Nara looked up from her book with a start as the door swung open, nearly knocking over her candle.  It reminded her to lock the door more often; any lunatic, or evil one, might come into the house of the Sisters of Monbaraba.  She sighed as she realized the truth of the matter.  "Good evening, Mara."
	"Good evening, sis."  She sighed, a smile wide on her face.  Nara giggled once at her sister's vitality.  Mara laughed and walked over to the couch, falling back into it, just to prove her sister wrong.  Nara laughed.
	"How did tonight's dance go?" she asked, putting away her book.
	"Well enough," she said, sitting up.  "That new partner of mine--Candice, remember?--she missed a step that nearly threw us all off.  I keep telling the Master I don't like group dances, but he keeps not caring.  I think he wants to bring more of the theater into it.  I don't know.  They seem to pay the same either way."
	"Well, don't you like dancing to a real song more than to...."  She shuddered.  "'Gypsy Walk?'"
	Mara fell back over laughing.  Nara just stared sadly at her hysterical face.  "I don't see why that's funny...that's the worst title for a song I've ever heard...it doesn't even sound like that!  It's just--wrong!"
	"You're only saying that because you're-a-gypsy-too," she said, bouncing the last words together.  She nearly had another fit.  Nara shook her head, smiling.
	After she had calmed down, Mara sat back up and looked at the book her sister had been reading.  "Is that the same book I've seen you reading for, I don't know, a week?"  Nara nodded.  "That's pretty thin, Nara.  You should be able to get through that in something like three days."
	"I know."  She sighed.  "I've just been thinking."  Then she smiled, surprising her sister.  "I'm not sure, but I think I've figured it out now, though."
	"What have you been thinking about?" Mara asked, putting her chin in her hands and her elbows on her thighs.
	"The Shawl of the Soul," she said, somewhat dreamily.
	"Oh!  I've been waiting for you to tell me about that!" she said.  Both chuckled; Mara had mentioned it countless times in the two weeks they had been back.  "So, NOW are you ready to tell me what happened to you while you were asleep?"
	To her surprise, she nodded.
	"OOH!  I'd better get comfortable!"  Mara stood up and went to the corner of the front room near the front door, on the right and opposite Nara.  The two were fortunate to have a house with three rooms--one large front room and two smaller back rooms.  One was their bedroom, and the other was where Nara did her more complex readings for her job.  In that corner lay a large sack of cloth.  Inside it were countless beans.  She dragged the luxurious beanbag over to the opposite corner with Nara, near the reading room, and sank into it.  "This had better be good," she said, smiling giddily anyhow.
	"Oh, it is," Nara said, the ending on her mind.
	"All right.  Tell away!"
	They would be up until the town was asleep.

	As expected, the Shawl of the Soul was beautiful; Nara's interpretation, though, could not have prepared any of them for its visage.  The thick, glimmering strip of cloth was a rich yellow that shimmered purple and green alternatively.  Jack and Mara were very impressed with its beauty, the sister thinking it most luxurious and having a light urge to try it on herself.  Both Nara's prediction and Alsul, however, told them it was Nara's shawl to wear.  A single look into her wide, gleaming eyes and wider, almost girlish smile told Mara that she was ready, too.
	Mara took the shawl from Jack carefully.  "This is beautiful," she said as if noticing it for the first time.  The others agreed.  She looked up at her sister.  "Well, Nara...time to decide your fate."
	She nodded and took it from Mara's grasp.  Nara was quite ready to decide that fate, as well.  The connoisseur of shawls saw the beauty and fullness of this one, and she knew that if it was a normal shawl it would be positively exquisite.  But she knew different.  There was power in that shawl.  She had seen it earlier that day, in her near future; now she saw it again.  She took a deep breath, exhaled, and raised the shawl around her neck.
	Its glow flared to twice its brilliance, blinding her companions.  When they could see again, she laid on the floor...unmoving, barely breathing, and unconscious.

