_Mystic Heart Odyssey_ _Part 7: Downtime_ _Chapter 22_ _Lykou is really getting in touch with his inner doggo, it seems. And Gleam is getting in touch with… other things. How about a little ancient… magitech talk~?_ _Also how do you describe a voice that sounds like static so far before electronic devices are even a thing? Well, I guess “wind through dense clusters of branches” will have to do for now._ _\-Llox_ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ “Just closed your eyes, and do some of the breathing exercises,” Kuna said as he sat cross-legged with the feral canid stretched out across his lap. His eyes were closed and he was trying to coach the konuul through meditation, even though he himself was having some difficulty for some inexplicable reason- probably something to do with knowing his crush was laying naked in his lap, even if it was in a decidedly different form than he was used to. “Then pick something to focus on and push everything else out of your mind.” “Yeah but what?” Lykou asked, furrowing his brow. “Not like I can hold the axe right in this form.” Kuna peeked an eye open at him and smirked. “No, but you could try thinking about that strange ability you have. Try and remember what it was like with the potion and all.” “That’s true,” the canid conceded, then crossed his forepaws and laid his head down on them. “Hard to focus when my body’s so much different in usual though.” “Well then think about that if you want,” the sereva suggested, absent mindedly stroking his back. “You said you kind of had a similar feeling running around earlier, right?” “Oh yeah… I guess so,” Lykou replied quietly, his tail involuntarily swishing around behind him. They both consciously realized what the sereva was doing about the same time and glanced at each other. Kuna blushed a bit and grinned bashfully. “Er, sorry, not sure why-” “Didn’t say stop,” Lykou replied, grinning back. “It feels nice. Might even help me, uh… meditate. Or something.” After a slight hesitation, Kuna resumed petting the canid. “As long as you’re sure it’s not too weird or anything.” “Kuna. I’ve been turned into an animal version of myself by magic. We’ve befriended a people-ified squirrel, seen spirits, fought demons and undead things, and spent the last few months traveling places I never imagined existing with more magical shit around every corner,” Lykou pointed out in amusement. “Weird is the new normal for us, don’t you think? Besides, it’s basically just a backrub. What’s wrong?” Kuna snickered and continued petting him. “Okay, okay, fair point,” he said, then folded his ears down a bit. “I guess it’s just the whole situation making it feel a little weird. You being in a different shape and all. Plus, y’know… naked.” “We’ve literally done a lot more than this while we were _both_ naked,” the konuul pressed on. “And hey, it’s still me. Just a differently-shaped me.” Kuna blushed and rolled his eyes up for a moment and mumbled, “Miss your old shape…” “Hmm?” Lykou asked, lifting his head up and looking back at the sereva. “What?” “N-nothing,” Kuna quickly replied, his gaze drifting towards the nearby door absently. Lykou eyed him for a moment, then smirked. “Oh. You’re-” “Shut,” Kuna quietly retorted, grinning back at him sheepishly. “Gleam’s fault for making me think about certain things. Hope we can get you back to normal tomorrow.” “You can always go find your own little spot to… you know,” Lykou pointed out. “Buuuut I’m guessing you want more, huh?” The sereva’s face flushed a bit more and he sighed. “Yeah, I…. I kinda was hoping… ever since we… y-y’know…” Lykou smirked and nuzzled his arm a little. “Me too, buddy. Hey, we could always try-” “No,” Kuna cut him off with a flat expression. “Much as I uh… w-wanna try more stuff with you, it’d just be too um. Awkward like this.” The canid sighed and nodded. “Yeah… yeah it would. I really hope we can fix this soon.” “Hopefully Lana and Daisy will be able to help somehow. Or Gleam gets something from those dream messengers,” Kuna said, then grinned impishly, albeit still with a hint of bashfulness. “When you _are_ back to normal…” “Don’t go getting yourself worked up if you don’t plan to do something about it right now,” Lykou warned with a grin. “...or me, for that matter.” “Right, right,” Kuna said, chuckling sheepishly. “Uhh, lets get back to that meditation practice.” “Sounds good,” Lykou said, then awkwardly tried to paw at the back of his head. “Ugh, damn weird arms… er, legs. Can’t… get...” “What’s wrong?” Kuna asked. Lykou frowned and continued to squirm a little bit. “Got an itch, but can’t… really… get it…” Kuna reached over and tried scratching around on the canid’s head lightly. “Right around… here?” “Oh! Little further down... left a bit-” Lykou said, then suddenly shivered slightly when the sereva found