Xoshi?

"Hello?"

"Come in, Vires. There's no need to be shy," she said.

"You know my name?" he asked, not moving into the room.

"I've known your name for years."

"Have we met before?"

"Yes, but you wouldn't recognize me now as you did then."

"When did I meet you?"

"Come inside and you will see."

"I'd rather not. Did the Headmistress not offer you another room?"

"I requested this room for a reason."

"And what reason is that?"

"This is where The Outcast stayed while she was here."

"You knew about The Outcast.?"

"Yes, and a wonderful woman she is. I understand you are the one who helped her redeem her parents."

"All I did was cause her pain and kill her," he replied, looking at the floor.

"She's not dead, Vires, just changed."

"What do you mean?"

"She has another form. The Peacemaker."

"Wait, so you're telling me that Xoshi is now The Peacemaker?"

"Yes."

Vires walked into the room. "Do you know where she is? Where can I find her?"

"There is no finding her, Vires. She will go where she is needed."

"Do you know where she is needed?"

"Perhaps, but you have your own work to do."

"School is almost over though."

"Before school ends, Vires. I am talking about right now."

He watched as she walked around him and seemed to study him. Then her hand came up and it felt like she was caressing him though her hand was a foot away. This touch continued as she made a complete circle around him.

"What are you doing? How are you doing that?"

"It's your magic, Vires. You haven't taken it back to your core where it belongs."

"I didn't even know I had it back."

The girl stopped in front of him and just looked at him. He could see her eyes were black, like Xoshi's clothes. This girl seemed to be the exact opposite of Xoshi in regards to how she looked. She inched closer, and he felt like she was right up against him. Inside himself he could feel himself move away though physically he didn't move and he didn't feel her presence. Again, she inched forward and the feeling returned; again he pulled himself further from her. This continued until she was almost against him physically. Vires stepped back and fell on the bed. The girl leaned over him and got up in his face and he withdrew just a little further inside himself.

"Very good, Vires," she said, before getting off the bed.

Vires sat up. She stood next to the desk, her wings hiding most of her face.

"Who are you?" Vires asked.

"You know that answer."

"No, I don't think I do."

She didn't turn from her work at the desk and for a while it seemed like she wasn't going to answer him. "You can call me Areli, if you like."

"Areli. I like that."

"You should go now, Vires. Classes will be starting soon."

He wanted to stay and see what else he could learn from her about The Peacemaker, but he felt it best to leave. As he stepped out of the room he heard the door close and lock behind him. Standing there, he wondered about Areli. He wondered how much she was like, yet unlike, The Outcast. When other students started to pass him, he headed to his classes. Why was he even still here? The Headmistress was going to throw him out. What changed? Everyone around him, the professors, the students, and even the Headmistress—when he saw her—acted as if nothing had ever happened with The Outcast. The stories that she haunted the school were still being told. He couldn't believe it.

In his classes, the lectures were ones that he had memorized information for and only half listened. On the outline in front of him he absently drew Xoshi's eyes. If she was still alive then where was she if not at Basalt? The bushes still needed non-magical care and he was getting sick of magic made food. When he was done with Xoshi's eyes, he started drawing Areli's eyes. The moment classes were over Vires dropped his stuff off in his room and ran out to the garden shed.

Finding a pair of shears he returned to the bushes. He walked down the rows looking for a place to work he couldn't find one. When had it been done? He and Xoshi hadn't even gotten halfway the day before. He was almost to the end of the bushes when he found a spot that needed work. He sniped off one piece when it felt as if someone was right next to him again.

Looking around he didn't see anyone. Taking a step to the right the feeling followed. He took a step in each direction with the same result. What was it? When nothing seemed to work physically, he withdrew further into himself. The feeling left momentarily then was back. Vires continued to withdraw from the feeling until he was feeling light headed. He took a deep breath and everything turned white.

When Vires became aware of his surroundings, he was laying on the ground.

"Where am I?" he said, blinking at the sun's light.

"In the garden," Areli replied.

"Xoshi?… No, Xoshi couldn't speak." He rolled to his side and the sun was blocked by someone's form. Looking up he saw the turquoise clothes. "Areli. What are you doing out here?"

"Hoping to restore the bush you killed."

"How do plan on doing that? Magic kills these bushes."

"They have a magic of their own. The trimmed pieces must be gathered carefully and not left on the ground so carelessly."

Vires stood and looked at her. Her white hair shimmered in the sun, left loose like Xoshi had it. She was about the same height as Xoshi, but her wings seemed to fade or disappear the longer he looked at them. Her sleeves were long and the neckline high. She also wore turquoise pants, and white dress shoes. As he watched her work he noticed that the pieces she was trimming were placed in a bag on her back. Turning he reached for the next section of branching to cut. Her shears stopped his hand before it touched.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Watch the branch your hand it close to."

Vires watched as the edges started to dry and brown then curl as they would if held close to a fire. He moved his hand away. "Why is it doing that? It didn't before when I helped."

"Your magic is still close to the surface of your being and the plant feels it. I understand you are trying to help, Vires, and I appreciate it." Her black eyes turned to him. "However, these pieces need to be as alive as possible and not singed by a magic touch."

"Then how are they not burning when you touch them? You're a magic being. I can sense that."

"Perhaps I will explain one day, but you have studies you should be doing and I need to finish this before evening starts."

Slowly Vires turned and left her. He put the shears back in the shed and then went to his room. He read over the text and answered the questions. Then his outlines caught his eyes and he saw the two pairs of eyes he had drawn. They were exactly the same, save Areli's were darker. How could that be? No two eyes are the same.

"Have we met before?"

"Yes, but you wouldn't recognize me now as you did then."

"Xoshi," he whispered.

He stood to go find Areli when the feeling of the odd presence returned. He tried to pull further into himself, but as he did so, he felt like he was losing himself and it scared him so he stopped and tried to ignore the feeling. The feeling increased and he found it moved with him and even made physical movement difficult. The feeling continued to increase and he felt as if Xoshi were clinging to him, unwilling to let go while her life faded. Hating where the feelings were taking his thoughts he pulled further into himself.

The sudden release of the clinging presence left him feeling weak and he fell to his knees. What was happening to him? Why didn't feel like himself anymore? And why did the familiar flow of magic seem so minimal compared to how it had been? Vires wasn't sure he was drawing it in anymore. He felt like he was casting it off instead. He was still kneeling on the floor when he heard his door open and a set of black tennis shoes and black pants came into view.

"Xoshi?" he whispered.

He felt hands pull him to his feet, but he could not get his head to lift. His head rested on her shoulder and he could see her top was black as well. Vires managed to warp his arms around her. Slowly his fingers crawled up her back. Feather tips brushed against his arm. It wasn't Xoshi. Tears came to him eyes as he recalled her smile before she turned to ash. Trying again to lift his head, he could not, but he felt her pull him to his feet and help him lay on his bed. He didn't want to let go once he was completely on his bed, but she removed his arms and he could see Areli's face.

"Areli, why...?"

"You needed some happiness. Even now as you see that I am not Xoshi, the feelings of happiness remain within you."

He turned his back to her. "You should've left it alone."

"I could not, seeing you have scared yourself."

He turned and glared at her. "What do you know? You and your perfect magic that doesn't burn bushes; your lack of superstition of the room you live in; and your cryptic answers." He turned away again and felt her leave his side.