                          The Art:  a continuation of
                          Shawl of the Soul

	Consciousness crept into her body very slowly after that.  It felt like it had been sleeping for years; embracing coherence would be a difficult task.  Slowly, yet surely, awareness came back to her tired soul.  When it finally hit her mind, as well, she woke--only slightly woke--to find her entire body was tingling.
	She moaned and tried to put the sensations out of her mind, only wanting to go back to sleep.  It didn't help, though; it seemed she was bound and determined to wake up.  Fatigue being purged painstakingly from her every bone, she stretched, long and far as if a cat, hoping that would help.  It only made it worse, so Nara moaned again and rolled over.
	Her nose hit hard ground.
	Her hands went to it while her face scrunched up in shock.  She held the appendage for a while, soon enough deciding it would survive.  About then, she decided it would be prudent to open her eyes for several reasons:  finding out how she had hit her nose, waking up, and finding out what had made the odd scraping noises she'd heard when she rolled over.  She did so.
	Nara was on solid rock.  She looked down at it thoughtfully for a time.  Soon, she remembered she shouldn't be seeing the color so clearly; she was in a cave before, without any light.  Curious and a bit fearful, she craned her head up a bit, and it confirmed her fears:  she was now under open sky.
	By now, she had become somewhat frightened.  She had been moved during her sleep.  Slowly and deliberately, she started getting to her knees, knowing she shouldn't press her tired body just yet.  Scraping again.  She looked down, trying to find out what was making the sound, but didn't see anything; somehow, she was still dressed in her robe from the cave.  She didn't notice yet that she wore no shawl.  She struggled to her knees after a while and looked around, and what she saw only increased her fears.
	Absolutely nothing.
	Swallowing, she finally rose.  Feeling near a breakdown, Nara forced herself to breathe slowly and calmly.  Again she looked around her in an attempt to find something optimistic.  An expanse of nothingness opened up around her.  The floor rose as a bed of unworn red rock, clear and unbroken.  The sky shone yellow all around, unbroken by blue or by clouds; only the sun, twice as large as her normal sun but not as bright, looked different in the sky.  Finally, she noticed the beauty of the arid scene.  She clung to that desperately, smiling lightly and looking about her.
	"What happened...?" Nara mumbled to herself.
	She sighed as she realized it hadn't worked.
	What had happened to the cave she had been in?  Why was she here now?  Was it a result of the shawl?  She didn't know any of these things--and she wanted desperately to find out.
	Nara didn't know what to do next now.  She had no guidance about what to do, or where to go, or...anything.  As far as she knew, she should go back to sleep.  As far as she knew, she should run herself through.  It might save time, she bitterly thought.
	She shook her head.  She had to try to live...somehow...and neither were the answer.
	So...what IS the answer?
	After a moment of thought, she decided she would simply start walking.  Nowhere on their world was so open that a day's walk would get her absolutely nowhere; shuddering, she added that nowhere on their world resembled this place at all.  She carried nothing with her into the cave, which in truth seemed stupid to her after her fight, so she simply started moving.
	At that moment, two things happened.
	The first was she felt something hit the side of her leg.  She reached down to discover what had made the scraping sound:  her scabbard.  The scabbard to the Metal Babble Sword.  The sword she hadn't brought with her into the cave.
	The other made her feel for that sword.
	'Daughter....'
	The sound came directly into her mind.  No one spoke, and she saw no one to be speaking.  She was being reached through telepathy.
	'What?' she responded, vaguely.
	'Daughter....'
	'Where...where am I?  Who's speaking?  Where are you?'
	'You must listen, daughter....'
	'What do you mean, daughter?  Our mother died before we knew her--in my birth, I've been told by Father.  We have no other female kin.  Or male, for that matter.'
	'Your questions shall be answered--when you let me, as you must.'
	'Answer me!  Who are you???  Where are we?  What is this about?'
	Over the course of many moments, this voice, who she came to know as the guide--for it was the only thing in this world that even vaguely existed, much less spoke to her--and, for some reason, who always called her "daughter."  She had asked her why several times, as well as many other questions, but the answer was almost always "you will know later."  She had gotten answers to some of her questions, though.  Her consciousness was in a manifestation of the lighter part of herself, which she knew much more often than the darker part.  Later she would fight a manifestation of this part.  She fought them in a place created both by the shawl and her own psyche; it was all in her mind and harmed no one else.  The shawl had reacted to her mind because she was special to it--and that had almost cost her her sanity.  Now she fought to keep it, and that fight would soon be over, according to her "mother."
	She did not believe the guide truly was her mother.  Her mother had died before she and Mara knew her--as far as she knew.  She had thought to ask her if she lived, but she did not, and that calmed Nara greatly.  It did leave the possibility open, however, that her mother truly spoke to her; she did not, could not believe it--but it WAS a female voice she heard....
	Those answers, however, had come not only with further mystery--but also with a warning....
	"'Daughter, your answers will come shortly.  Your fight shall be decided when you have completed your journey, and then your goal will be reached.  But in this fight you must take great caution and understand your opponent.  For your next opponent will be able to use ALL of your abilities.'"
	That emphasis had literally been mind-numbing, the telepathic warning actually causing her pain.  When she told this to the guide, she only told her this new enemy would give her far worse pain.  Her curiosity, and caution, were piqued--but so was her anxiety.  Sighing, she headed off.
	She walked for hours--she never did find out how many--without getting anywhere.  Her thoughts were everywhere, and, similarly, she never found out exactly what she was thinking.  To sum it up, she walked in a haze until she suddenly saw a building over the horizon.
	She soon saw more of it, as well as seeing why it had been hidden before--it was inside a depression, the only change in the landscape she had seen yet, in the rock ground.  At first she thought about what that meant, since this entire setting was supposedly in her mind, but soon she decided these thoughts hurt her head too much.
	Instead, she focused on the details of the building.  It was unlike any other she had seen before.  It was very flat, vaguely resembling a giant box.  It wasn't a box, though, for the front of it was a series of pillars that would allow her to get inside once she got there.
	It wouldn't be long before she got there, either....
	Quickly, too quickly it seemed, after reflecting about the building's appearance, she was down the slope and close to the entrance.  Swallowing, she stepped onto it; the floor, a slick white material she couldn't identify as marble, was surprisingly cold to her bare feet, and she gasped and stepped back quickly.  She stepped back onto the floor and went through the pillars, discovering there was an undecorated wall marred only by a dark doorway.  She started for it, completely apprehensive.  What would she find here?  And what about that enemy she was supposed to fight...?
	Then, suddenly, she formed.
	Gasping, Nara stepped back.  There was a swirling of wind, but only directly in front of her.  Little specks of dust seemed to be coming out of thin air--forming themselves into something.  Nara stepped back as she saw the form was human.  Instinctively, she drew her sword.  The point drifted toward the ground as Nara's jaw and grip slackened; the sword almost dropped altogether, being held by only two fingers gingerly, as the form completed itself.  Instead she watched, sword drawn and sweat beading down her forehead, as whatever formed did so.  When it was finished, she stood still and stared.
	It looked...vaguely...like her.
	There were many differences, but they all stemmed from former similarities.  Nara's hair was not only a deep purple but very long and straight, flowing down in smooth waves, resembling Mara's cascading mane of rough ones.  Her foe's hair, much shorter, curved outward as it went down to the sides, and some at the back did not go down--but rather, up, in a bound tail.  The enemy wore a close-fitting purple blouse, the single sleeve short instead of long.  The skirt came to just above the knees.  The clothes, however, looked as if they could have come from Nara's own.  Her skin was lighter than Nara's, being very pale instead of fairly darkened, as Nara's was, by the sun of Monbaraba's small desert; it was strange to consider, due to the completely yellow sky overhead.  Her face, thankfully, held some very obvious differences.  Her nose was a bit less noticeable, more delicate than Nara's.  Her mouth seemed to have a kind of natural purse--or, at any rate, it fell easily into the arrogant smirk it showed now.  Her eyes were blue, like Nara's, but larger--and full of bright fire, not a calm spirit.  The rest of her body, however, had two very obvious similarities:  the same build in many respects...and the same sword.
	The two stared at each other for a time, Nara not daring to move, her opponent simply not moving, smirking.  Eventually the tension was disrupted when the enemy grinned a bit.
	"Hello, Nara," she said.
	Again Nara stepped back, utterly appalled.  "You speak with my voice!!" she stated, both fascinated and horrified as well.
	"Of course," she repeated.  "We are one and the same.  I am you, you are me.  We have some cosmetic differences, certainly...but our minds are exactly the same."
	"What are you talking about?" Nara demanded.  "Your clothes--they're completely--"
	"Oh, knock it off," the other dismissed.  She smiled again soon enough, continuing, "Nara, look deep inside of you.  Very deep--deep into your subconscious.  Parts of you that you hardly ever look at."  Not sure whether to trust her, but sure of very little now, she did so, waiting for what the other was asking for.  "Now think, and remember.  Have you ever--any part of you, now--had any desire at all to wear something like this?  To rid yourself of the constricting conformity you force upon yourself, and just be--well, free?"  The other smiled as Nara's brow furrowed, her eyes closed.  "Like our sister?"
	Nara gasped, and her eyes flashed open.  "OUR sister?" she exclaimed, her sword moving involuntarily.  "You mean MY sister.  You are not me."  She paused, looking away a bit.  "You may be somewhat like me...and know parts of my feelings...but you are not me."
	"Maybe not, Nara--but I can tell you I know much more than your feelings."  The "dark" one closed her eyes.  Nara looked at her, blinking and wondering.
	A pain, from very deep inside her, began swelling in Nara's mind.  Her eyes closed; she held her head with her hands, but it did nothing.  Soon she fell to her knees as the pain swelled inside her.  Desperately, she opened her eyes.  Her enemy had her hands clasped together upon her breast, looking calmly straight ahead and at her, but with closed eyes and a light smile.  Nara had to close her eyes for the pain again quickly, and her head bent further as the pain suddenly struck deeper in her mind.
	"You are feeling...anxious.
	"You are not happy about this meeting and are very confused.
	"You've learned from...a guide...that you are on a quest for knowledge, but you would be happy with simply leaving at this point.
	"Just to get back to Mara, to Alsul, even to Jack, would suit you more than anything.
	"But you know you cannot...
	"...and Nara, you spoiled little child, that scares you--much more than it should."
	Her enemy's hands unclasped, her eyes opened, and her smile widened.  The pain that had so paralyzed Nara had left her much more quickly than it had penetrated her, but it left her shaking and kneeling nonetheless.
	She can read me...not my battle tactics, but my thoughts--my mind....
	"And quite well...now," she promised instantly.  She felt no pain.  Nara was left shaking to the core of her soul, putting her face into her hands and trying not to sob, trying to shut out this world gone so chaotic so quickly....
	The next thing she knew, she was flying in the air.
	As she looked down she could vaguely recognize her opponent, her arms extended upwards and towards her.  Nara knew the danger the spell posed here was worse than in other place, for the fight could be over if she was backed into one of the pillars.  Nara put that thought quickly out of her mind and instead focused on her Healall spell.  The whirlwind dissipated a mere foot before the pillar.
	The instant before she landed, her spell finished.
	While her abrupt landing caused her great pain as always, she gave it little regard, for within seconds the damage the spell had done was washed away in a sea of healing.  She was quickly able to stand and, doing so, looked at her opponent.  She was no longer laughing.  Nara began casting the spell of Sleepmore.
	Now I might be able to get this over with....
	Once her spell was complete, her own head fell.  For a brief instant, she thought all might be lost, for her own spells were working against her; then she realized the truth--her counterpart had used the same spell.  Armed with this knowledge, she combated the effects of the spell successfully, assuring herself her need to rest was false.
	Nara did it again, hoping her opponent wouldn't mimic her this time as well.  Her spell was successful--and her head dropped again.  Grudgingly, she went to work fighting the spell, telling herself this was an illusion.  But it wouldn't work.  The magic swept over her, telling her body and mind to let go, and with horror she found she was unable to argue.
	The two fell to the floor at the exact same time.
	Five minutes later, they both began to rise.  In this Nara acted differently from her counterpart, for as soon as she saw her she sprang up in fear, not knowing that her opponent had slept as well.  The woman sighed as she saw her still struggling to get up.  Soon enough they were both prepared.  The two used an Infermost on each other, but both dodged it fairly well, being only grazed by the magic.  They rushed to one another with swords drawn and started striking each other that way; after they mimicked three moves perfectly, they both knew that would get them nowhere.
	Finally, the enemy sheathed her sword and stood alone.  She looked, and was, angered yet calm.  "Enough of this," she said simply.  Nara growled and rushed forward, aiming to slice her in half, but she edged a bit to her right, and Nara was left almost running into a pillar.  She came to a stop and turned back toward her opponent.  She was only a foot away...she would be able to end it now...
	...had her head not started to hurt again.
	"...no..." Nara whispered.  Her hands went to the sides of her head again, but again it helped nothing.  The deep pain continued to swell inside her.  Weak, she started to kneel...
	...then was forced into it.
	Tears formed at the corners of her eyes as she peered forward.  Her enemy looked straight at her again, eyes closed, hands clasped to her chest.  Her face was not smiling, but calm, serene.  Nara felt anything but calm.  This woman had entered her mind once more--and she was powerless to move, much less stop her.
	The pain grew inside her, as it had when her mind had been read the first time.
	Then that pain exploded.
	Nara let loose an ear-splitting cry.  She tried pressing her hands further to her to help the pain stop--even to move them to her neck, and let the pain stop that way--but she found she could not move enough to do either.  She could barely blink...but she could also speak.  Desperately, she started remembering the words to Healall, hoping something, anything, could stop the pain so she could find out what had been done.
	There was nothing.
	The tears welling at her eyes burst forth as another scream, this of terror, almost joined them.  Her enemy had taken all of her magic skills from her in one mind-shattering pulse.  She still could not move, and she felt the pain growing again...
	In another pulse, she forgot the sword she carried.  Every technique, all of her training, even the name of the most powerful sword the world knew was washed away.  Nara screamed, the pain not letting her think of anything else, and would have fallen to the floor weeping had her enemy let her.
	Another pulse.  She screamed again, and that scream swelled to fill the outside of the building.  All her stamina, her knowledge of taking pain, whether physical or such as this, vanished in that pulse, and the cry of anguish that resulted was a sign of more pain than she had ever felt.
	Finally, her enemy unclasped her hands and opened her eyes.  Nara fell to the ground, quaking in her sobs.  She felt like a little girl--innocent, inexperienced, powerless--fighting an enemy worse than any she had ever known.
	She laughed above her, watching with cruel joy as it fueled her tears.  "Exactly, Nara," she said, in a soothing tone.  "Fear your weakness.  You cannot fight yourself any longer.  You don't know how to fight at all.  You are powerless against this part of yourself, Nara...."  She reached down and grabbed her from the ground.  Nara gasped in fear and looked into her eyes as she held her in midair by the collar of her robe.  "And now..." she promised, staring straight back, the raging, seething fire in her eyes draining the little spirit left in her opponent's, "...the part you embody...shall be no more!"
	The enemy threw her into the pillar she had almost run into.  She crashed against it soundly and fell to the floor with a cry, groaning as she lay there.
	Then the pain began again.
	Nara did not move her hands to her head this time.  She knew well the words were right.  Whether her enemy planted the thoughts in her mind or if she generated them herself she did not know, but they were real to her.  She did not cry out as she felt her mind in pain...as she began to experience less and less around her as her senses were robbed...as her brain began to know less about her body...as her heart and her breathing began to slowly stop....
	Then, in her mind's last thought, something that had remained untouched by the dark one took over:  courage.
	Slowly, Nara took her sword from its sheath, walked, surpassing the control the enemy held over her movement, to the dark one--unmoving in her trance--and clumsily thrust the sword through her hands into her heart.
	The two dropped to the floor at the same time, the dark one simply fading out of existence before she ever hit it.  The last thought Nara had was how relieving death would be....
	...but she did not die.
	Nara knew something was wrong.  Her eyes opened, but she saw little.  Her sight had been lost to the dark one.  She could see no clarity, no color.  Her mind struggled to understand what was going on, and for several moments, she lay there while it relearned how to manage her body.
	Trembling, she stood when it was ready.  She looked one way and saw a dim brightness.  The outside.  She needed to go inside.  There was no other way to go.  She turned around.  She looked to the wall.  Only darkness.  A deeper darkness was there.  This was the door.  She moved for it quickly, but knew she really moved slowly.  She shuddered.  There had been sounds before the dark one...and now there were none....
	Her mind was lost to the dark one.  Her skills were still gone.  More pain still came to her.  Her heart would skip a beat.  She would take an irregular breath.  She would stumble or fall as she walked.  Each time left her gasping and shedding tears for the unnatural pain it caused her.  She went to and through the door knowing these things.
	The inside was darker than the outside.  Spots of light were along the walls, lamps or torches.  They showed the space of the room.  The walls went away from her far to the sides.  It didn't matter.  There was a darker splotch ahead, and she went forward.
	She headed for it.  She stopped, again and again, whenever her mind made her stop.  She got close to it and saw more than darkness.  It was a human, or a statue.  She kneeled from her heart momentarily stopping.  There she saw it blink.  It was human.  She stood.  She neared it again and saw more parts, more lines.  This was a female.
	A female wearing a skirt, a blouse, light hair with a high ponytail, and a smile.
	All her fear for the dark one, both what had been placed in her mind and what had come from her own thoughts, rushed to her in that visage.  The fear...the great, terrible fear...washed over her in one sweep.
	Nara instantly fainted, her last hope being for a quick death.