the spot. “Ohhhh yeahhhh… right there.” Kuna snorted in amusement as he scratched the spot. “That almost sounded like you need some private time more than me or Gleam.” Lykou just grunted a bit and rolled up his eyes, ignoring the comment. Amused by the canid’s response, Kuna experimented with scratching around in different spots around his head and neck. Suddenly, when the konuul’s leg started twitching, he paused. “Uh, Kou…?” Lykou snapped out of it and glanced back at him. “Huh? Why’d you stop?” The sereva glanced back and forth between his face and his leg, then cautiously began scratching again, only to break into an intensely amused, if somewhat confused expression when the leg started going again. “Uhhh…. Kou, why are you…?” “Hmmn?” Lykou asked, not really paying attention. His tongue was hanging out slightly and he had a very content expression. But after a moment, when the scritching slowed, he realized what he was doing and blushed. “What the heck?” “Were you not even aware you were doing that?” Kuna asked. “N-no, I wasn’t!” Lykou replied in mild alarm. “Man, what is with this weird body??” Kuna snickered and stroked his side some. “It’s kind of cute honestly.” Lykou shot him a playful glare. “Uh-uh. You’re the cute one around here.” “Oh yeah?” Kuna retorted, grinning and blushing again. Before Lykou could respond, he started scratching again. “H-hey, not ffffaaaaahhh…” the canid began to complain, then rolled his eyes up and slumped over. “Whatever, dun staaaahp…” Kuna giggled as he continued for a moment, then shifted back to just stroking the canid’s fur. “Alright, enough of that silliness. I don’t think that’s gonna help you meditate.” “Fuck meditation, this is better,” Lykou retorted with a dazed grin. “Y’know, this form has its perks.” “You’re not staying this way, Kou,” the sereva warned. “We’re gonna get you back to normal.” “Yeah no, agreed,” the konuul replied. “Buuuut I think I’m gonna enjoy it while it lasts.” “Just as long as you don’t enjoy it _too_ much,” Kuna said. “You fluffy goofball.” Lykou giggled. “No promises.” Kuna rolled his eyes a bit, then rubbed the canid’s head lightly. “Come on, back to meditation practice.” “Fiiiine…” \*\*\*\*\* Some time later, Gleam finally emerged from the building with a content, if slightly flustered grin. Her hair was slightly messier than usual, and the poncho was a little crooked on her. Lykou and Kuna both had their eyes closed, having finally both gotten into a focused state. As the squirrel approached and sat down next to them, Kuna opened his eyes and Lykou lifted his head to look at her. “Soooo how’d it go?” Lykou asked with a cheeky grin. “I… I think I get it now,” Gleam replied quietly, then curled her tail around herself and leaned back against the mushroom-cushion Kuna had conjured up for her. “It was awkward and weird at first, but then I tried to remember what you told me. And then it… felt good. Real good.” “Told ya!” Lykou said. Kuna chuckled, blushing. “We’re happy for you, Gleam.” “Kind of didn’t want to stop for a while,” Gleam continued, growing slightly bashful. “U-until, um… the uh. The thing you mentioned. Happened. Then I just… kinda laid there for a minute. It felt… really, _really_ nice.” “Aww. Your first orgasm and afterglow,” Lykou said, grinning. “Congrats, Gleam.” “Er, uh, y-yeah,” Kuna agreed somewhat awkwardly, blushing more. “Congrats.” Gleam rolled her eyes up a little and sighed as she slumped down a little, relaxing against the botanical cushioning behind her. “Soooo… yeah. I can understand the appeal now,” she said after a moment, then glanced over at the boys. “Makes me really curious about all the other things you mentioned though. Besides just, um… mating and what I did with my hands.” Lykou chuckled. “Well you’re on your way to learning things. One bit at a time. Like I said, get used to yourself before you go looking to get intimate with someone else.” The squirrel smirked over at him. “You suuuure we can’t-” “No, Gleam,” Lykou cut her off with a smirk and a small eyeroll. “Especially not with me in this form. First time with someone else can be awkward enough.” “Wait you m-” Kuna started, then blushed brightly and shot Gleam a look. “W-were you suggesting-?” “Yeah she kinda hinted at it last time we talked about this stuff, when you went to meditate,” Lykou explained. “Like I said though-” “Yeah, yeah, I get it,” Gleam replied, crossing her arms and pouting a bit. After a moment, though, she grinned at Kuna. “Unless of course YOU want to teach me some things, hmm?” “I-I second whatever Lykou told you!” Kuna quickly blurted out, getting more frazzled. Lykou snickered some more and shook his head. “Got your first taste and you’re already hungry for more, huh?” “YES. I want to try it all, now. I’ve gotta make up for lost time!” Gleam said, perking up