The Magnetic Energizer

A Catastrophic Loss; Breaking The Limits

         Once back, Judith and I take it easy for a bit and head towards the river a few miles from here. It's past noon, yes, but still. And it's funny really, I didn't get much sleep last night but I still feel rested.
         We sat on the edge of the riverbed watching the water flow about. The sparkles the sun brought into it made it all better. But of course, there had to be something to break the ice we have. “Your greatest fear really was losing me?”
         Sigh... “Yes. Should anything have happened to you, I don't know what I could've done. I know we've only been going out for a month and a half but I feel a really great connection with you and I don't want to lose that.” I grab her hands and she blushes and looks away. “I love you, Judith.”
         “I love you too, Matt.” Leaning in for a kiss, I close my eyes-- (Gasp) I stand up and look around, certain that she felt the same.
         “Did you feel that?”
         “Yeah, and I don't like it...”
         I start sensing around to see where that huge pang of power came from. There it is. It's coming from-- No!
         “We gotta go back!” I grab her hand to get to our vicinity immediately. Only then do I see some weird spiritual wisps going about and they aren't friendly.
         “Get back!” People were around here, petrified from fear, not by Knightmare, thank God. Finally do they move!
         “Electron Cloud!” I shroud everything to see what those wisps are capable of. They started to send weird... rifts in reality..?
         “This has his name written all over it. Lightning Strike!” Slowing down time, I start to exterminate these wisps and hopefully didn't cause any negative effects to anything around us. Dissipating the power, everything seemed normal...
         “Something isn't right...” Judith says, Wait... where did that go?
         “Wait. Doesn't Brit usually nap by this time!?”
         “No!” We run to the Gardens, hoping we're not too late! And we probably are..! Something was shrouded in shadows as I felt Brittany's power being taken.
         “Stop!” I run to attack it but immediately-- Ow!--get slashed away from the thing. Ugh!
         “Get away from her!” Judith! No! “Maximum Overdrive!” That burst of power was actually enough to shove the skeletal centaur away from the shroud and releasing Brit who-- what the..?
         “Ugh! Too late, you weak insects! Let's see how you fare when your youngest is gone!” I tried to go after him but was too late. He already escaped through a portal that I couldn't follow.
         “Damn it...” I look over to Brit... who's... petrified..?
         She's not moving... or even limp... her eyes were blackened by fear... no...
         The ones really taking this hard is Judith and Wayne... for some reason... then again, they were basic cousins. You wouldn't believe how much fun they had together. And now to see her like this...
         “Kuso, Why didn’t you save her. Why her!? That skeletal thing just-- It’s not getting away with this! I’m gonna tear him limb from limb, rip off that armor helmet and-!”
         “Enough...” He was right, which is scary. I wasn't here quick enough. “I know. I was too late...” By then, my tears were streaming down...
         “Too late!? If it was your girlfriend, you wouldn’t have been too late!”
         “It would've made little difference! What were you all even doing when he got here!? Surely, to would've had enough time to hide her, or combat him, or even call me before this happened!” Stop! They're not at fault!
         “I had company for once! It’s not my job to play guard duty; I just live here! If I decide to do things, that is my business. Quite frankly, I left her waiting. ”
         Ah! We're getting nowhere! “Okay, fine! It's my fault! We aren't gonna do anything arguing though!” I pace around, thinking what do I have to do..!? Come on! Damn it, think!
         “How best do you fight a foe who is not of our own plane..? Phantoms and spirits can only be warded off by their own or a blessing by.” Jeni kinda snuck up on us and with… advice? “How do you ward off a bad dream then is what comes to mind.”
         Uh. Hmm. That could work, but... “How can we do that exactly over someone who had complete control of the Dream Dimension? I understand what you mean, but unless you're an actual practitioner of Spirituality, and even I'm sort of whack, there's no possible chance of touching him, much less even try to get him.”
         “There is a possible way...” And even Marell sneaks in! Come on!
         “Marell, what do you mean?” She flies over to us and explains.
         “Like you said, there is no probability of you getting anywhere near. However, I can help you expand you knowledge in Spirituality.” She says that it's not just reviving and rule bending for killing. It's actually pretty damn convenient. Not only is it just helpful physically but the immaterial attributes also come into play. Doesn't really answer my question completely though it does seem to satisfy everyone for now.
         “If you don't mind, I'd like to learn now. Should any more events happen, I have to be ready.”
         “Then I will aid you as well, even still this is a relation to a phantom. What I have will not be potent but helpful.” I nod and agree. Honestly, I need all the help I can get. And I never hated her in the first place anyway. She's the one who disliked me. We don't agree on a lot, but I think we can still get along... somehow, and is she smiling at me? That's a first. Hmm.
         “Alright, then. But what of Brittany? We can't just leave her there...” Maybelle thinks about it for a minute before saying,
         “I'll take her. I could maybe find a cure for this. Knightmare's power surpasses all of ours but I'll do my best.”
         I nod then face my teachers. “Let's go.” One jump later and we land in another mountainous part of the Gardens. We're actually way above their entrance; we could just barely see the top since it inclines back.
         “So what's first?”
         (3rd) “Maybelle, please take care of Brit.” Judith makes one last favor.
         “She'll be in safe hands.” the two fly over to the huts. The others just stand there, not knowing what to do.
         “Well then not much else I can do, I have someone waiting.” Wayne tries to slowly walk out.
         “So you skimp out on training just to meet a girl?” Retnil asks, not really showing much negation toward it.
         “Well, a fangirl, yes, a special fangirl at that.”
         “Nice. (Whisper) Hope it's not a one day stand...” He returns to his training regime. In another group of Cuddles and Hannah,
         “Hans, you think maybe we should take Judith somewhere to get her mind off this?”
         “You're right. Hey, Judith?”
         “Hmm?” she turns around to see the two exchanging apologetic glances.
         “You want to head out, take some time away from this? I know you're stressed out right now but you can't just stay this way the whole time.”
         “(Sigh) You're right. What'd you have in mind?”