	Presently, the woman felt the truth of her existence.  She could feel a certain refreshment in waking--the first time she had in ages.  Her senses returned to her quickly with little effort on her part.  She could feel a passing need to stretch, so she did, her arms branching outwards and feeling the limits of what she lay on.  It was soft--all around her was soft--and the so-long unfamiliar feelings had her ready to stay in bed forever...
	...until she realized she shouldn't be taking feelings for granted.
	Quickly, Nara gasped and opened her eyes.  Her mouth remained open as she saw what was overhead.  It didn't matter what she saw--it had color.
	"My senses are back," she mumbled to herself with a smile.
	Cautiously, Nara moved about in her bed.  She took in with joy the sound of the covers moving, the sight of her body emerging from them, the feel of them brushing against her long, purple gown.  Almost laughing in joy, Nara put her hand in her mouth, just to experience taste--something she'd never missed but knew she had also lost.
	A very scant part of her chided her for the overindulgence she was displaying, but she disregarded it.  Had she not, she could have given it a sharp argument, anyhow.  Nara had lived for twenty-one years--and for the last ten of them, she had been quite gifted in the occupation of seeing into the very fates.  For seven of those years, the latest third of her life, her powers were at a peak that let her see anything she wanted.  A loss of senses for someone so accustomed to knowing anything she wished was devastating, even if for moments.
	When she got over herself, Nara sat down for a moment and thought.  She quickly came up with the idea that her own body could not heal what had been healed--possibly at all, definitely not so quickly.  Someone, or something, else had done it.  Now she was likely with the cause, and she needed to find it.
	She got up and left the room, which had actually been small and sparsely decorated; she had laid on a long bed, but that and a chair were the only contents of the room.  Across from it she discovered another, but she paid little attention to it in lieu of the outside hall.  She was in one of four corners that expanded outwards, both forwards and to both sides, in an arc.  The corners connected smoothly in this arc, as far as she could tell.  There was something more interesting than the architecture to be seen, too:  something was in the center of the room.
	Instinctively, Nara fell to her knees.
	Quickly, she shook her head and overcame her fears.  To find her answer, she had to talk to whoever was in the center of the room--whether in a conversation or a fight.  So she made her way, with a quick and anxious heart, and got within two yards of the woman when she noticed the change.  This still appeared as the woman that had rendered her literally senseless--but there were differences.  Her hair was lighter than that of the one she had fought, not as evilly vibrant.  The clothing was the same, but paler, and a bit less senselessly revealing.  The most astounding differences were the skin--even paler, paler than any she had ever seen--and the face.  While she had never seen her opponent's face calm, this woman, sitting with legs crossed and hands folded over her stomach in apparent meditation, had a calming grace about her face and even her body that went so far as to soothe Nara.  Her heartbeat calming a bit, she approached, but the woman did not respond, even to a direct question.  Nara turned from her and walked a few steps away, momentarily defeated.
	"Do not leave."
	Nara whipped about, utterly appalled.  That voice was the guide!  And, she saw as she looked upon the woman--her eyes, filled with spirit, not fire, turned directly to her--this woman was the guide....
	"That was..." she stammered.  "That was you, all along?  And the fight--I fought you?  Yet talked to you?"
	"Only the talk," the guide assured her.  The soothing tone and look the woman displayed compelled Nara to sit.  She did, directly opposite from her guide, not a foot away yet completely calm.
	"Then can you tell me what is happening to me?"
	"Yes...daughter."

	Two centuries ago, the land of Monbaraba was just as it was to Nara:  a hot spot in the middle of a bland climate.  An oasis, of sorts.  The perfect lure for tourists.  The only difference was that in this ancient time period this barren oasis had a true one in the center, with real water.  Monbaraba did big business even then--even when almost no organized business was done.  The village was in the form of a kind of bazaar at that point, a group of salespersons who took advantage of the tourism they knew would find its way there.  No one truly lived there--which was why the truly special find there remained.
	During the hot season, when there was plenty of heat everywhere else, the bazaar commonly disbanded until the leafless months, when tourism picked up again.  The area was left abandoned in this season, even without the shops.
	It was in one of these seasons that two lovers set off from Kievs, exploring.  The two were lost in the thrall of their own love, so it was only a matter of time before the two were fully lost.  They went always south through the hills and the forests, the man fighting their way through the landscape and its creatures.  Still, by the time the moon shone in the sky, the two were starved, tired, and certain they would not live through the night.
	Then it finally happened:  the man broke through a patch of trees to find a clearing.  In this clearing was the Oasis of Monbaraba, as it was called in those days.  They went to it gladly and quickly, quenching their thirst and need for rest.  The two set up a tiny camp there, and because the sanctuary of the oasis secured the man, they survived through his sheer will.  The moon was high in the sky and all the creatures slept; they had lived.  The two celebrated as lovers are apt in moonlight at an oasis.
	No one knew about that oasis and the powers that it held anymore.  But it was of no import.  For as the two drank of each other in the presence of the oasis, the oasis needed not their knowledge as it drank of them.
	When they awoke, the oasis was gone.
	Dismayed, they thought it was a mirage.  Quickly, they left, seeing the southern coast near them and heading to the north.  They made it back to Kievs in dire condition, but both survived.
	Renee Taltos bore the daughter of Loro nine months later, whom she named Metrope.
	Metrope was a very lively child.  Though even in that time there was the occasional "tomboy," Metrope was not one of these.  Her endless energy went into all the normal female things--cooking, cleaning, and at times some of the arts.  The poor girl's constant zeal caused problems time after time, and Metrope always felt somehow different.
	Then, one day, she met a gypsy.
	Though gypsies of two centuries ago held far from the talent of those today, which isn't much in the common case, the woman fascinated young Metrope.  She represented a life the girl had never seen before--not just the life of telling fortunes, but the life of travel.  The very next day, enthusiastic Metrope knew enough to become a gypsy herself.
	At first the townspeople of Kievs frowned upon it, especially her mother, who considered her daughter to have committed a sin.  It was her father who brought her to fame quickly enough.  He asked her to tell his fortune in public...and every bit of it came true.  Soon Metrope was hailed for her talents--not as a true leader, but a curious yet interesting and, most importantly to Metrope, accepted oddity.
	When Metrope was thirteen, a friend of her parents suggested they send her to Monbaraba under an adult guide.  In the thirteen years Metrope had spent growing up, the lakeless Monbaraba had formed into a bit of the tourist-attractive town it has become today.  After many of her mother's tears, she left for the town.  She instantly became one of the attractions, boosting business noticeably even two centuries ago.
	Then, on her fourteenth birthday, it happened.
	Metrope lay in her bed at the tiny area of Monbaraba designated as the inn for its collection of stars, staring upwards into the open sky.  All others slept, but she could not as she stared into the moon.  All at once, the light of that moon, that perfect half-moon, glinted into her eye too deeply.  That moonlight changed her life forever.
	Though she turned away to stop the sting in her eye, she felt her body seem to start swelling.  She looked down at herself--her body!  It was glowing!  She stood up in shock, but knew better than to scream, for then the people would see her.  In terror she ran for the woods as her body began to outshine the moon.
	The illumination enveloping her waited until it had reached a point brighter than the very sun, then moved from her body into her head.  She almost screamed when she felt it enter her mind, but instead felt a soothing sensation.  Calmly, the girl Metrope let the light teach her what she would call The Art.  It would grow to become the only one she ever loved.
	The woman Metrope came back to her village very late in the night.  She slept for a full day, the people concerned, or scolding, or chiding as she woke.  For all of her life, Metrope revealed to no one her art; after her experience, she felt not close enough even to her mother to reveal it.  Her life proceeded as normal to others, though, and she grew and had children.  The generations spanned until today...when they are carried on by two sisters:  the older, Mara, and the younger, Nara.

