side, say for her eyes now sealed shut, her aura now in a solid state of purity. But the feeling kept them together, holding firm under the moonlight.
Cianas hands stayed firm on his shoulders as she stayed pressed and lingered into the kiss they now shared, Ciana could feel the heat coursing through her from her own power just by the loving kiss and Izuku could probably feel it too. Ciana forgotten what she was doing and just signed in bliss as she now got caught in her own little world with her lover… or how a dragon and animal would probably put it, her mate.
Despite how tender the moment was, once their eyes met again, breaking contact, Ciana's aura finally subsided, and her gleaming eyes returned to normal. Both panted heavily, neither moving for a moment until Izuku sat up with her on her knees in front of him. Both continued to stare, then, from the neck up, scarlet coated their faces as both yelled, leaping back from one another.
"Uwah!? I-I-I'M SO SORRY!" Izuku stammered, looking around desperately for... anything to distract him from - oh Gods above, he just made out with someone else's partner. "E-everything was-was fine t-t-then you - a-and me and - o-oh, I, uh...!" He put his hands into a prayer over his lips, sweating anxiously. "C-calm do-down... calm d-down, breathe..." Whether that was for himself, Ciana, or both, it wasn't very clear.
"I-it's okay! R-really! I-Izuku, this wasn't your fault, it was mine!" Ciana waved her hands in a panic as she eyed the boy in a blushing mess. What just happened to her?! Ciana didn't think that instinct would happen since he isn't the Izuku she fell for in the other world, did she just cheat on him?! It's clear her quirk made him do this and felt awful as she bowed apologetically.
"I-I'm so so sorry! I-I forgot… m-my dragon form causes me to mess with your emotions to feel the same way I feel and I can't control it much when I'm in that form… i-i didn't think it would happen with you, but again, you did nothing wrong!" She stood up, rubbing her neck. Cianas face was still bright red and embarrassed as she looked away.
"You must be so disturbed after what I just made you do… but I swear it was an accident!" She pressed her hands together now in another apologetic manner as her gaze looked down and her eyes shut tightly, afraid to see how scared he was. "I-i won't ever ask you to help me like that again, a-and I'll leave in the morning so you don't have to worry about that happening again! I… i…" Ciana wouldn't blame this Izuku at all if he hated her, she felt so guilty. "You pretty much can see why I hate my dragon form so much now… I'm a freak…"
Ciana frowned sadly as she said this, her gaze looking down. She expects he might tell her to go away now after that…
Still completely flustered, Izuku took several seconds to regulate his heart again. "So that's what Echo meant..." The problem of Ciana's 'curse' was much more evident now. Sitting still as a statue, he didn't look at her for a moment, closing his eyes to both scream internally and to process everything. "I-I can see that... n-now it makes sense, y-you have no c-control over y-y-your new instincts,"
Clearing his throat, he then slapped his already red cheeks to drown out those thoughts. "Okay... heart's n-not racing... right," Running a hand through his hair, Izuku finally managed to look at her now in human form again. "I-I also am to blame, I didn't exactly try to stop, that's o-on me too - especially since y-you've got someone else - oh Gods... he's probably gonna kill me..." Putting that dread aside, he continued.
"I-I stand by my point before, I'll help you to a village or to the kingdom, I gave my word, s-so I'll keep it," He furrowed his brow a bit. "If only there was a-a dragon shifter somewhere, m-maybe they'd know how to help y-you,"
Ciana was a bit surprised he still wanted to help her, but could see Izuku felt so awkward and uncomfortable… she frowned at this, he might faint any moment… Ciana approached Izuku as she bend down, placing her hand on his shoulder but made sure to look away in case her instincts went crazy again, a warm sensation came back from the palm of her glowing hand but this time not in a heated feeling but mostly to help calm his nerves.
Ciana kept averting her eyes as she now speaks. "I-I don't want to stick around if your going to be scared around me… I'm so so sorry what I did… but I'm grateful you tried to help me despite what it made you do… even if it's possible you hate me now… what you tried to do for me makes me see you as a kind and brave knight trying to get me to overcome this."
Ciana smiled a little when she said this, her free hand scratching her cheek shyly.
