"Hey, are you okay?" Alix sat staring into the eyes of Dandelion Howard. Looking around the room, trying to understand what was happening.
"W-what happened?" Alix's voice was trembling as she was shaken from the vision she had witnessed. Dandelion looked at this obviously terrified teenager and gently patted her on the arm.
"The class ended a few minutes ago but you didn't leave so I thought something was up. Especially since I got a better look at you and saw what a mess you were. You were crying, shaking, and sweating. In a word, you looked terrified." Alix tried to steady her breathing but every time she started feeling calm she would picture that poor firebird screeching in pain and it would disrupt the whole process.
"I-I saw something..." Alix spoke underneath her breath so Dandelion leaned a bit closer.
"What did you say?" Alix looked at the older girl seeing genuine concern on her face. Alix didn't understand why this girl that she could swear didn't like her was suddenly so concerned about her emotional state. Was this just a trick?
Alix turned her head to Mo who was staring right back at her even more concerned than Dandelion. 'Alix, take deep breaths alright? Trouler's gonna be fine and we're gonna find Nuka as well. That's something that I swear on my fins and tail. Okay?" Mo's dedication reached Alix and helped her to calm down enough to turn to Dandelion and bow apologetically.
"I'm sorry, I must have fallen asleep towards the tail end of the class. I just had a nightmare. Nothing that you should feel the need to concern yourself with. But thank you for worrying about me." Dandelion looked deeply into Alix's eyes trying to discern whether the girl was truly okay or not.
After a moment she let out a resigned sigh and backed away. "Let me at least take you home kid. Where are you staying? I heard from some of the teachers that you don't stay on campus." Alix looked at the girl even more confused than before.
"Why are you doing this?" Alix asked. Dandelion tilted her head to the side.
"What is it that I am doing?"
"This. Worrying about me. Being concerned for my well being and making sure I get home safe. It just feels you're feelings towards me went from hostile to friendly at the drop of a hat?" Dandelion chuckled at Alix's lack of understanding.
"Is that how you saw me? Hostile? Well, you wouldn't be completely wrong but I wouldn't describe how I feel about you as hostile." Dandelion crouched down in front of Alix. Her eyes were suddenly cold and yet focused as she spoke.
"I've just been disappointed by your misuse of your martial talent. At your refusal to commit to this path when you have the skills to excel in it! You have all of this talent and even a solid foundation. You would flourish in the martial field but you treat it like it's a nuisance." Dandelion's eyes became distant.
"It just...reminds me of someone I followed when I was younger. Someone that I used to admire at this school until they threw it all away for some silly dream that didn't even make a lick of sense! Especially with the talent that they had!" Alix noticed that Dandelion's fists were clinched tightly
"That person must have been quite important to you if you have such intense feelings on the subject matter." Dandelion breathed deeply and returned to a calm state.
"Anyway, I just don't like it when I see a person not capitalizing on their talents." Alix nodded and stood from the ground.
"I understand how it could seem that way to you but I assure you that I am not casually throwing away my talents. I am simply trying to pursue my true passion." Dandelion looked up at Alix not satisfied by her answer.
"And what would that be?" Alix smiled as she reached into her catalyst pouch and pulled out one of the spells that she prepped over the weekend. Dandelion squinted her eyes trying read what was on the small piece of...whatever that thing was but she couldn't understand the words.
Alix held the paper out in front of her but away from Dandelion and focused her Lis into the catalyst causing the symbols on the paper start to glow. Alix's long hair gently started to lift and blow in the wind from her own power and her clothes shifted slightly from the same wind. Dandelion watched uncertain as to what she was about to witness.
Alix then pulled out a second catalyst and held it out in her other hand repeating the same process. The entire thing took about five seconds before Alix was ready. She held both catalysts separate from each other and called out the name of the spell.
"Di-Igneous: Veer Vallen."
At the completion of Alix's words the catalysts burned away transforming into several orange feathers. The feathers moved toward the sky until there was no more of either catalyst at which point they all began to shoot straight down towards the ground at high speeds.
They came quill pointed down so whenever they hit the dirt the stuck into it. Dandelion looked across the training field that is now covered in small glowing orange feathers. Alix then took a deep breath and walked into the field. At the same time she clapped her hands together activating her gloves.
Once Alix started passing the feathers they dislodged from the ground and flew into her already flaming hands expanding the flame.
"This is my passion Dandelion..." Alix started to proclaim as the flames around her hands continued to grow from the feathers. "Magic is wonderful. It is the most unique source of power for us mortals. A power source that spellcasters have learned to harness in six different ways as of today's research. My intention is to learn all methods and expand upon them."
Dandelion watched in amazement as the fire around Alix's gloves were now three times the size of a child's play ball. Alix held her hands toward the sky. Her Lis began moving to coat her entire arms and the sphere looked about ready to explode with energy.
Alix smiled wildly and shot the two flaming spheres into the sky. The spheres flew up at great speeds and with great force even causing a bit of a blow back on Alix. They continued ascending until they reached their peak high enough in the sky that several students and teachers stopped as they noticed shining orbs in the air.
"What is that?" several asked with wonder.
Then the orbs exploded like a pair of huge fireworks releasing a resounding, "Boom!" across the sky. That was not the end however as the sphere exploded into the feathers that were used to form them filling the sky with more color.
Those feathers then started to explode forming a chain of explosions that lit up the darkening sky. Dandelion sat staring at this beautiful sight at a loss for words. She only pulled her gaze from the sky when she heard a wave of footsteps racing toward the room.
When they arrived at the room the crowd of spellcasting students and teachers felt a hint of disappointment seeing the famous Dandelion Howard being the one in the room. That did not stop them from searching for answers, however, as the bombard her with questions.
"Did you see the person that casted that beautiful spell?"
"Did you know them?"
"Or was that the effect of some sort of artifact?" All of these questions rained down on Dandelion but she did not answer any of them. This was because she was still amazed by the spectacle that she had just witnessed.
She smiled to herself and recalled the last words Alix spoke before leaving.
"Thank you for helping me through that emotional crisis. I know that you did not know about my magic but giving the the chance to showcase it helped me clear my mind. I am still planning on leaving the Martial Uni but I hope that this assures you that staying here is the true waste of my potential. After all, with magic I have just made feathers bloom like flowers."
"Ms. Howard can you at least tell us the name of that amazing spell?" Dandelion looked up at the student that had proposed that question and nodded. The crowd gathered around and got silent as Dandelion spoke.
"The name of that spell..." Dandelion couldn't actually remember what Alix said before casting the spell but based on the effect she was confident that the name in her had was right. And Alix had said it too so there was no other possible answer.
"It's Feathers Blooming!"