	Nara looked deeply into her guide's eyes.  She could see the calm, reined spirit of peace, the spirit replacing her dark clone's rage.  She could see perception behind those eyes--perception, far more than mere understanding.  She had seen these things many times before...and not just in this woman, but herself.
	"Metrope," she whispered.
	"Nara," she confirmed.  She nodded to Nara, ever-so-softly.
	"Then when...I...."
	"Yes, Nara," she said, whispering; her voice was quieted by a subdued glee.  "You, daughter--along with no one save I...
	"...inherited The Art."

	Metrope had wondered if Nara would need time to adjust to the news--that her powers were inherited, and the spirit of the one who had given them to her remained in her mind.  She didn't suspect she would, however, and indeed mere moments after Metrope's final words, the onslaught of questions began.
	"Metrope.  Why...me?"
	"I'd expected that question.  You may find it too flattering, Nara, but the truth of the matter is that of all of my descendants, you alone possessed the power of mind necessary for The Art."
	Nara blushed and turned; Metrope smiled a motherly smile.  "Then The Art is only the mind?  I'd always thought it had more to do with the soul...."
	"No, Nara.  Your gift is managed by your mind, but it is greatly supported by your very strong soul.  All of the Taltos line had strong souls, however.  Yours is a bit stronger than most, but it was your powerful mind that let you accept that gift."
	She turned away from Metrope a bit and asked, "Metrope--why was my memory of you hidden?  And why in the dark side?"
	"Truthfully...you do not have memory of me, as you call it.  When you gained The Art part of my spirit came with you.  I was to remain dormant in your mind until the right time to reveal myself.  I would have called you if you ever used your powers for evil, for instance; this is another instance in which I needed to contact you, and you shall find out why when you can be ready."
	"Why evil, Metrope?  I would never do that...."
	"That must also wait to be explained," she said, waving it away.
	"All right, then...but why did I have to fight my dark side before I reached you?"  Metrope almost spoke, a hint of a smile on her face, but Nara suddenly answered her own question.  "If I had to conquer my evil side before I reached you...that would mean I am about to gain great power...wouldn't it?"  Metrope nodded, looking pleased.
	"I see," Nara said, still mystified.  She smiled warmly and thought for a moment.  Though she knew in her heart what Metrope spoke of, her mind kept telling her to ask Metrope what it was exactly.  She did not know all aspects of it herself.  She voiced her concern, quickly and diplomatically; that was how she expected Metrope to answer, after all.  Her response was more than this.
	"The Art of which I speak is that which you, too, gained on your fourteenth birthday.  The powers of perception you were granted then have not been used by you to their fullest extent, Nara.  In ways this is bad, but in ways it is good.  I shall elaborate on this over time, but I can summarize it now:
	"The Art gives you perception beyond the normal reach of your senses and understanding.  Though you can use it in several ways, they fall into three differing experiences.  For one, you can extend your sight far over land, letting you see much farther than normally possible.  You have used this occasionally, when it proved useful; I recall it eased the nerves of your companions several times on the great journey you undertook.
	"One use is to extend your sight into other realms.  This lets you go farther than land, but into such things as fate and limbo.  You have made this use of your power many times for your occupation--but not in a lax manner, which is good.  When your own, innate abilities could manage the look into fate you needed, you used them, and that is good.
	"The final way to use this perception is to focus through and even into objects, allowing you at times to understand them.  The problem with this ability is that you often cannot understand them without added power--and you can add that power...at a dangerous cost.  You have never used this power, Nara, and it would be wise for you to keep it that way as much as you can.  This is the most difficult way to use your power, the most dangerous--and, at times, the only one that must be forbidden."
	Silence.
	Finally, Metrope was forced to reach out with her hand.  She pressed her offspring's chin up, closing her mouth.  With a warm smile, she explained to the blinking Nara, "I was starting to worry you'd dry out."
	Nara took a moment to come out of her trance, and soon she stared at her mentor.  "Metrope...how could I know of so few of my powers?"
	"Your life did not go on for sixty years, Nara."  She paused as Nara felt, but did not look, shocked.  She looked as young as Nara.  "Though it sounds painfully motherly, you need more experience with your powers.  They should not be so great yet...without help."
	"Then why are you helping me?"
	"Because, Nara, you found my creation:  the Shawl of the Soul."
	Nara's mouth dropped open again, but she could quickly speak again.  "You created the Shawl?  But when--how?"
	"Patience, Nara," she demanded, waving her hand.  "Let me finish.  You found my creation...which I made late in my life.  Before you can learn about this creation, Nara, your powers must mature.  And this will take some work...some fairly taxing work.  But this work is not beyond you--as long as you have my help."
	Nara thought for a short moment.  Then she looked at her mentor.  "Then let us begin.  I know I am ready."
	She chuckled deeply.  "Nara, you need more time to absorb than you believe."  She waved her hand towards one of the ends of their building.  It now pointed to a courtyard.  "Take a walk.  Think.  Understand.  When you come back, I shall be ready."  Metrope went into a meditative position.  When Nara said her name once more, she did not respond; Nara decided simply to follow orders.  Her mentor probably knew what was best.
	As she exited the compound, Metrope carefully entered Nara's mind.  There she constructed a literal mind's eye.  Nara felt only a passing discomfort.  As her mentor watched, Nara started walking the courtyard.  She could tell what Nara was thinking--confusion and relief mixed together.  As she walked they changed to a lack of understanding...distress...and finally fear.  At one point she was on the verge of tears.  She kept walking, however, and her feelings sorted themselves out.  She did not understand much, but knew she would; she was not happy with her position, but knew it was hers no matter what; she did not know how Metrope's words were true--but they were, and she knew she would be able to deal with it in time.
	Nara came back just after Metrope, satisfied, reformed the seeing eye she had made back into one of Nara's normal brain cells.
	"Thank you," Nara said, the hint of a tear stain along her cheek.  "Now I am truly ready for you to teach me...mother."
	Metrope smiled.  "You do not have to call me mother, my descendant."
	Before this was over, Metrope knew but did not relate to Nara, she would know her.

	"Nara.  Look forward."
	She did as her mentor told her.  The building had been moved to the courtyard; Nara had a good idea why this was--the real Metrope belonged to the good part of her mind, and so was her abode.  Still there was very little to see here but the greenery she had walked before.  She turned to her and told her so.
	"True enough, my child.  But now look further.  Using your abilities."  She had opened her mouth at the second sentence, but at the third Nara nodded, understanding.
	Nara closed her eyes and put her hand to the amethyst on her tiara.  Her mind calmed sufficiently so that when she tried to access the part of it that held her gift, it let her.  Her other senses dulled as she felt the energy given to them pour into her sight.  When she opened her eyes again, she felt, heard, and smelled less than half of what she had been--but she focused her view on the details of nearly a half-mile forward.  The path through the trees remained the same.
	"I don't understand...it's just the same..." Nara struggled out.
	"Then look further," Metrope responded, her voice raised so her pupil could hear her.
	Nara's eyes focused instantly back to her normal view, though she did not stop using her extra perception, and she stared at her mentor, but she seemed serious enough.  Nara closed her eyes and replaced her hand, concentrating on her ability further than she did normally.  More of her energy went to her perception; with a bit of shock, she noticed her heart and breathing were slowed a bit.  Discarding that, she looked back forwards and extended her sight.  She zoomed quickly past her former limit, found herself struggling after a distance, and could go no further than one mile.  It was still the same.
	"Nothing's different," she said, the effort of speech tiring her.
	"Go further!" Metrope shouted.
	"I...can't...."  Nara's knees wobbled, but she quickly recovered.
	The woman went over to her and held her.  She eased her to a sitting position.  "Pour all of your energy into your power, Nara.  Ignore the other parts of you; they will recover.  Stop when my hand waves.  Now--do it!"
	Nara groaned.  Her head hurt, and she was getting tired.  Nonetheless, for her mentor, she called on even more of her energy.  It came to her with only great effort at first--and then, at a point, something seemed to break, and her demands were met by a tremendous force of energy.  Her other senses were totally lost to her now--as were her heart and her breathing.  The parts of her body irrelevant to her power simply ceased working.  She did not notice this, however, as her eyes screamed past her old limit and did not slow for miles.  When it stopped her sight had expanded to five miles.  There she saw an X carved into the ground.  Moreover, now she could see everything before it, as well--she could see all the details from her head to that X.  She therefore saw Metrope's hand pass in front of her eyes--though they had very little to do with her sight anymore--and she eased the powers, coming back to her normal sight.  Quickly, her extra perception was lost to her.  She fell forward, gasping for breath.
	It took her several minutes to recover.  When she did, Metrope asked her what she had felt and seen.
	"I felt...a breaking," she began, still breathing deeply.  "A release of energy I don't think should have happened as I stretched my vision.  I don't get like this when I'm doing that, Metrope.  This is only brought on when I look into the fates alone...."
	"This is normal--relatively speaking," she said, smiling.  "The same happened to me.  You have experienced it before, I know."
	"Yes.  When my consciousness...."  Metrope nodded.  Silence.
	Nara stared forward, looking outward.  Her theory had been proven correct, and for simple perception this was a heavy cost to pay.  That cost, however, did bring a great benefit.  Compared to what had just been presented to her, she could see nothing.  The X was completely out of reach.  That did not matter to her, though, for she remembered everything she had just seen almost perfectly.  She finally turned back to her mentor.  "There was...an X, in the ground."
	Metrope smiled.  "You have done well, my child.  You have mastered this part of your powers."