He stared at the ground, "I'm not scared... I'm... worried what will happen if you can't find that help," Looking up to her, he was thankful for her hand as he stood up again with a heavy breath, his body felt all jittery but remained firm. "There's only s-so much I can do, I want to help, a-and while I can't provide a good answer, I-I know you'll have a better chance if we get to the kingdom... after that, I wouldn't feel right l-leaving you to confront all this alone,"
She stood up as well, listening to his words had her taken back a bit. Izuku still wanted to help her despite what happened? Ciana is very grateful… she smiled at him warmly, but still felt really bad. There's no way she will ever tell the other Izuku what happened… does it even count as cheating when she kissed the same Izuku but with a different life style…?
Ether way she didn't want to think too much about that. "I… I'm very thankful for your aid, but… are you sure? I-I mean…" her gaze looks down with pink cheeks, fiddling with her hair. "Aren't you… afraid of something like that happening again…?"
The two started to head back as Izuku gave his reply, staring up at the stars for a bit. "Then I guess we have a reason to get to the kingdom as fast as possible, b-but if it does, while I'd not like to, y-you wouldn't object to me needing to use this ointment that is usually meant to k-keep wild animals away, so if you got it in your nose, it would burn, but should snap you out of it... I think?" He wiped it by accident one time over his nose, and it burned like a hot pepper, not pleasant but a sure-fire way to get someone back to their senses. "My teacher g-gave it to me,"
She perked up at the stuff he mentioned, funny how he had a solution already. Staring at the stuff for a few second and seeing when he accidentally applied it, it caused the girl to giggle a little. "I-if it's enough to handle dragons then I'm glad you have a solution." Cianas hands went behind her back, still feeling flustered from before.
"This might be pretty awkward for me to ask, but… was that your first kiss by any chance…?" Ciana recalled Izuku said he wasn't with anyone and had no experience with love, what happened between them seemed like he knew what he was doing… "Oh right… Izuku said it made him feel like he knew how to please his partner…" the girl remembered now, looking down as she blushed more at the flashback.
Now the greenette looked away shyly. "...n-not really... i-if you can believe i-it..." Even he wasn't entirely sure if it were true. Ruffling his hair, he tried to form it correctly. "It's hard to remember, it was before I-I met All Might, it was... a year ago? I ended up caught in a middle of a skirmish with these travelling merchants and these monsters I've never seen before, I-I remember saving someone who... was singing, then a silhouette as it leaned toward me, but i-it's all a blur still... n-not long after that is w-when I met my mentor,"
Ciana lifted her gaze and her eyes widen a bit when she heard this, the way he described the person kinda sounded like a siren… though she wasn't sure but was surprised this Izuku did kiss someone. "Huh… the way you makes it sound almost sounds like a mermaid or a siren… no wonder that guy teased you about having a harem."
She giggled, wondering if he's a chick magnet after all. He is very cute after all. "But again I'm so sorry about what happened… if it makes you feel any better, I-It was nice… b-but I'll keep my distance so you have to worry that will happen again…" This Izuku is also smart, wondering if he will know about dragons and what they do to others they think of them as their mates…
"J-just so long as we can still work together, t-that's okay with me," He smiled as they approached a campfire set beneath the tree Ciana had stormed away from previously, something boiling in a small pot over the flames, and it smelled divine.
Zorah, the one tending to it with a spoon didn't even take his eyes off the soup as he barked. "Geez, know each other for a day, and already making out under moonlight... teens these days..."
"Oh like you're one to talk," A head popped out from the tree, belonging to Echo. "Need I remind you who gave you their first kiss, hehehe..."
"We lived in the woods isolated from civilization with an old man, you took advantage of me cause you were bored!" He pressed, waving the spoon at her. Grumbling a curse, he waved them over. "Hurry up, soup will burn otherwise, and you, Traveller, need to eat,"
Ciana froze when she heard what this guy said as her face looking taken back and her cheeks becoming more bright red, Ciana was in shock. "Wait… y-you?!" They saw them making out?! Ciana became light headed now, enough to almost feel faint… maybe she begun to fall backwards but didn't even realize she was tipping over due to processing the guys embarrassing words.