and twitching a bit. “Now that you mention it, uh… I m-might go back in there in a minute, if you guys don’t want me doing things in front of you.” “Woah, don’t get too hooked,” Lykou warned in amusement. “Let yourself recover before you go-” “R-right, right, sorry,” the squirrel interrupted, twitching her ears around a bit. “I just…” She giggled a bit and nibbled on her tail before continuing. “I never thought something so weird and simple could feel so… nice. And I keep thinking about it, and wondering what it’s like to actually be mated now, and-” “Eeeeasy girl,” Lykou teased. “There’s always tomorrow.” Even Kuna was starting to grin in mild amusement, though he covered his mouth as he did so. “Just… try to think of other things. Don’t get stuck in a mental trap.” Gleam let out an exaggerated sigh and rolled her eyes up. “Fiiiine,” she retorted with faux-grumpiness, then blew some hair out of her eye. “So what’d you two do while I was in there? Talk about anything interesting?” “I was coaching Kou on meditating,” Kuna said, stroking the canid’s back again. “I think he’s finally getting the hang of it.” “Meditating, napping,” Lykou said playfully. “Something like that.” Kuna sighed and ruffled the canine’s head fur lightly. “You’re going to have to learn sooner or later, you know.” “I will, I will,” the konuul replied. “But hey, if I’m gonna visit Lana and Daisy tonight, I’m gonna need the extra rest anyway.” “Oh yeah, I hope they can help figure this all out,” Gleam said, gesturing broadly to the canid. “They sound pretty smart, from how you described them. Er. Lana anyway.” “I’m sure they both are,” Kuna pointed out. “Lana just shows it in more obvious ways.” Lykou got up and stretched. “Well I dunno about you two, but I think I’m ready for bed.” Kuna cracked his neck, then nodded. “Yeah, sleep sounds good right about now.” “Mmm, yeah I have a feeling I’ll sleep well tonight,” Gleam agreed, then sighed and got up. “Until I start getting another weird dream, anyway.” “From the sound of it, they’re getting better at communicating each time,” Kuna pointed out as he got up and started banking the fire. “So hopefully it’ll be easier and less scary this time. And it’d be great if they could tell you how to return Lykou to normal.” “Here’s to hoping,” Lykou said, then looked over at the fire. “Uh, I guess-” “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of things out here,” Kuna said with a smile. “You two head on inside, I’ll be right there.” “Don’t be too long,” the canid said as he walked towards the door with Gleam close behind. The squirrel opened the door for him and yawned as she followed through after him. Kuna finished putting out the fire and used the glow from his magic to make sure they hadn’t left anything laying around. After thinking for a moment, he gathered up some of the spare firewood to bring inside, just in case it rained again overnight. Just as he was headed for the door though, he hesitated. He glanced out into the woods and peered around. He couldn’t help but feel that faint sensation of being watched. What’s more, while focusing on the life energy around him, he thought he briefly sensed a larger concentration of it further out in the woods. But when he tried to locate it again, it seemed to have vanished. He wanted to believe that it was one of the many harmless creatures they’d seen wandering around, and that it had only briefly walked within range of his perception- except he was pretty sure that it’d been closer than that. Still, he couldn’t explain how he could sense it one moment, and then not the next. That was far too fast for any living creature he’d met to dart beyond his sensing range. He shook his head and shivered a bit. _Just your imagination, Kuna_, he thought to himself as he reached for the door. _Still jittery from the Kryck_. He hesitated. _Still, just to be on the safe side_, he thought as he manifested his magic and drew together some thick, strong vines to block the doorway, then walked inside. When the door closed, some leaves and debris rustled along the treeline. A few tufts of ash and soot stirred up into the air from the firepit, then swirled around in the air strangely, briefly forming a strange symbol that lit up for an instant, then faded. Strange prints formed in the ground, heading towards the building, where they stopped. After a few moments, they faded away one by one. \*\*\*\*\* Gleam opened her eyes and found herself laying on the forest floor. She got up and shook her head, a bit confused. There was no sign of Kuna or Lykou, or any of the ruins. And something else felt different as well. Everything looked… _big_. Too big. When she tried to get up and walk around, she immediately wavered a bit. That’s when she finally looked down and realized she was in her old feral body. She immediately