	This time the two were in a quiet, secluded room.  There were no windows, and the only light came from a flickering candle positioned directly between the two, though Nara knew Metrope could have as much light as she wanted there.  This was Nara's psyche, but her mentor fully controlled at least this part of it.  She was a smart teacher, however--this environment was perfect for the lesson Nara was to learn now.  They sat, eyes closed, in meditative positions.
	"All right, Nara.  We are about to use our powers to travel through the fates together."
	Her eyebrow raised.  "Without direct contact with another person?  That's difficult."
	"Yet not beyond your reach.  Now, prepare yourself."  Nara took a deep breath and let it out slowly, her body sinking into a near slouch.  She repeated the process, but it was lost as she heard Metrope chuckling softly.  "I see you aren't accustomed to...unassisted relaxation."
	"Only for this," she snapped, admonishing herself afterwards.  "I can relax fine...except for when I'm doing something like this."
	"True," Metrope allowed, "but for a medium-level, or ANY level of using your power, brandy--"
	"Seer Juice!" Nara said, childishly.
	"--BRANDY is not the answer."
	Nara grunted, crossed her arms, and looked away.  They remained like that for a moment, until Nara turned back to her teacher.  "Seer Juice," she insisted.  Ever since her powers had matured as Metrope's did, and she found out how the drink helped her loosen the tension using her ability brought on, she had been calling the drink "Seer Juice" when she used it--and she wasn't about to stop for Metrope.
	"Whatever it is you don't have it here.  Now come on.  Calm yourself; we shall begin soon."  Nara did as she was told and was ready a moment later.  Both concentrated, Nara's hand resting on her tiara's gem from habit, and let their minds slip from one world to another one entirely.
	Metrope quickly made a telepathic link to Nara.  'Daughter?'
	'I am here, Metrope.'  Nara looked about her and found, with surprise, Metrope's essence.  She had always known she didn't take her earthly form in the fates--it was her consciousness only that entered them, of course.  She had often wondered just what this essence of her looked like; it was quite interesting.  No appendages--she wondered how they could see each other--and truthfully no form.  As it turned out, they were basically glowing, randomly pulsating blobs.  She was fascinated.  'Wow--I've never had a partner here before!'
	'Oh, you should have been with us at the Seer's Gathering in my middle years.  Of course we could not speak; I wouldn't reveal my ability that carelessly.  But just the sensation of being around other entities in the fates is extraordinary, wouldn't you agree?'
	Metrope not only saw, but felt an ethereal nod, and both of them shuddered in excitement from each other's contact.  Though they had The Art, both of them were at heart a seeress, and this was a natural element for them.  The experience of meeting another in their normally individual travels was unique and intense.  The experience heightened their moods greatly, as their spirits were already in a much stronger form.
	'All right, all right,' Metrope said, realizing the two of them were nearly giddy.  'We need to start by warming up.'  She paused.  'Nara, this is going to be exceedingly difficult without direct contact with the target, but--'
	'You aren't saying you want me to find someone’s FORTUNE?  Without coming through using them?' she asked.  She considered it for a moment as Metrope confirmed as verbally as she could.  'Not too unreasonable, at that.  I've done it only once before, though.'
	'But you've gone into the fates without another several times, you said.  Doing what?'
	'Experimenting.  To put it another way, just playing around.'
	'You shouldn't tamper with fate, Nara.'
	'I never said I did anything there, did I?  Anyhow, I can try what you're asking, at any rate.'
	'Good spirits, Nara.  Now.  Who do you wish to see the fortune of?'
	Nara paused.  'Jack.'
	'Jack?'  Metrope was silent for a moment.  'Ah, yes.  The treasure hunter you were traveling with when you found my creation.'
	'You can stop reminding me that you have total access to my mind now.'
	'Never mind that.  Let's go hunting.'
	Nara could feel her mentor's presence alongside her as she searched, but that didn't change the feel of it.  Though she almost never used her powers to go into the fates, when she did she felt very misguided.  Drawing on another person's contact put her within the remote vicinity of that person's "location" in the fates.  Without an aim, she felt helpless.  With Metrope, however, she felt calm.  They traveled together for several minutes, searching for Jack's fate, until it occurred to Nara what might be happening to her body.  She'd been gone a while.  Then she remembered she was in complete seclusion, and not attempting anything strenuous yet, and she was fine.  At that moment, they discovered Jack's fate.  The two stared at it for a moment, pondering.
	'He's got an...interesting future, doesn't he?' Nara remarked, amused.
	'Yes, very much so,' she returned.  'Let us move on.'  Her mentor dragged the again giddy Nara from Jack's future into reality.  The scene was far from appropriate for their business.  They calmed as they recovered.
	"All right, Nara," Metrope said soon.  "You've gotten the feel for world-traveling for the moment.  Now I want you to try something different.
	"You know that there are many possibilities for other realms.  Crystal balls represent some, but not all of them; this should broaden your horizons about the possibilities.  You can discover as many of these as you wish in the future; to master your powers of otherworldly traveling, it is necessary only for you to perform admirably in a very difficult world to travel.  Now, having said that....When you look into a crystal ball, Nara...what happens?"
	Nara considered for a moment, remembering her last experience with one of the tools.  There were a few different types of the things.  One gave its user the answer to some factual questions; one was a window into the fates, for those that needed it--the inexperienced.  There were other, similarly minor ones, but the most difficult kind was that which sought out objects.  This was the one she almost certainly had to use her ability for, because the answer was very difficult to determine without extra perception.  She looked into the realm of the crystal ball, going between worlds again, and was forced to wait as it sought the object--and during that entire time, her body did not function, just as it had not while she had extended her vision earlier.  She related this to Metrope, and she nodded.
	"I want you to do that without the crystal ball."
	"WHAT!?"
	"Nara, don't be startled...."
	"Metrope--that doesn't happen!  I have problems living even WITH that crystal ball doing all the work for me.  Just BEING there--whatever that realm is--taxes me, very severely!  You should know that--you can see into my memories.  From all the trouble I have there I'd expect it was some sort of holy place, and I was trying to do an actual divination."
	"Actually, daughter...you are."
	Nara stood up.  "That does it.  I'm not doing this."
	It took a while, but Metrope eventually soothed her back into a sitting position, her main argument being that without the crystal ball, Nara could control when she left the dangerous realm.  "This isn't going to work," she still insisted.
	"I know.  Now relax."
	The woman, her eyes closed, reached over to Nara and moved her hand along her forehead; the touch brought a light smile to her face and helped her to relax immensely.  She did not consider it was more than the touch; in fact, Metrope was in her mind again.  She created a monitor for her body, to tell her if the strain was becoming too much for her pupil.  As she did this, she also calmed Nara's nerves.  She was ready soon enough, and the two again lost their presence in the real world.
	They found themselves in something Nara felt as sickeningly familiar and sickening at the same time.  'I hate this place,' she said as soon as Metrope created the link, shuddering.
	'I am here, daughter.  Now--we begin.'
	'What are we looking for?'
	The teacher gave her student an image, of a lone tree sitting in the middle of a wide grassland.  'Near Seaside,' she recognized.  Metrope nodded, the feeling encouraging Nara, and the two began their search.
	Time seemed to go slower and slower for Nara as it and their searching dragged on.  Luckily the location seemed to be a beacon--it was very strong in Metrope's mind--but it kept moving...and fading out.  They were surrounded by a sea of white; it wasn't just the endlessness but the layers that bothered her.  The white wasn't the color of any boundaries to the realm--it was the color of countless clouds, all in different positions.  It was very difficult to make out where they were going because of this; at times Nara had to hang on with Metrope literally for her life, and it didn't make her happy at all.
	Finally, the moment came.  The two of them were very close to the flashing red beacon now--close enough that the passing clouds could not blot out the light coming from it.
	Another moment came at the exact same time.  Metrope's monitor called back to her.  Nara was starting to fade.
	'Hurry, daughter.'  Metrope picked up the pace, and Nara, able to see the beacon more clearly now, sped up without having to follow her.  They reached the beacon within seconds.  'Now quickly, peer into it.'
	'Teacher, why--'
	'Just do it, daughter.'
	Anxious, Nara poured her essence onto the beacon, just as she did when the crystal ball brought it forward for her.  She could see a spot, fairly dim, along the ground.  'The tree has four branches?' Nara asked.
	'Yes,' she replied.
	'Then this is it,' she said, pleased.  She may not have made the beacon, but she successfully found its location without the aid of the crystal ball.
	'Now, Nara, we must leave.  Quickly!'
	The two of them pulled back into their consciousness’ as hastily as possible, the urgency getting through to Nara.  When they did come back to their normal bodies, Metrope fell into a slouch, but still leaned forward and caught Nara as she instantly collapsed.
	She was still pleased with her student, however, for finding her way in the realm.  "You are indeed ready for the next test, daughter," she said to Nara's gasping form as it tried desperately to recover, "and you will master this power, as well."