"Hey, Zorah?" Ciana blinked as she found an arm around her waist to keep her steady, belonging to Echo who then put her hand out in a flick, a grey halo of light appearing around her wrist. "Shut up," Flicking her fingers, the distracted silverette then got a face full of what could only be described as solid sound as his head was thrown backward into the dirt with a yelp. "Idiot... no we didn't see anything, we can sense emotions, and my hearing's really sensitive so I picked up on Green Bean here screaming like a lunatic earlier,"
"I... c-can't argue there," Izuku slumped a bit.
"Ugh... whatever," He sat upright again, spitting out a tooth in the process. "Sorry for not clarifying, I thought you'd know that since you know Chaser..." Came his grumbled reply.
Did that mean Chaser was aware what her and Izuku do too? Ether way nothing helped as her face is still so bright red, sitting down on a stump as she placed her hand on her forehead. "T-this is so humiliating… next time I'm bathing in a lake that's farther from the campsite…" she muttered, letting out a long sigh. Ciana must have really missed Izuku enough to become so attached to this one… her dragon side must see him as the same Izuku she loved.
"Do I look like a perv to you? What you two do is none of my concern. That said, now that I have a possible concussion, here," Walking over to Ciana with a bemused expression, Zorah held out a wooden bowl filled with soup. "You too, Greenie," He handed him one and then went to sit back down, giving Echo a dismissive wave.
"Th-thank you, Zorah," Izuku bowed his head a little, joining him by the campfire.
"Come on, we can talk for a bit in private," Snapping her fingers, Echo then stomped her foot, and not a sound could be heard. "Silence, pretty good for stealth, stalking, and when you want to talk alone,"
She blinked at this, wow… magic in this world is so cool. "Whoa, that's pretty handy." Now having the bowl in hand, Ciana eats a few spoonfuls as she kept her gaze down to her food. Still feeling so embarrassed. "I-I can explain what happened before… t-that was due to my curse…" she answered very bashfully, her face back to being red.
Now a good pace away from the boys, Echo used more of her magic to create a small purple ball of light to illuminate the area for them as Ciana ate. "You don't need to explain anything, more so I heard you explain, but this is your problem, not really our place to judge, y'know?" The Nightmare shrugged. "But the curse you mentioned... reminds me of Zorah's power, he practically hated it so much he forced himself to lock it away for years,"
"Sounds like something I do if I could…" she frees her hand to rub at the back of her head, things just had to look romantic on a full moon… she sighed. "Izuku… actually is a lot like the person I loved who I left behind… I guess my dragon side thought of him as the same guy I treasured in my heart…"
The ravenette nodded along while playing with her highlight, "Hm, well, if it makes ya feel better, Izuku over there isn't giving off any romantic feelings, even after you guys came back, so you're all good there,"
"Huh?" She was a little taken back by that, well they did just meet so it makes sense he's not in love with her… her uncontrollable alluring gaze must of made him act that way after all, that bothered her a bit. "I-I would think he didn't especially how badly he freaked out… doubt he likes being around me now though… after that…" a situation like that would usually scar people.
"Umm... nah; concern, flustered, worry, a little hint of protectiveness, but not an ounce of fear or hatred," Echo played now with the ball of light in her hands giddily. "Humans are a funny bunch of creatures, you share the same emotions as many sentient beings yet there's shades to your souls and your hearts that it's always a surprise to see how they grow and evolve; devouring them is one thing, but learning alongside them is much more fun,"
Ciana was at least relived to hear Izuku didn't fear or hate her, which brought her to smile a little. "That's a relief… still, I have to be more careful when I'm in dragon mode around Izuku. Usually something like that happens when I feel attracted to the one I love… seeing Izuku in the moonlight… didn't help…" she ate enough spoonful, would be so much worse if they ended up doing it… very grateful that didn't happen.
"I mean, way I look at it, your feelings were to the guy you love, String Bean's was non-existent, so no harm done I say, now, if you guys went all the way... erm, yeah, I'd getcha," Echo nodded along, chuckling to herself. "I'm not really a good judge cause I kinda would make out with anyone, even you if you asked, but I digress... yeah, that's the word," Nodding quickly, Echo tossed the orb around in the air.
