The Dark Side of the Moon

When Two Worlds Collide

A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she sat on the white-washed rock face looking out to sea. She was still within the city limits and had come to this spot for a bit of alone time and silence. While she loved being at the Shiba house, it was sometimes too noisy, especially when she needed time to think.

The waves crashed against the rocks far off into the distance, but she could still feel the spray of the sea on her face. She had managed to wedge herself into a crevice, her feet folded at the ankles, knees bent and hugging her chest. She felt a sense of calm being here, even though her innermost thoughts were in turmoil.

She'd felt it for a while now. Some sort of spike in the atmosphere. Normally she'd have put it down to energy - there was a new moon occurring, and magic usually heightened with each moon phase - but this spike wasn't a neutral source, it was dark. Almost evil.

If she didn't know any better, she'd have said there was a half-Nighlok walking the human realm somewhere. But, the only three half-Nighlok's in existence were either aboard Master Xandred's ship in the Netherworld, dead, or fighting the good fight. Had another been created, she highly doubted it.

"There you are."

Rune jumped and looked back, over her shoulder. "What are you doing here?" she asked, watching Mike climb down the cliff and sit beside her.

"The others were looking for you," said Mike. "You've turned off the location on your Samuraizer."

"I know. I didn't want anyone to find me. How did you find me?"

"All magic is connected, right?" Mike asked. "I just followed your magical aura."

Rune smiled lightly. "You're getting good," she said.

"Thank you."

"How come only you came after me?"

Mike shrugged. "I could say that the others were busy training and whatnot, but the truth is none of them have mastered the 'travelling through trees' thing yet," he answered.

Rune laughed. While the others had been taken on by Mystic Defenders and in the process of being taught to control their respective elements through magic as well as symbol power, there were some parts of magical intervention that they still struggled with. Travelling being one of them.

The trees of the Mystic Realm were gateways between the two magical realm and the human realm. If one believed in their magic, then they should've been able to access the portal between the bark. She could, and so could Mike. The others, not so much.

"So much for Kevin's 'practice makes perfect' scheme," said Rune.

Mike chuckled.

Silence fell between them. Each one lost in their own thoughts as the scene played out before them. Birds dropped from the sky, picking fish out of the sea, waves crashed against the rocks, sending salty spray into the air. The wind blew and rustled the leaves of the large oak tree behind them, and now and again the sound of an engine would pass on the road adjacent to them.

"The others are worried about you," said Mike, after a while. "You've been quiet and distance the last few days. Everything all right?"

Rune hesitated. He had a right to know what was bothering her. Especially if what she could feel was potentially something they would deal with later. But how could she explain something she didn't fully understand herself?

"You ever hear of the New Moon phase?" Rune asked.

"Yeah," said Mike.

"Well, there is another phase called the Dark Moon phase," Rune explained. "It's what I tap into when I use my sealing symbol and magic. It's also connected to my darker half."