	Nara walked into the oddly-shaped room, still shaking.  Her final test had left her almost as weak as when she had almost died--doing, in fact, one of those very divinations.  She had asked for the location of an item that she later learned no longer existed.  The crystal ball had been wandering for a full minute, trapping her consciousness inside that holy realm as her body rotted.  The experience ended with Mara having to shake her out of the trance--and her being bedridden for a week.  And then, for Nara's final test, she had to find and locate the object herself...and that had proved almost as difficult.  Now, according to Metrope, she was recovered enough to go on with her studies...barely.
	There as a light in this room, but it was not too bright.  There was a small object in its center; it appeared to be a type of gemstone.  She didn't know exactly what it was but had a feeling she would soon enough.  Metrope stood by one of the walls.
	"Nara.  Sit."  She sat, close to Metrope and facing the wall.  "Look at the wall.  Touch it.  What can you tell me about it?"
	"Hmm...."  She looked at and felt it for a moment, inspecting it.  "Looks like painted wood to me.  Pretty thin, isn't it?" she asked, knocking on it.
	"Yes, good.  Now.  There is a gemstone, similar to the one in this room but brighter, behind that wall."  She paused.  "I want you to look through the wall and see that gemstone.  Before you protest," she said, seeing Nara's face contort, "know that I shall guide you along the way.  Now relax...and concentrate.  Access your powers, as if you were going to stretch your vision; but also prepare your consciousness for a traveling experience."  She paused as Nara did so, calming herself and nearly already entering the trance.  Metrope switched to telepathic communication.
	'Now, stretch your vision one level.'  She did so, and as she expected, she was looking closely at that wall.  'Now--listen before you act--stretch your vision a second level, but loose your consciousness, as if you were traveling another realm.  Do these things simultaneously, and do not worry about the strain; I am here for you.'
	Anxiety slipped into Nara as she thought about the possible consequences, but she quelled it after a moment and began.  While pouring more of her energy into her sight, she let her worldly thoughts go--and discovered something extraordinary.  Metrope had never explained where her subconsciousness would take her because she wouldn't have understood.  She watched in fascination as, though she lost the feeling of presence in her body, she kept her sight and seemed to be swimming through a sea of chaos.  She felt hurried through this place, and a powerful sense of fatigue crept into her entire essence.  After a short moment, this stopped, and she felt fine enough as she looked into--was inside a room much like the one she had started in, though brighter.  This one, too, had a sapphire, which reflected the extra light.
	'I see it, Metrope,' she thought in awe.
	'Good, my child!  Now.  Be careful as you come back.  Readjust your vision to its first level, then let your thoughts come back to your mind.  Do not go the other way around.  Once you're back, pull your vision back to your head.'  Holding back a question of what happened if she tried putting back her consciousness first, she did as her teacher bade her.  She was whole, trembling and breathing heavily, soon afterwards.
	Moments later, she posed the million-dollar question.  Metrope smiled.  "I know I made that sound pretty bad," she admitted.  "It isn't life-threatening--more like disturbing.  Your vision wrenches back through what you passed through instantly, and you end up looking at the outside of the wall."
	"Why is that disturbing?"
	"Once you understand what you've passed through, you'll see how confusing that can be.  We're going to work on that now anyhow."
	She led her pupil to the center of the room.  The two sat opposite the sapphire in positions of meditation.  "This use of your ability will be like your previous one at first, but then it will become much more difficult.  Know that when you are finished you will be very fatigued.  You shall understand as we proceed.
	"Look down at the sapphire and extend your vision until you meet its surface."  She did so, used to it by now.  "Now, again listen first.  Do just what you did before--loosing your consciousness, extending your sight--but this time, when you reach the sea, stop."
	"Stop?" Nara said, barely even struggling from the use of her ability after her trials.
	"Yes, Nara--inside the sea."  She knew what she was thinking, and she was right:  the darkness indeed would tire her greatly, as it had for the short moment she had been inside it.  Metrope noted, however, that her student never showed any discomfort.  "If you do become too tired, Nara, you can lower your vision; if you do this bring your consciousness into yourself at the same time--not after.
	"All right, my child....Go."  Steeling her courage, Nara descended into the sea.
	Instantly she felt exhausted.  All around her looked very dark and distant.  She saw floating--things, spheres that blazed but did not glow.  She chose not to think about it herself, instead desperately awaiting the telepathic link she knew her mentor would construct.  It came soon after.  'Daughter?'
	'I am here....What a lonely place.'
	'Do you see chains of spheres, Nara?'
	'Chains?'
	'Groups,' she clarified, forgetting momentarily, 'that are close together.'  Nara confirmed it.  'These groups of spheres...are tiny parts of the sapphire.'
	'What?'
	'I know, Nara.  It sounds hard to believe.'
	'That can't be right, Metrope.  These don't look anything like the gem.  They aren't blue, or--'
	'I know, I know.  They are parts so tiny that the normal eye cannot see them.  They do not have any color to your current view.  You are seeing parts too small to perceive color.'
	Nara paused.  She spoke again soon, however, for exhaustion seemed to overwhelm her when she stopped.  'I am truly...inside this gem...aren't I?'
	'Fascinating, is it not?'
	'How did you ever understand all of this?'
	'Sixty years, Nara.  Do not forget that.  Now.  Prepare yourself for a rush of exhaustion...and come back.'  Nara pulled her vision and mind from the gem and back into her body.  She instantly fell over, barely having the strength to breathe.
	For several minutes, she managed small breaths, sometimes moaning very softly.  Metrope kneeled by her and held her hand; though she did not appear to be doing anything, her presence seemed to revitalize Nara, at least enough to let her body breathe on a fairly normal level.  This soothed her immensely, for once she had started to breathe more, she had recovered soon from her accident with the crystal ball.  Once she was sitting again, she had the presence of mind, and the recent experience with her powers, to wonder if Metrope was truly doing nothing, after all....
	She had little time to wonder about this, however, for she had already recovered relatively fully by now and Metrope sat opposite the gem again.  "There is more?" Nara asked.
	"Much more," she assured.  Nara nodded and returned to her pensive position.
	Metrope looked her daughter in the eyes with grave seriousness.  "Before we begin this," she told her, "I must warn you that this use of your powers is more difficult than the vast majority.  I understand that once you fell into a coma after a mishap looking into the tracking crystal ball; when you have finished using your power in this fashion, the same shall occur.  You'll not experience much of it, for I will help you to recover, but it is going to happen."  She paused as Nara seemed to be working these things out in her mind.  "Are you ready, my daughter?"
	"Yes," she answered, without hesitation.  Metrope smiled warmly, and Nara returned it.
	"Enter the gem as you just have," she directed.  Nara did so over the course of a half-minute.  When she did so, Metrope quickly spoke telepathically to her.  'Now, Nara.  Recall what happened to you when you extended your vision past the second level.'
	She paused for a moment, memories taking a while in this dark place.  'My consciousness left my body--just as it has now.'
	'Yes, Nara.  Your consciousness is already gone.  So, if you extend your vision further...what will happen?'
	Silence.
	'What, Metrope?'
	'Your soul, Nara, will follow.'
	Silence.
	Metrope did not let the silence last for long at all, for they had tarried long enough.  'Now, Nara...extend your vision to its final level.'
	She would have trembled if any part of her could.  They couldn't.  Instead, she did call on her mind again and accessed her powers.  She extended her vision once more...
	...and lost all knowledge of her existence.
	Metrope sighed and looked away.  This power was very dangerous to Nara, and subjecting her to it had been one of the harder things she'd had to do--but it was necessary.  She knew exactly what was happening and didn't like it a bit.  Nara would be glowing...and a spherical thing, her soul, would emerge from her.  It would be more than ethereal, for it had mind and soul, but not physical due to its lack of body.  This conglomeration of Nara would descend directly into the sapphire she had created in her student's psyche.  She would sit for a moment--only a scant moment, thankfully--as she searched the item.  Then Nara's body, still linked to her mind, even if she didn't know it, would verbally proclaim....
	"This item is a...magical attacking item...causing physical damage with ice.  It works on specified targets...and works on one being."
	Then her soul would rise from the unreal gemstone and go back into her body, which would remain utterly motionless the entire time; it would not even show the effects of lacking its needs--blood and air.  Then she would collapse, unconscious and nearly dead.  And that is just what she did.