Her brow raised in a bit of disgust hearing how open she is at the idea, she's not gay or bisexual so that was… awkward for her to hear. "That… interesting…" she sweat dropped with a sheepish smile, guessing she's hopelessly romantic. "I-I rather avoid doing anything extreme, though I admit in a weird way… that moment, kinda was nice… I guess because of the setting when it happened." Ciana isn't saying it's something she wanted to do again, but the beautiful setting made it hard to hate.
"Look, you're emotionally stressed, you made a big decision in running away to this realm, you've got an unstable soul too; you're dealing with heavy emotions so it's natural you're tripping over yourself, but I can see it, your heart's in the right place," Then, casting the orb aside, Echo brought her hand toward Ciana's chest. "Just watch, you'll see..."
Then, in a flash of light, something was pulled from Ciana in a gentle stream of gold light, forming ribbons of light around the pair. "I'm not as skilled as Chaser but a Nightmare can work wonders on their own," The night sky became engulfed in gentle rivers of spirit energy.
Her eyes widen in at the amazing display the spirit literally pulled, staring at the thing she pulled out from her chest in awe. "Whoa… w-what did you just do?" Ciana didn't know what the girl did but it was a pretty sight to see.
Pulling Ciana closer, Echo gently lifted the girl's hand through one of the ribbons of light. "I released a portion of your spirit energy into the air, making it visible and tangible, it's really not useful in a fight but it's nice to look at - all this is you, your emotions... feel it? Your feelings strung through the air? I'll admit, you have a lot of energy in your soul,"
Ciana didn't get it but it sounded helpful in a way. "I get that a lot… you be surprised all the crap I go through." Ciana is very conflicted with a lot of problems, sometimes she felt she was going insane. "But I also hear my magic is powerful… I'm trying to overcome how it makes me look without freaking out every time I see the sight…"
"Try me, sis," Echo stepped back a bit, discarding her human form for her natural body.
Her body pitch-black while her skin sported white lines from the sides of her neck, down her arms, legs, and sides, the backs of her palms fixed with the an organic speaker. White energy spurted from her shoulder blades and calves roughly a few inches out. Her forearms mutated, now a semicircle between an elongated bone caging white vibrating energy similar to a turntable, interestingly enough, the waves of light reacted to sound. Bobbing in a crescent around Echo's head, a white halo braced her temples and crown. Even her eyes became featureless white orbs in her sockets.
"Nothing more monster than a Nightmare," She grinned, displaying her wide, sharp teeth.
Ciana was definitely taken back by the appearance enough to yelp, she can definitely see why she was called a nightmare. "Whoa… I bet you haunt people in their dreams with that look." She chuckled, even if she looked spooky the spirit reminded her of a quirk person "I actually haven't looked at my full appearance as a dragon since do just freak when I see any changes…" the girl admit, now finished with her bowl as Ciana sets it down. "So far I see I have scales, my hair changes color and I grow horns… I know my eyes change too but like I said, I never bothered to take a full look in the mirror…"
With a shiver, Echo's body returned to a 'human' state, exhaling from the sudden shifts as she made a sickly face. "Ugh, hate sudden transformations like that, makes my stomach weird..." Clearing her throat, Echo gave Ciana a curious smile. "Well, who knows, one day you might; See, everyone's got their own ways of handling strife. Zorah's is being direct with his problems. Izuku's through understanding, mine is more ambiguous, I just go with the flow,"
"But you? How you confront yourself is up to you alone, all the advice in the world can't change your own mind," Hugging the girl from the side, they watched as the ribbons began to fade. "You have control over your power, you always have, what's stopping you is simple; fear and a lack of self-confidence, if you can overcome those someday, you'll do fine, actually... wanna learn a spell, you have the affinity for it, y'know?"
"A spell?" Ciana wasn't sure if she could do any magic, since what she has is a quirk mutation is what Izuku calls it. "That sounds pretty cool but I don't know if I'm able to perform any magic… I'm more just a dragon shifter."