clutched her head and curled up, wondering if everything had been a crazy dream all along. Were Lykou and Kuna real? The magic? Being bipedal? Was it all just a strange lie concocted by her mind?? ..._obviously not_, she suddenly realized, furrowing her brow. _The fact I can even ask myself that means it’s real. Pretty sure I couldn’t think of that stuff before._ Still, that left the question of why she was back in that form, and where her new friends were. And where she was, for that matter. It took her a moment to get readjusted to scampering around on all fours, but once she did, it was as if she’d never stopped. In a way it felt somewhat cathartic to return to it. Still, she was frustrated that it’d take that much longer to get anywhere in her current size. After sprinting along the forest floor a bit, she decided to scale a tall tree, hoping to use the higher vantage point to make sense of her surroundings and see if she could spot the boys. But as she did so, she caught glimpses of green whisps of light flicking through the air around her. She immediately froze up, clinging to the bark on the tree as she looked around. Although initially frightened, her nerves quickly calmed when they showed no interest in, let alone hostility towards her. She marveled at the vague ethereal forms flicking around through the forest, appearing out of thin air and fading away again as they darted around. Soon ones in other colors joined them. Strange creatures she didn’t recognize roamed the forest below her as well, occasionally glancing at her but otherwise paying her no mind. It was slightly overwhelming, yet reassuring, somehow. Everything felt… peaceful. Behind all the sounds of birds, leaves rustling in the breeze, water flowing through streams, and so on, there was a faint, somewhat musical noise she couldn’t quite place. It was rhythmic and light, and only at the cusp of her awareness, but it felt infectious. And it seemed to come from all directions. Eventually she started climbing again, until she reached the top of the tree. It was so much taller than the others, so she was a bit worn out when she got there. But when she looked out from her new perch, it took her breath away all over again. There were rainbows and strange lights dancing over a massive forest that stretched out in all directions, only stopping when they met some enormous mountain cliffsides, with matching enormous waterfalls crashing down some parts. And far ahead of her, there was a hole straight through another enormous mountain, clearly cut into a smooth circle, with notches cut into it at regular intervals. Suddenly, a massive cloud of the wispy light-things flooded through the hole and filled the forest. A strong gust of wind followed them, and caused all the trees to sway and bend. When it hit Gleam, she was so taken off-guard that she was blown clear off her perch. She flailed in a panic, expecting this to be her end. But suddenly, she felt a strange presence surround her and gently carry her back down to the ground. When she landed, she quickly got up and saw an ethereal-looking animal figure smiling down at her. It looked somewhat like Lykou in his feral form. It was clearly not him, but definitely the same species. It smiled in a friendly manner at her though, then gently nudged her with its nose before scampering off and fading away. She looked around and noticed more ethereal forms starting to take the shape of animals as well- notably, the ones she remembered seeing on the walls of the temple, transforming into bipedal versions of themselves. Here, they all were still very much in their ‘wild animal’ shapes, but the way they behaved was different. They weren’t particularly aggressive or hostile- no creature was hunting any of the others- but some occasionally tussled and played with one another before dashing off and fading away in one direction or another. In a way, they didn’t seem entirely like animals or people. And somehow, that felt both welcoming, and comforting. Suddenly something bumped her from behind and she turned to see another squirrel smiling at her. A chipmunk scampered over as well and began investigating her. She glanced between them warily for a moment as they sniffed at her and looked her over. Neither seemed bothered by the other’s presence. She opened her mouth to say something, but instead of words, a somewhat embarrassing squeak came out instead. She blinked and began chittering. It all made sense in her head, but somehow it wasn’t translating to her mouth properly. Nonetheless, the critters seemed to grasp her distress and confusion. The chipmunk briefly grabbed her shoulder and gave it a light tug, then darted away. The squirrel walked past her, then gestured with their head to follow along before darting off after it. Not knowing what else to