The City of Montridge

[GIR]

"Hey Jun! Awesome! More people! Can't I just flyyyy over the trees to get out, if I get lost?" Noodles shot out rapidly.

[Kyuu]

"Ack, NOOO!" Jade yelled, "That won't work! You'll get stuck in the vines!" As she said that, Noodles was grabbed by vines. But Jade quickly climbed a tree and got Noodles out. "If they don't know you, you'll be attacked. The only reason they haven't is that you're with me. Now, If we just make a left at this next tree, we'll be there."

[ashiko]

"Um, hi Noodles. Sure I'll help." Jun smiled. It was good to do something. Much better than wallowing in home-sickness. Jun's happy wind blew around their ankles.

[GIR]

"What the crap!?" Noodles asked, falling off Big'un. "Since when did the forest do that?!"

[Kyuu]

"This is a different forest than the one that surrounds Montridge. It kinda moves around, unless you know where to go. See, if we had taken a right at that last tree, we would have come out one the other side of the barrier(inside it of course, I mean that if they were at twelve o'clack when they turned, eventually, they would have come out at six o'clack, not meaning times). I'm not gonna try to explain it to you, but I'm just gonna say you need to be careful, unless you want to end up in a cannibal encampement(sp?)," Jade explained as they were walking. At a clearing, she stopped, tapped a tree, and walked around [the clearing] several timesand on the fifth time, the mouth of a cave appeared. She went in, making sure Noodles was following, Jun could find her way, they had been heere so many times as kids.

[GIR]

"Wooowww. A cave. Is this where we were going?" Noodles asked automatically.

[Kyuu]

"Almost, we still have a little farther to go. But there's this little underground lake a ways back that seems like the perfect place to find one of these stones," Jade said, still walking. "Come on," she said, loooking at her watch, if we don't hurry, the entrance'll seal up and we'll have to wait another day until it opens up again."

[GIR]

"Oooh. Magicky. Then let's hurry then!" Noodles said, kicking off a little.

[Kyuu]

"Yeah, this way!" They came to an opening in the wall, and went in. Inside, there was a cavern full of shiny black rocks.

[GIR]

"Wow, that's a lotta rocks!" Noodles said, "But how am I supposed to tell which one's right?"

[Kyuu]

"Weren't you listening? The ones we're looking for give off a magical pulse. And since something about these caves help locate magical pulses, it'll be easy," Jade said.

[GIR]

"But I don't know how to find a magical pulse!" Noodles said sadly.

[idyllian]

Darius looked himself over in the mirror pulling on the cuffs of the jacket again making sure everything was in order. The mirror image moved a bit staring blankly into Darius’ face as he turned around smiling to himself running a hand through his tresses.

“It’s sad really that you can’t survive five minuets without me. So much for Mr. High and Mighty.” he said turning around to face the mirror again as the image beat on the glass protesting as Darius laughed.

“You know...I think I would get so much more out of this if I made you watch. Won’t that be fun?” said Darius laughing reaching into the mirror and pulling out an exact replica of himself.

“Your not going to get away with this.” the image began to say as Darius grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt pulling him to his feet.

“That’s funny, I think I’ve heard that before. Although...I’ve never heard it mixed within such hollow words. Why, it’s almost as if you wanted me here. Now...you can either help me or I can slit your throat and we can be done with it. What do you say chum?” asked Darius with a smirk pulled across his face like some demented puppeteer had pulled it there.

The reflection stared as Darius pulled the knife out of his pocket. “You can’t be serious.” he said to assure himself as he shook a little as the knife was pressed against his neck and Darius whispered.
“Now...are you going to be a good little brat and let me work in peace?” he asked and the reflection nodded.

“Good, now...let’s go find that wonderful girl. I’m sure you’ll be able to make up with her and get on her good side soon enough...just like...”

The reflection snarled. “Don’t even bring her into this.” he said and Darius pulled the knife away.

“Alright captain...let’s get this show on the road.”

And with that Darius left the cabin the reflection lurking inside his shadow feeling uneasy.

[Kyuu]

"It's easy," Jade told Noodles, "You just have to close your eyes and open your senses. Concentrate on the magic inside you and then try to find something similar to it, not inside you, sorry I know that that's a bad explanation, but ..." She trailed off.

[ashiko]

"Trust me, I had no idea how to do it at first, Noodles. But you'll get the hang of it soon!" Jun smiled. Then she closed her eyes. She could feel her own magical pulse. Then the familiar one of Jade, then another pulse. It took her a second, but then she recognized it as Noodles. It was a rather strange pulse, but she knew better than to say anything.
She sighed and opened her eyes to find Noodles staring at her and she grinned sheepishly. Jade had her eyes shut as well and Jun hoped she was having more luck then she was.