"Sure, but magic's in everything, ether is what makes up... well everything, though there are some worlds where magic cannot manifest, just how it is sometimes," Echo then tapped Ciana's chest. "But your soul's bursting with energy, and it's given me a clear image that you can do light magic, like how I'm naturally gifted with sound based magic; if you want to, I can teach you how to imbue that light into your weapon, that'll make it cut through even thick armour and boulders like a hot knife, sounds exciting right? Hmm~?" Echo made a face like a cat, nudging Ciana's bicep.
"Huh… thats… pretty cool actually." Ciana perked up more at the idea, converting her power in a object? Maybe she could do that with her sword. Though are quirks really the same as magic? Well… in a way… it is kinda the same thing, not much of a difference. "S-sure! T-that would be awesome! I-I mean if I can pull it off that is." Already her eyes light up in excitement, knowing her other Izuku will be so wowed what she can do by the time she ever gets back.
"Sweet! Always wanted to tutor someone... ahem, so! You need a clear mental image in your mind; imagine compressing your light in her fingertips, like drawing invisible lines in the air, then, press said fingers down onto an object - like you sword," Ciana took out her short sword in her left, using her right as her 'casting' hand, if that was the right word? "Now, focus on that mental image, see the light on your fingertips cover your sword, and say the word, 'Imbue', but you have to believe you can do this, otherwise, the spell won't trigger,"
"Alright, sounds easy enough. I think…" Ciana raised her weapon as she emits the glowing in her hand, knowing her power is there she feels it will do the trick. "Imbue!" She words out, tightening her grip on her weapon as she says the magic word.
Echo, for one of the few times in her life, focused on what Ciana was doing. The seal around her wrist appeared, but it flickered and died out before the spell triggered. "You need to have full confidence in this, forget the laws of nature, forget what you've read or been told about magic, what is and isn't right. I don't care if half the world hears you, dig deep and scream it from the depths of your soul, dammit!"
"Is it really necessary to be so blunt about it…?" Ciana has no idea why people are being so blunt with their words toward her lately… but sure got her riled up as her weapon raised higher. "Alright! Imbue!" Ciana shouted louder this time as her eyes shut tight and basically did a rally cry… the light in her hands becoming much brighter.
When Ciana opened her eyes, she saw the golden-white seal much like Echo's around her forearm, shining in the darkness with strange symbols of a language she didn't know. But when her hand touched the edge of her sword, it's dull face became silvery with a thin gold border around the blade's edge, it... it really was magic... she did it... Her flabbergasted expression was the complete opposite of Echo's proud smirk. "Man, I love it when I'm right - congrats, you're now a magic caster too... hm, an Arcane Dragon, now that's a title,"
Ciana had no idea what the title meant but ether way she was wowed by what she did when she opened her eyes back up, swinging her weapon around to see the stream of light following the swing. "Whoa this is so cool!" I can't believe I just did this!" A big smile appeared on her face in awe, making her look pretty cute.
"So cool! I'm a light warrior now!" Ciana shouted playfully for fun as her arms went in the air in a cheer, laughing a bit.
"Magic exists everywhere, just need to know where to look," Echo found her expression adorable as she whined. "...hrm, no fun when they're taken... aw well, wanna head back? Tomorrow's when we part ways so you'll need some shut-eye - wow, I sound like a parent," Came her blunt reply and expression.
"Eh…?" Ciana was taken back from what she said, taking a step back as the girl became creeped out what she said. Hoping she doesn't actually ever try to make a move on her. "Uh… yeah sure, probably about time we-" Ciana's eyes widen catching what she said. "W-wait were parting?! Doesn't Izuku need you both on his journey?" Ciana was surprised and a bit confused, did they think Izuku was ready to go on his own?
"I flirt with everyone, don't worry about it - but yes, we need to find a gatestone of our own to move on from this realm, cause I... kinda got us stranded here, heh,"
"I CALLED IT!" Since the silence spell was cancelled out, Zorah had heard that part.
"Shuddup!" Echo yelled back, looking to Ciana. "But yeah, Bean Sprout's teach asked us to escort him to the Silver Grove entrance at the Divide, he's pretty capable with a sword, and now with you watching his back, he'll do fine, you'll see," With a wink, Echo led the way back through the dark, though Ciana's glowing sword lit their footing for them.