do, she followed them. She had no idea where they were headed, but running along behind them felt oddly invigorating. As they ran along, she started glimpsing faint lines of light running through the world, albeit mostly out of the corners of her eyes. And she started feeling connections between things, like she had with the magical items Lykou and Kuna had shown her- only they were all over the place around her, and much more potent. It was a little dizzying. As they ran along, she, her companions, and the other animals around them all began gradually transforming into their more bipedal forms. Finally they slowed to a stop when a now-familiar hazy blur-like figure stepped out from behind a tree and waved vaguely to them. The chipmunk and squirrel on either side of Gleam smiled and nudged her forward gently. Somewhat nervous, she stepped a bit closer and stopped a couple yards away from the faceless stranger. “So… right, this is a dream. That’s right, I went to sleep after… after, um...” Gleam mumbled, then paused as she remembered back to her little evening ‘experimentation’ and smiled awkwardly. After a moment she shook herself out of her reverie and gave a little anxious wave. “Hi again… I guess…” “Greetings once more to you as well,” the figure replied in a voice that sounded both androgynous and slightly broken and choppy, like the wind blowing through dense clusters of tree branches. Gleam’s eyes widened and she took a step back in surprise. “Y… you’re talking now. Actually _talking_.” The voice chuckled faintly. “Yes, I am.” It sighed. “Sadly not for long, however. This will be the last time we will be able to meet, I’m afraid.” “Wait, why?” the squirrel demanded, growing somewhat annoyed to know that her last meeting with the strange being would also be just when she could finally actually talk to it. “You’ve visited every night since I was… _people-ified_, and now that you’re finally able to talk to me normally, you’re gonna just run off on me??” “Even under ideal circumstances, the energies transferred upon your transformation can only last so long, and I gather that your circumstances were apparently very much unplanned and not ideal,” the entity continued. “In theory you might be able to repair the connection and re-energize the aether-node that was transferred to you before it fades away, but-” “Woah, hey, uh, big words,” Gleam said, throwing her hands up in frustration. “Big… confusing words. Try a little simpler, yeah?” She arched a brow and crossed her arms. “I can only work with what you guys gave me, after all.” “Technically we aren’t the ones that gave you any knowledge. That would be whoever performed the ritual,” the entity explained, then chuckled. “But in any case, I apologize. I should have known better than to throw high arcane jargon at you.” “Right… so you were saying there’s a way to… uh, put more energy into something... inside me?” Gleam asked. “What, that weird… floaty, glowy ball thing?” “Part of it, yes. I’m afraid the details are far too complicated and advanced to explain,” the stranger continued. “Otherwise, I’m glad to answer as many questions for you as I can, but some of my lore archives appear to be missing. Perhaps leylines have shifted or a keneto-mandala core is in disrepair. I assume something must have happened to the valley’s infrastructure in these…” It paused and seemed to be thinking for a moment. Several lights randomly flashed around the blurry being for a moment before it snapped out of its eerie stillness. “...many centuries. My goodness, it _has_ been a long time.” “Yeahhh, and there you go with those confusing words again,” Gleam remarked. “Just who are you anyway? What were your people called?” “Ah, I am not, as you put it, a ‘people’ myself, technically. Rather, I am an artificial aetheric servitor connected t-” the entity explained, then paused as Gleam gave it a withering look. “Apologies again. Suffice to say I am not a living thing, and never was, even if I was originally designed to resemble my creators. Not that you can tell at the moment due to what I assume must be a breakage in… ah, well, nevermind. My designation is Ascension Training and Assistance servitor number four, but for our purposes, feel free to refer to me as ATA.” “ATA. Good. Simple. I like simple,” Gleam said. “I’m not even going to pretend to understand the rest of that. So are you some kind of spirit or something?” “Ah, no, at least not by standard consensus according to my last intact records,” ATA replied. “Although that was admittedly a hotly-debated subject at times.” Gleam rubbed her face in exasperation. “I feel like I’m getting more questions than answers here. So. You know. Great talk so far.” “Understandable. I regret that, in my current state, there are likely some things I will not be able to answer, but I will