	Nara recovered, again, without realizing it.  Her first thoughts on the matter were wondering how so much of this was affecting her real body, wherever that was.  She'd gotten over that, however, in time to join Metrope soon afterwards.  She gave her many compliments about her performance and explained to her what had happened.  She told her that her ability had taken full control of her, telling her body and soul what to do.  Nara didn't even try to comprehend it just now, because the weakness the power guaranteed kept her from ever wanting to use it again.   told her there was more for her to learn about seeing into objects.
	They were in a room similar to the last, but without any objects.  Metrope sat down in the center, with Nara facing her.  "Nara," she began, "this power is very similar to what you've learned about seeing into objects.  However, when you are inside the object, you will find it less exhausting and easier to flow through."
	"What object is this?"
	She paused.  "A living being."
	Suddenly, it hit Nara as a physical blow.  The dark Metrope's destruction of her mind...Metrope's telepathy...her speeded recovery...she had done it all using the very ability she possessed.  "I...have the power to, to--destroy minds??" she asked, shocked.
	"You have the POTENTIAL, Nara," her mentor returned firmly.  "Though I must show you how to access a living being's mind I will NOT teach you how to destroy it.  You have experienced the consequences firsthand.  And I know that you are not one to inflict that kind of pain on another being."  Nara shook her head vehemently.
	In the back of her mind, however--the part that had held the evil side of Metrope--lurked a desire for this power.  It came to her for an instant, disguised as curiosity for knowledge.  All it took was a memory to dismiss it, however.  Metrope watched her face work and was pleased with the overall result.
	"What I am going to teach you is how to create a link to telepathy.  It is a quick and painless process that will allow you to remain in close contact with any other person for as long as the link remains."
	Nara's eyebrows and mouth widened, her thoughts going instantly to her sister.  Metrope chuckled.  "I see you have an idea for this power."  Though she didn't want to admit it, that look raised some envy in Metrope.  She had never been able to share her gift with anyone else.  It was good that Nara had another.
	"The way I am going to teach this to you," Metrope continued, betraying no emotion, "is having you start by entering your own mind."
	"What?  But how can I do that without seeing it?"
	"All you have to do is concentrate on yourself...and close your eyes," she added with a smile.  "Now.  I will join you in your mind and create a telepathic link.  You shall study it carefully, and I will tell you to leave.  Then I shall sever it, and we will enter my mind and create a new one."  Nara wondered what the mind of her mentor would look like; it occurred to her, though, that she had promised it similar to being inside the gem, and that was nothing like its earthly appearance.
	Metrope grinned at her student.  "I don't suppose it's necessary to tell you not to do anything else in there."  She almost laughed out loud as she shook her head.  "Good.  Now, Nara:  let us begin."
	The two sat and calmed themselves.  Nara closed her eyes as Metrope focused on her.  They both brought themselves into Nara's mind through the same methods she had accessed the sapphire.  Nara remained absolutely motionless as she looked around in wonder.  Of course it was very different from the sapphire--and yet it didn't indicate her thoughts, either.  There were linked, blurred spheres, like those the gem was made of, but they weren't linked in the same fashion, and she felt much less fatigue in a living form and saw everything in a less darkened, confused sea.  Its color seemed orange, but for a strange reason she couldn't exactly determine it.
	Then she saw Metrope enter her mind.  Carefully, she watched her mentor go to work.  She went up to one of the chains of spheres and seemed to move directly into and about it.  She could see the spheres catching to her without any effort on her part and being reformed into a different shape.  When Metrope was finished, they had all joined into one very thick sphere that had a core in it that looked very much like a part of Metrope's essence.
	'That is what you do, daughter,' she told her.  'The spheres will react to your presence; you must group them together into one sphere.  They will move together easily.  Do you need anything clarified here?'
	Nara had been about to ask if the core was what she thought it was, but decided that could wait until they returned.  She told her so, and they exited Nara's mind, leaving her just as confused as the sapphire had left her--but not so tired.
	Soon she spoke, able to catch her breath relatively quick.  She noticed Metrope barely even slouched.  "The core of that sphere...was it part of your essence?"
	She nodded.  "Don't worry about that.  Once you've grouped them together a part of you will remain in the center on its own."
	The two sat again in meditation.  This time Metrope closed her eyes as Nara stared intently at Metrope's forehead.  Both entered the teacher's mind without flaw...but it was there that, for the first time in her lessons, Nara made one.
	As she swam about the chain, just as Metrope had, she caught the spheres, but they moved all about her essence.  She could not control them.  She moved about the chain for several moments, attempting to group them in the center, but aside from two of them they would not stay in one place.  Finally, Metrope came to help her child, and together they formed the link.
	'I'm so sorry,' Nara said as soon as she could.  'That must have been so painful!'
	'Don't worry.  Remember that these are very tiny parts of the whole; I never felt anything, just as you never did when I created a telepathic link in your mind.  Now I'm going to dismantle the link--it's quite easily done, as you will see--and I want you to create one on your own.'  Metrope dashed into the chain at a higher speed than she had moved along it; the remaining part of Nara's essence was ripped from the sphere, and it reformed into the chain.  She brought this piece back to Nara, and she tried it again, this time succeeding.  On Metrope's suggestion, they both returned quickly.
	Nara was very tired after this extended visit, and Metrope was a bit exhausted too, but both were very pleased.  The skill Nara had learned was well worth it to her; and to finally have the lessons over, and to let the rewards begin, was well worth it to Metrope.

	After a period of rest, during which Nara tried--once, without success--to understand what was happening instead of absorbing it, Metrope once more walked into Nara's small room in the building.  "It is time," she said, just as she had for each lessons.
	Nara blinked.  "For another lesson?" she asked, rising.  Metrope had a small pack hung about her waist by a belt today, unlike other days.  "I thought you just told me we were through with those."
	Metrope smiled mysteriously, surprising Nara further.  "We are...."
	She led Nara out of the room to the strange, curving "halls" of the sanctuary.  This time, instead of the northern courtyard or the opposite end of the building, she led her south, towards the entrance.  They left the building entirely and came back upon the rocky ground and yellow sky of eternity--the way Nara had come to the building from.  As they walked up the side of the pit, she looked at her teacher questioningly.  "Why are we leaving?" she asked, curiously.  That only got her another mysterious smile; Nara turned back ahead, reminded painfully of her first conversation with her, a time that in some ways seemed ages ago but in some ways was still upon her....
	When they were far enough from the building that Nara could no longer see it, Metrope stopped.  Nara looked at her, a bit angry by now.  "All right, teacher, we've stopped moving...so NOW will you tell me what's going on?"
	She turned to her student.  "I've thought about what to do after our lessons.  You have one more thing to do for me before I can release you and let you truly live again."  Nara's heart leapt and she showed it, but she looked grim, and Nara stopped shortly.  "That objective will not be a happy one.  It is another lesson, but it is more of a warning.  That is no way to leave you.  So we came here for two things, Nara.  This setting will do no harm to my lesson, and is a better way for you to receive my gift.
	"But, sadly, we must first get to the lesson."  Nara sat as Metrope reached into the satchel and pulled out a bundle.  It was a thick, glimmering strip of cloth of a rich yellow that shimmered purple and green alternatively.  "This is, for our purposes," Metrope said, "the Shawl of the Soul.
	"When I was in my later years, I began to think about my inevitable death.  I discovered that I greatly hoped I would have an heir possessed of the same power I was.  Though I could not see far enough into the future to guess this, of course, I wished to leave that heir a gift to let them know of my powers."  She paused.  "I knew well enough about the supposed Ruler of Evil.  That was my other intention for this weapon.  I did not know that he would already be defeated before you found it.  It does show, however, the great power you and your company possessed.
	"I worked, for at least a year, with one of my shawls...yes, I had the same fascination with them that you do, and still do, actually...to give it the same power I had.  I could do nothing for a long time, and eventually I asked a friend I had grown to trust very much to help me with its creation.  I didn't know how we would at the time, but simply his presence seemed to do the trick, though it didn't get quite the effect I wanted it to have.  The Shawl of the Soul was created thanks only to him...and he paid a heavy price.  That friend is now, and may be for the length of the existence of the shawl...Alsul.
	"I do not know of the Soorians that now exist along with him in its hiding place.  Perhaps he managed to turn all who wandered into the cavern into a version of him, or maybe just one woman; perhaps they came from his body, like sweat.  I do know, however, that I am glad he has his company, however they are in existence; they seem to be happy together.
	"Anyhow....The reason the shawl reacted as it did to you was your powers were not ready to handle its own yet.  Had you found this in your late years, you probably would have learned all of this on your own, and the shawl would not have rendered you unconscious as it did.  It would have done the same thing it will do to you now if you wear it again.
	"Its power constantly courses through you, always along your mind and along the rest of your body as well.  A simple flip of the shawl, when combined with our soul, our ability and a single thought...."  She took one end of the shawl and flipped it to the side.  Nara, sitting by now, jumped nearly into a sitting position at the green ball of energy it produced.  It flew in that direction for a time until it fizzled out.
	She turned back to Metrope.  "Upwards flips..." she said, demonstrating one, "...deflect any physical effects of spells.  Cast Infernos on me, Nara."  She did as she was told, only because it was her teacher and it was a low-level spell.  A sphere of air spun from her hands; quickly it fell into fours that turned into plates and continued on, spinning towards Metrope.  Nara watched with awe as Metrope flipped the shawl upwards and the discs spun back her way.  She barely even felt them as they cut into her flesh, instead.
	"Downward flips cancel these effects.  Again."  Nara chanted the spell again; this time, Metrope hit the projectiles with the shawl aiming towards the ground.  The discs hit the shawl, appeared to blink, and vanished.  "Wearing the shawl will protect from any spells that attack the mind directly.  Cast Sleep."  She did so and watched as there was a globe of brightness for an instant.  Metrope's head never dropped.  Nara nearly clapped.
	Abruptly, she swung out the shawl in Nara's direction; she instinctively recoiled, expecting green flames to spew from it, but nothing happened.  Metrope smiled a bit.  "All of these effects require you to be thinking about them happening, Nara.  Just catch it."  Cautiously, Nara reached for the waving shawl.  As soon as she touched it, she could, as her teacher had promised, feel the power in it course along her.  For a moment it felt simply as raw energy--but soon it felt like healing energy.
	She looked quizzically at her mentor.  "Because of our mental powers, this happens after a moment.  It recognizes that the one touching it has them, then it turns into healing energy.  If they do not, it turns into attacking energy."
	Nara gasped.  "Mara--!"
	"She did not touch it long enough to be affected.  It takes nearly a minute, if you remember.  Besides, the effects are visible and happen right away.  The one touching it doubles over in pain."  Nara winced.
	Her ancestor's face was grim now as well.  "There is a final effect, Nara, but I do not wish to show it to you for long."  She pulled back the shawl from Nara's grasp, then, with practiced skill, wrapped it loosely about her neck.  She looked down, curiously.  Metrope winced, then concentrated.  Both women began to glow a faint blue.
	Nara fell almost instantly to her knees.
	After a half-second, Metrope snapped the shawl back away from her.  She knelt, shaking her head, as her mentor went to her.  "Are you all right, Nara?" she said, concerned.
	"Yes...but...WHAT did you do?" she asked, utterly confused.  "It hurt, a little, but it made me really tired.  Is that a kind of Sleep spell?"
	"No, Nara," she said, shaking her head.  "When wound around the neck as it was, the shawl can drain away a person's energy."
	Nara turned, slowly, to her mentor.  She looked apologetic.  "Why would you put that power in this weapon?" she asked incredulously.
	"A last resort," she clarified.  "Reflecting of spells and an energy burst would not likely destroy a Ruler of Evil.  Draining its energy away, however, could.  So I put that into the artifact."
	She stood and turned away then, deep in thought.  Without facing her teacher, she commented, "Many of these powers...seem to be evil, Metrope."
	"You are catching on."
	Nara turned quickly to the woman, abruptly drawing her sword and ready to fight.  Metrope's eyes widened, and she shook her head.  "That is not what I meant," she assured with a groan.  "What I meant is...you need to manage these powers well, Nara.  They have good uses, and they have evil uses.  Yet you and I are good of heart, and I am glad, for the evil behind these powers could be just as strong as the good.  Remember that always, my child.
	"As for this shawl itself....You have seen its effects and know by now that it is too powerful to simply carry.  You need to store this shawl in a safe place.  Though we alone should be able to use this shawl, even I do not understand how The Art came into existence in this world--and the evil ones might have access to it."
	"I thought we destroyed--"
	"Nara, all evil can never be destroyed.  After all, many people have a good lot of evil inside them naturally.  A balance between evil and good--perhaps leaning towards the side of good--is all that can truly be asked for.
	"For this reason, you must never let yourself, your powers, or the Shawl of the Soul fall into evil hands."
	The two stood in silence for a moment, Nara pondering her words.  She learned more than just the use of her abilities from Metrope...and, thanks to the bluntness of this lesson, she finally realized this fully.
	Solemnly, Nara looked at Metrope.  "I shall put the true shawl in a safe place," she promised.  Metrope smiled, but did not take it for too much, as Nara would have done this anyway.
	After another moment of silence, Metrope smiled again.  "And now, Nara, your reward."
	Nara blinked.  "My reward...oh.  I remember you mentioning that now."
	"Yes, Nara.  I couldn't leave you like this.  I have one last event for you to undertake."  She walked over to Nara and looked upwards.  "Look there, Nara.  What do you see?"
	"A sunless, yellow sky," she responded, after a moment's observation.
	"True," she yielded.  "If this were in the real world, however, what would be above?"
	Here Nara paused for a minute.  Soon she seemed to shrug.  "The sky, still.  But there would be a sun, or a moon depending on the time of day.  Clouds.  Zenithia," she remembered.
	"Exactly."  Nara looked at her, and Metrope smiled.  "I know now, from your experiences, that Zenithia is not a heaven.  It is not where lost souls go when they die.  That is popular myth that all of my kind believed.  However, any gypsies, and especially I, had an extra reason to believe this:  Zenithia, though it may not be heaven, is still a gateway to lost souls."
	Nara nearly fell over.
	"In our time there were crystal balls that would supposedly search for souls.  However, these never worked and were lost between my death and your birth.  This was a problem with the crystal balls themselves.  With The Art, I was able to discover that the pathway was real."
	She looked at Metrope.  "Are you suggesting--by..."looking" at Zenithia...I will be able to see into heaven?"
	Metrope nodded vigorously.
	Nara's mouth opened.  "Then that means I can--I could--"
	"Let me warn you, Nara," she said dutifully.  "The possibilities are not endless by any means.  It is not a terribly taxing journey, but it is not a trip through the fates, either.  Similarly, you have to know exactly where Zenithia is and be standing underneath it, with it visible, for it to work.  I had to research for ten years to make a good guess on its location, and to enter that realm I had to use a balloon AND a Wyvern’s wing to get above it for a place to sit and stare.  And, most importantly of all, the main use for this seems to be only to see who has died.  In my entire life, I was unable to reach more than one person in the realms of souls.  With your strong soul it might be different, but we have no way of knowing that."
	"But that still means I can--I could--"
	"Yes, Nara," she said, both defeated and happy.  "That means you can contact your dead parents."  Nara already was nearly in tears of joy--but Metrope wasn't finished.  "And," she said, holding up her hand, "when I spoke to the one I contacted--a good friend of mine--not only did I come out of it alive after nearly thirty minutes away...but he asked me if there were any other souls on Earth I wished to come back for.  To let that soul visit him, too."
	Mara.
	Nara nearly fainted in her glee.  "Oh, THANK you, Metrope!  I never thought I would speak to Father again!  You've made me--"
	"Father?"
	Both stopped moving--and, seemingly, breathing.
	Nara backed up a pace.  "Of course I'll be talking to Father.  We don't know anyone else that died that was nearly so dear to us.  He died abruptly.  There was more I, we, wanted to learn from him...we felt like we didn't know all there was to know about him, when he died."
	"I am sorry to do this to you, Nara...but...did you know anything about your mother?"
	Nara froze.
	Their mother had died in Nara's childbirth, when Mara was less than one year old.  They had never even thought of her, being raised by their father alone well enough.  But suddenly that thought made Nara feel horrendously cold.  They had spent close to their whole life with Edgar, a father who knew and loved them so well for so long...but their mother didn't have that chance.  And here Nara was about to deny her again...just as she had when she had been born.
	She still hadn't moved, but tears were dropping down her cheeks.  Metrope stepped close to her and put her hand on her shoulder.  It seemed to take her out of a trance; she shook for a moment, then looked towards Metrope.
	A faint smile graced her lips.  "Your gifts always seem to come with a price...."

