dimensions | original

Borrowed Magic

"Talk?" Luma said, her her mind still reeling from what Carressa and Emersyn had told her. "About what?"

"Lots of things!" Kinglyn exclaimed. "How did you meet Mark? How and when did you enter the Dimensions? Who were those people that Asha found you with in the Underneath?"

Luma's head whirled around to face Asha. "That was you?!" she spat angrily.

Asha shrugged sheepishly. "Well, me and my little sister."

Luma narrowed her eyes. "How'd you know where I was?"

"Mark accidentally let it slip." Kinglyn admitted. "Asha and I had suspicions about his escape being led by a new master, and Asha mentioned that she thought the whole situation reminded her of a prophecy."

Carresa got up from her position on the floor. "Why do I not know this?" Her voice was stern, as if she was scolding them.

A very slight blush appeared on Kinglyn's cheeks. Luma couldn't help but giggle at the sight of Carressa, of whom was shorter than Kinglyn, glaring up at him with her hands on her hips. "It all happened very fast." offered Kinglyn weakly. "There wasn't a lot of time to share opinions."

Carressa raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure could have been a little less straightforward than deciding to kidnap a 13 year old -almost 14 year old- girl that has no idea what the Vitae even is. And besides, darling, you could have at least shared suspicions with someone other than a 14 year old," she glanced at Asha, "who, despite being very skilled, is still very young and still not fully mature. Mentally, physically or emotionally."

Asha glared at Carressa, while Kinglyn looked ashamed.

"Anyways, she's here, and a lot has been discovered." Carressa snapped her fingers. "Emersyn, list please."

"I haven't been through all of it." blushed Emersyn. "Kinglyn's the only one who has."

Carressa rolled her eyes. "Naturally." She turned to her husband. "Well, go ahead."

Kinglyn regained his composure, straightening. "First: Luma learns of Mark's identity. Second: We learned that Luma is Mark's new master. Third: It is discovered that Luma is part of a prophecy about freeing Mark. Fourth: We learn that Luma has great amounts of magic."

"And now we're here." Emersyn finished for him.

"Indeed." said another, rougher voice. They all turned back. Finn had been examining the machine as they had been speaking.

"And again, Finn is the most sensible of all of us." Asha said.

"I found something interesting." Finn admitted, ignoring Asha's comment. "Look at this."

Carressa was the first to the machine, Emersyn and Kinglyn right behind her. Asha still seemed to be sour from Carressa's jab at her maturity, and trailed sulkily behind them.

"Look. See this here?" Finn pointed at the screen. Luma frowned in frustration at not being able to see what he was talking about. Then again, the only people that really understood was the three mechanics, but Kinglyn and Asha could both read enough of it to understand what was occurring.

Finn continued to speak. "It's as if the magic force never abandons her- it's been there since it appeared three days ago. And in high concentrations, too. But before that, it's only appeared once, and it happened long ago enough that I can't get the exact date."

Luma listened with her mind blank. Once again, she felt as though she was in a dream. She flinched as a searing headache attacked her.

"Luma, what did you just do..?" Carressa's voice was inquisitive yet demanding.

"Nothing! Nothing at all. But I do have a terrible headache..." Luma answered, her voice full of surprise and confusion. "What happened?"

"The magic readings just spiked seconds ago. It's fading pretty rapidly..." explained Emersyn.

"And as for your headache?" asked Finn.

"It's almost gone." Luma said in both surprise and relief.

"Same with the magic spike." Emersyn said in astonishment. "So when you have a headache... It means you have a increase in magic."

"That's what it looks like." Finn admitted. "Although it still doesn't add up."

"Your powers... It's as though they have flowers, but no roots or stems or even soil to grow from." Asha remarked, her words slow and carefully chosen. Luma frowned.

"But Finn said it appeared long ago." Luma said, confused.

"Actually, I'm starting to see smaller spikes now." Finn broke in. "You have to zoom in a bit, they're very faint, but they're there."

Carressa, who had been silent the last few minutes of talk, began to speak. "It reminds me of a study by that Vlancoff guy. It showed that people constantly around magic will begin to pick up on the magic. Try turning off the aura magic."

"Aura magic?" asked Luma. Emersyn eagerly jumped in to explain.

"Aura magic is magic that you pick up from other people, like their aura of magic leaks off onto people around them. Aura magic is usually most effective when the magic bearer has little control over their magic abilities." Emersyn explained to Luma, who was still sitting upon the machine's strange chair.

"And core magic," added Kinglyn, "is someone's own magic. Like a possession."

"And lastly, borrowed magic." finished Carressa, "is exactly what it sounds like. If one is powerful enough, they can give magic to a fellow magic being. Or they can force their magic into someone, magic or not -it doesn't matter- and if the giver is very powerful, he could control the magic from within someone."

"Obviously, we should have looked at this first." Finn sighed. "Instead of wasting time."

"Well, there's no need to mope about it." Carressa said, bumping her shoulder against Finn's in a friendly manner. The old mechanic managed a half-hearted smile.

"What are you doing?" interrupted Kinglyn in a slightly impatient way. "Get on with it."

"Alright, bossy britches. I'm on it." Carressa leaned over and flipped the aura switch off.

"Well?" asked Luma anxiously. "What is it?"

"That clears it up." Asha remarked.

"What?" asked Luma, feeling nervous.

"All magical traces before the 5th are gone." Carressa said, her voice level.

Finn turned to her with a tired half-smile. "Good job figuring that one out."

"I'm going to turn off the borrowed magic." Kinglyn offered. Carressa and Finn both nodded in agreement.

"Oh crap." muttered Carressa, who was staring intently at the screen.

"What is it? What is it?" Luma asked anxiously.

"It's gone, Luma all of it. You don't have any core magic. None at all." Emersyn said in disbelief.

Luma's eyes widened. "What does this mean?"

A/N: Hey friend(s?)! 

I dedicate this chapter to   @zohaven ! thank you so much, I really appreciate all of your votes.