do my best,” ATA said. “I would suggest finding someone to aid in repairs and replenish the aether node within your soul, but I get the impression that that is not tenable at the moment.” “I don’t know if you realize it, but whoever built the… uh, buildings we’ve been finding, and I guess made you, they’re… not around anymore,” Gleam said. “These ruins are a big mystery to anyone who even knows about them, apparently. Lykou and Kuna kind of did that… ‘ritual’ thing to me on accident.” She looked away and grinned sheepishly. “Uh. Admittedly with my help. Sorta.” ATA hesitated for a moment, then vaguely nodded. “That would explain things. I somewhat suspected as much when I first inspected your soul signature. It is not surprising that this holy valley has been left abandoned, given the large amount of time since my last awakening, and the cultural shifts that were happening in my creators’ society.” The vague, blurry figure tilted its head curiously. “You say two individuals… ‘Lykou and Kuna’, activated the ascension altar by mistake? That seems... implausible… albeit not impossible, I suppose.” “It was a series of things that just added up to me having a new body, learning to talk, and just generally having an existential crisis. And here I am, forever being confused and… twitchy,” Gleam said wryly, then shrugged. “But at least they’ve been sweet enough to look after me and take me with them on their journey.” “That is fortunate, at least,” ATA replied. “It is a shame I cannot meet these two individuals, but alas, I do not appear to be able to interface with any aetheric eminence units, or even scrying crystals.” Gleam stared at the figure blankly for a minute. “...right, gonna just skip right over that,” she declared. “So, important thing before I get to anything else. There’s a building with another magic… thingy, that turns people back into animals. We, uh… accidentally did something with that, too, and Lykou got turned into… whatever his people used to be. Luckily he still has his people-mind, but we’d really like to give him back his old body, too.” “I see,” ATA said. “It is regrettable that security measures were no longer in place to prevent such accidents. There are two facilities for such transformations. One is a spiritual retreat, meant to facilitate a meditative return to one’s base form while retaining most of their upper level mental faculties. I assume that is the one you found. A circular structure with a platform surrounded by water and stepping stones?” Gleam shook her head. “No. Just a big blocky building with some skinny holes up high and it’s pretty… bare, otherwise. Not much decoration except all these weird symbols- writing?- on the wall.” “...oh. Then you found the other one,” ATA said quietly, its tone notably shifting. “That facility was highly controversial and only intended for those most unstable and violent individuals that were deemed unworthy of retaining ascendance. It is good that you somehow aborted the procedure while your friend’s mind was still intact. I am glad the procedure from our last encounter was a success, although I didn’t think the alterations would take affect so profoundly so soon.” “Uhhh, I just… kinda hit things, and there was this big burst of noise and light and stuff, and it threw me across the room and released Lykou,” Gleam said awkwardly, then winced at the thought. “Ow, by the way. But uh, on that note… what _did_ you do to me last time? I’ve got this weird… kinda magic feeling thing or something?” “Oh. That is… concerning,” ATA said. “I made some quick alterations to your-… well, part of your soul, in hopes of making up for the flawed ritual. It seems that, although it was successful, your soul is still mending itself, and the alterations are prone to some arcane feedback. I advise you to be cautious around imbued items and devices until it has finished stabilizing.” “Yeah, no, I kind of figured that out when Kuna’s dream-thingy zapped me real good,” Gleam replied with a frown. “What exactly does all of that mean? What else should I expect?” “I wove some arcane sigils into your soul that should enable some streamlined pathways for-” ATA began, then paused and cleared its throat. “Nevermind. Point is, you can now more easily sense and interface with- that is, make use of- leylines and sufficiently strong sympathetic connections, which will help you in your path to enlightenment, should you seek it and find a suitable mentor for such things.” “Okay, sounds… fun,” Gleam replied. “But what about Lykou? Is there anything we can do to turn him back to normal?” “Potentially. But it would require realigning any connections in the chamber that you damaged, and using the controls correctly,” ATA explained. “And unfortunately, I do not currently have access to guidance on those matters.” “So… no?” Gleam