	Metrope told the still-dazed Nara it was time for her to go back to the real world shortly after that.  She absorbed this for a moment, then realized that meant living again--telling her sister of what had happened.  After SHE figured out what had happened, at any rate.
	Concerned, she wondered aloud to Metrope what would happen to her now.  Metrope explained that she had not been in heaven, or wherever those souls were, but in a kind of limbo due to her quest for an heir.  Now her job was done, and she would go there.  Nara asked if she and Mara would be able to see her, and she told them she didn't think so.  That was a complication she didn't want to add for either of them.
	Nara left Metrope much happier than she would have if she had simply left after teaching her about the shawl.  Though it was another gift with complications, it would be a greater gift to both her and her sister than any other, no matter which path they took.

Jjukil@aol.com



	Mara had nearly been in tears just before the end of that story; it was not a happy one to hear coming from her sister.  When she heard the end of the story, though, that did it.  After stutteringly quoting her sister--"Then that means we can--we could--"--the two hugged, both wailing but emotional Mara droning out even The Crying Lady.
	Nearly twenty minutes later, the two began one of the most important discussions of their lives:  Edgar, or the one they never knew....
	"I'm telling you, that wasn't your fault," Mara said as gently as she could.
	"You wouldn't think that if YOU were the one that killed her," Nara snapped back.
	"You don't know that, Nara."  'Not even through this.  I'd have known.'
	Nara turned.  "Don't do that," she grumbled.  "You know our link shouldn't be used as a toy.  It's supposed to be symbolic, or maybe even useful in crisis or something."
	"...all right," Mara agreed quietly.  After a moment, she said, "You didn't cause that, Nara."
	"Listen...whether I killed her or not doesn't change the fact that we never knew our mother, but we knew Father for almost twenty years."
	"Exactly!  He was taken from us abruptly, Nara.  We never got a chance to say goodbye to the father we loved."
	"We never got a chance to say goodbye to the mother who loved us!" she snapped back.  "I want to meet her, Mara.  I want to find out who she was...what she was like...what happened, when she died...what kind of person she was."  She looked into Mara's eyes.  "I know I'm being cold by leaving Father out...and such a choice should never have to be made...but you heard him.  You and I both heard Father speak of our mother, the good woman she was.  He missed her very much...and told us she would have been proud of us."  She paused, her throat threatening to catch.  "I think Father would have wanted us to talk to her...not him.  You know that's probably true...and I want to honor that wish, for all three of us."
	Both stared into each others' eyes, the silence seeming to last an hour, though it was only a moment.
	Mara turned, both sadness and frustration on her face.  "You might not be able to find our mother...."
	"I will," she promised.
	"Yeah, I know you will...."  Mara nearly sighed, but it turned into a sniff.  Tears came to her eyes again, and she wiped them on her robe.
	"All right, Nara.  Tomorrow...we'll go see Mother."

	"Are you SURE you're going to be all right?" Cristo asked, for what must have been the hundredth time.
	"For the last time, no!" Nara snapped.  Then she smiled.  "I want both of you to remember:  Brey needs to have a Return spell ready to cast instantly.  If you hear us fall, use it," she said to the wizard, the last passenger of the balloon.  Certainly Alena would have loved to come--it was her balloon by the group's vote, after all--but she had "royal business" to attend to.  The day didn't promise to be that eventful for her on either trip--Cristo was to keep the balloon aloft and Brey was to have the spell ready.  She would have been useless there...to Mara and Nara, at least.
	"All right," Mara said, grinning.  She strapped her Wyvern’s wing to her back and shrugged her shoulders, letting them fit in.  "Are you ready, old man?"
	"Ready for you to come crashing down again," he returned, grinning as well.  Both had anxiety, of course, but when the two clever wizards were around each other long enough, verbal spars, one way or another, were sure to begin.  The two clasped hands as Nara gave Cristo a quick hug, and the sisters hopped to the side of the balloon and were off.
	They flew very carefully to the wooden raft they had tied to the top of the balloon.  Just seeing it gave them memories they knew would last a long time.  Trying to get a raft onto the top of a balloon was no small feat.  They would never know just how they had accomplished it.
	Mara and Nara flew just above it and took their seats on the top of the raft, carefully balancing it while their wings still worked.  When they felt as secure as they could, the two sat down in the direct center and reached under the raft.  They pulled up the ropes there and strapped themselves to the raft face up.  From their position both could see the permanent, more substantial cloud that held Zenithia far overhead.
	"Well...this is it," Mara said, her heart pounding.
	"Yeah," Nara tried to say; her voice caught, though, and the word was lost.  They smiled at one another and giggled.
	The sisters locked hands.
	'To mother.'
	'To mother.'
	Nara stared straight up, focused, and gently moved her hand from her sister's to her tiara.  She let her mind fall into her ability, pouring her energy into it; she felt her consciousness leaving her world for the next quite quickly.  Metrope had been a good teacher.
	"Thank you, Metrope," Mara whispered to herself, the pair's hearts racing and one of their dreams about to come true.