To save some time, and writing, we skip 9 hours ahead, to the point where Matt is in excruciating pain from all the training that occurred. He tried defending himself from some attacks before accidentally getting one past his grasp.
         (Matt) “(Panting) I... cant... go on..!” A slap to my face, not physically of course, got me up.
         “You know you can surpass your limits, Matthew! Don't say that this is your threshold! You've shown better initiative in your previous battles, you can certainly not worry about our well being for training!”
         “Speak on your own for well being, but limitations are only an idea created by weak minds. Now try harder!” One last attack and--
         (3rd) It brought him to break his limits and surpass to the stage of reacting only with instinct. His eyes became a light blue as all sense of moral reason and common sense has left his mentality. With bestial attacks, Matt overwhelmed this teachers by more than they could've handled nearly twofold. Only after seeing that his enemies were disarmed and rendered harmless does he regain his senses.
         “(Pained) Excellent. Matthew certainly has made... a great improvement.” Lady Marell smiles at how far her pupil has gotten to. But kinda for naught; he's... knocked out and in so much pain..!
         “Even he has some feral instinct left, impressive still. ” Her composure didn’t show her pain but she looked bad off.
         “True. But this was more luck than anything else. He now knows that he can access this, however, there's only a few certain triggers that allow this to happen.” After some healing, and waiting for Matt to come through, they wait there in idle conversation.
         “Triggers, then it isn’t true ferocity? Instincts have no care; friend or foe, you die.”
         “Maybe to some if they can't control it as we do. However, it is true ferocity; the only difference is that they know who caused it and who they're after. Now that the subject is being spoken, I am fearing for him.”
         “What is your concern? He seems capable in more than one merit.”
         “That isn't what I meant. If you can recall earlier today, he was on the verge of transforming. Should he have done so really may have killed him...” She can't seem to shake the expression off.
         “Then, it would have been quite the loss. But many die in the pursuit of power. My sister did rightfully so. But we need this one, don’t we..?”
         “Yes. Matthew is the last capable one to even equalize the force the darkness can bring. But I speak of an old legend... one that I assumed would have been eradicated if not for-- hmm?”
         (Matt) Okay. Pain. Sheer... unadulterated... pain... what just happened..? “(Grunt) ugh...” I'm trying hard to stand up but it hurts to even think about it.
         “Hello, Sleeping Beauty. You never cease to surprise me and my judgement.” Was... that... a joke..? From Jeni..? Huh. Wonder what happened that she got so friendly... but, I can't stand.
         “(Stained) Hopefully, for the better.” I nearly stumble if not for a convenient tree stump. “Thought I'd be used to this by now; this is how I train every day... with more physical injuries anyway...”
         “Physical injury is not the issue in this circumstance, only half way so.” Eh, she's kinda right. I don't feel so... myself, if that can be explained. Okay, I'm up. Sitting down on the stump, I focus my energy on healing myself, which luckily worked.
         “(Phew!) Well, that was fun. But I think it's time we rest for today. If I'm correct, it's 2 hours before midnight.” Moon is up anyway, that says enough.
         “Rest for now, Matthew. Tomorrow, we will resume your lessons,” Marell instructs.
         “It is vital you be in better condition.”
         I nod and put away my weapons. Yeah, they also taught me about how to transgress power into them. The bow and staff especially work. Yeah, I have a staff too. “Good night.”
         “'Night.”
         “And to you as well.”
         Jumping, or really running down the slope, I fall face first to the ground after losing my footing and realizing that I stepped into the emptiness of the doorway. I just wish I had a camera. Stuff like that looks hilarious. (Pop!)
         “Okay. Ouch.” Didn't hurt that much but still, ow. I get up laughing at the mistake, thinking that-- Huh? “Who are you?” I address the kooky girl.

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