replied, crestfallen. “I assume just fiddling with things until something happens is probably not a good idea.” “Decidedly not. However, there should be information present within the facility to assist you,” the servitor continued. “You mentioned writing, but did not seem to understand it. I assume the knowledge transfer from Lykou and Kuna did not include literacy, then?” “I have no idea what that even is,” the squirrel responded flatly. “So no, probably not.” “I see. Well, I can make one more quick alteration that should help you,” ATA continued, moving closer to the squirrel. “Though it w-” “Wooooah buddy, hang on,” Gleam said, taking several steps back. “I’d rather not have you doing… whatever that was again.” “It is your decision, of course. But I can promise it will be less invasive this time, should you accept. It is a smaller, more surface-level procedure,” ATA assured her. “And it should allow you to help your friend.” Gleam hesitated, mulling it over. The previous time had been quite frightening, and left her feeling weak and strange, and ultimately blacking out. But on the other hand, she owed Lykou and Kuna so much, and she wanted to repay them somehow. She sighed. “F-fine… if there’s no other option…” “Good,” ATA said as they approached, then sat down and extended a hand to her. “Come, make yourself comfortable.” The squirrel nervously took the servitor’s hand and knelt down in front of them, then fidgeted awkwardly. “Uhhh, so… l-like last time? In… your lap?” “That would be optimal, yes,” ATA confirmed. “It makes the procedure easier, and should be more comfortable for you as well.” Gleam sighed, then crawled into the entity’s lap. It still felt strange being cradled by something that was so blurry- she could feel their touch, but other than generally warm and soft, it didn’t feel like much else. “Why are you all… uh, blurry, anyway?” “Again, part of a malfunctioning arkyne system. It is preventing me from fully forming, despite my best efforts to rectify things from my side,” ATA explained as they gently stroked her head. Despite their verbosity and clinical manner of speech, they still managed to radiate a gentle, loving kindness while she was so close to them. “I should warn you, this will likely use up what energy is left in both your aether node and what I have left in my reserves, and I will have to bid you farewell.” “Oh… alright,” Gleam said, fidgeting a bit. As nervous as she was, she had to admit part of her was suddenly sad to say goodbye to the strange being that’d been visiting her in her dreams the previous few nights. “Shame, I just learned your name and… well, anyway, thank you, ATA.” “Your gratitude is appreciated, but unnecessary. I was created to provide assistance, and it is my pleasure to do so,” ATA said. They paused for a moment, then pulled her into a brief embrace, which she returned after a moment. “It is indeed a shame we’ve had so little time together, but I hope my efforts will help you in your new journey through ascendant life, little one.” “I’m not THAT short, you know,” Gleam said, crossing her arms with a playful pout. “You’re just big.” ATA chuckled. “Indeed. Now lay back and relax, and I’ll begin.” Gleam took a deep breath, then laid back out across the servitor’s lap. “It won’t… hurt or anything, right?” “Not at all. It may feel a bit… _strange_, but not as bad as last time,” ATA explained as they gently stroked her fur. “I am simply implementing a basic translation soul-engram that includes-” “Yup, mhm, sure, okay,” Gleam interrupted. “I am definitely following along here. Not completely lost at all.” ATA chuckled. “Apologies. Just relax and let me know when you’re ready to begin.” Gleam took a moment to use some of Kuna’s tips for calming herself, then nodded. “O-okay… ready as I’ll ever be.” “Good,” ATA replied, then began manifesting a collection of glowing energies around their hand. After a moment, they reached through her body- or dream-body, or whatever it was- and she immediately tensed up. More energies flowed into her and she could sense things happening inside her in a way that was impossible to describe, but was far from comfortable. She didn’t find it as hard to breath as the previous time, but she still felt cold and couldn’t really move. Despite the decreased intensity, it was still quite unsettling. Fortunately, the procedure was over before long, and she collapsed when ATA retracted their hand and dismissed the magic. Already she could feel things starting to darken around her. “All… d… done?” she panted. “Indeed,” ATA said, their voice growing softer. “And now I must bid you farewell. It was a pleasure to meet you, Gleam. Live a good life, and may you find joy and enlightenment in every day.” “Thank you… ATA,” the squirrel said as she slowly closed her eyes. “Was nice… to meet you…”