Not that she was judging or anything cuz she wouldn't ever do that, she was just surprised by the comments. But it was also surprising they are from other realms, so that's why they needed gate stones, now looking to the boys. "So you both are out trying to scout Gatestones? Well they are definitely not easy to find…"
But hearing her and Izuku will be traveling alone together? Ciana knows Izuku isn't afraid of her now but was concerned if he was still uncomfortable. "Well… thank you both for all your help then, so I guess it'll just you and me Izuku…" she blushed a bit after saying that, rubbing her neck flusteredly again with a shy smile.
"Y-yeah, glad to have you along," He smiled a bit, putting his empty bowl down. "That was really nice, the best soup I've ever had."
"Contrary to popular belief, my team relied on me for cooking. My leader couldn't cook without it being spicy, my partner was good in her own right, and the idiot of a best friend is hopeless," Zorah replied, taking the bowl back as he set the empty pot aside. "Learned a neat party trick, Traveller? Who knows, maybe you'll find other light spells out there,"
"I sure hope so, sure would be pretty cool to do more." She smiled, now sitting closer by the fire. "Since we'll be heading to town tomorrow, is there even a place we can stay once we are there?" She didn't think they had hotels, what do they call the old fashion places like that… inns?
"From the map... you'd have to hike through the Silver Grove for nearly a day before reaching a village inside of it, so yeah, have fun with that," Zorah held up a thumb. "You should make it there by sundown, Divide isn't far from here so in the morning we'll split from there,"
"Alright, at least we got a lead." Ciana was glad to have someone to help her while she's in this world, so far becoming really fun. "Already I'm missing my bed… I guess we should get rested up so we can continue the journey." Ciana hoped nothing will pop out at this while they sleep… but she does feel more safe with Izuku around.
"We'll grab supplies when we're in town then, but here," Izuku handed over his heavy bag. "It's not as soft, but it should help your head while you sleep,"
"So chivalrous," Echo cooed.
"Thank you Izuku." She gives him a sweet smile as thanks, though wondering if he will have something to sleep on to be more comfortable. "What about you? Won't you need something to sleep on?"
Unlike with Ciana's horrible prep before coming here, he had a cloth sheet rolled up for his head, it too wasn't exactly comfortable but it would do until he could get himself better outdoors equipment for the road. "I'll be fine; what about you guys?"
"I'll keep watch," Zorah nominated as he broke up the wood in the fire to keep it burning while Echo sighed and sat next to him, closing her eyes.
"I'mma sleep, night..." With a yawn, the ravenette snuggled against her Host.
"I swear those two has to be a couple eventually…" Ciana predicted with a giggle.
"Don't put that idea in her head, please," Zorah begged.
"You love me," Echo giggled.
Since their eyes were off the two teens. Ciana pulled out her long scarf, bending down towards Izuku to offer it to him. "Here… it might not be much but I'm sure this will make you more comfortable and warmer when you sleep." She smiled kindly as she offered it in her hands towards the young knight.
Meanwhile, Izuku blinked up at Ciana, taking the scarf. It was a strange make but it was softer than his makeshift pillow. "Y-you sure? Thanks,"
The girl nodded, keeping her smile. "I'm sure, consider this my thanks for helping me out, I rather if you were more comfortable when you sleep…" the girl blushed more as she averted her gaze bashfully.
He really did appreciate her concern. She was obviously still mortified about what happened and wanted to make it up to him. Izuku accepted her offering, wrapping it around his neck. "I appreciate it, have a good night, Ciana," Gratitude couldn't begin to describe how he felt. He had Zorah and Echo to help him make it this far, and now Ciana to watch his back in the Silver Grove.
"You too Izuku." She smiled once last time towards him before getting up to give him some distance, laying her head down on the bag Izuku gave her, Ciana already felt flustered around this Izuku. Ciana smiled to herself before closing her eyes, feeling a bit more better having his presence around her even if they couldn't be close…
While the pair fell asleep under starlight, Zorah's visible orange eye burned into the darkness, watching what the teens could never hope to see. His hand rested upon his black blade.
Author note
MHA song | Long Hope Philia - /Yl-2dKTJNDU