Deciphering the Puzzle (Closed/Anya)

[Amy Morrison]

Amy was drained, both physically and mentally. The weather had take it's toll on the girl, and she had no recollection of anything that had happened after she heard that voice...All she knew was this sensation of powerful warmth, stuck deep in her core as it slowly spread out to the rest of her body. And so she stayed, in this state of semi-consciousness, her mind and body being relaxed by the almost healing aura going through her.

And then, she woke up. Taking in her surroundings, she realized where she was. Somehow Amy had gotten back to her own office. Good thing, since it was close to 1 in the morning. She didn't want to go back into that weather to get back to her dorm room, she'd much rather stay where she was.

Duelist Legacies OST - The Puzzle of Blackout

She couldn't go to sleep just yet...there was something strange about. She could almost sense something that's out of place...but what?

[Anya Pushchev]

On the other side of the door, Anya stood. She was readying herself for a break in. She needed what was beyond this door. The knowledge that was in the room, would most likely be extremely helpful.

"Are you sure we should do this, little one?" Came the fierce voice of Endymion. He hovered behind Anya, starring down at the small girl.

"Of course I am zure! Thiz muzt be the mozt helpful place on thiz izland." she said pulling out her lockpick set from the brown bag she wore on her shoulder. Kneeling down she opened the set.

"Perhaps you should just ask this teacher for the knowledge you seek." he rationally suggested.

"Thiz iz not for dizcuzzion." she replied back. The two were not being very quiet because they did not figure there was anyone on the other side of the door.

[Amy Morrison]

Amy heard something outside her door, shaking her into full alertness.

"This is not for discussion" she heard as scratches scraped against her door. Amy didn't know what the hell was going on but someone was trying to break in. Maybe it was because she knew too much, or else someone decided having her under control would be more beneficial. Either way, she wasn't going to be taken. Not now, not ever. And so she groped in the dark room, grabbing the first thing she could see and ready to trap her would-be assaulter, turning on the light as soon as the dor opened.

[Anya Pushchev]

On the other side of the now opened door sat a small girl, behind her still floated her magicial companion. Anya stared at Amy for a brief second. It seemed even Anya could be surprised by something.

"Oh Zhit!" she said loudly. This was not good. The whole point of this was to sneak into the office, copy files, then leave without anyone being any the wiser. She began to think of a way out of this. In these brief seconds Anya came up with twenty different excuses but she was unsure if any of them would actually work, so she waited to see what the woman would say.

[Amy Morrison]

Amy stared at the girl, but more at the magician spirit floating behind her, staff in hand before she saw the mage swinging it in self defense. Amy shut her eyes and braced herself for what could have been a very painful blow...but it didn't come. She felt...nothing at all.

When she finally opened her eyes, she saw another woman, standing tall and holding a trident to prevent the staff from getting anywhere close to either of them. The interposer and magician were both translucent beings, giving Amy some pause.

"Does this mean...but then...so...it worked?" She was in shock, and yet...she knew what had happened. Regardless, there was a student who had been desperate enough to try to pick the lock on her door, so the least she cold do is help her out. She was, after all, a new student in her house.

"Is something the matter?' She asked kindly, yet tiredly. She'd had a long day and the events of the night had not helped matters.

[Anya Pushchev]

"Endymion, there iz no need for that." Anya stated to the magician, whom continued to float by her side. She stepped towards the woman, with out care for the other spirit that floated in the room.

"If you are sure little one". Endymion stated lowering his rod. His eyes peered at the other spirit in the room. You may take ease as well.

"I zimply came here for knowledge. Knowledge of the Zhadow realm. I vant to know everything it iz you know of thiz place." she stared at the woman, her green eyes investigating her body. if she was going to hide something then Anya would have to make sure she would be ready to spot a reaction.

[Amy Morrison]

Amy was, in a word, shocked at how direct the young girl was. It certainly was a very simple question, and yet the answer was so complex it would take probably several days to answer. However, there was something about this girl that rubbed her the wrong way. Amy decided to dodge the question for the time being.

"That's a very difficult question, and frankly I'm not sure you would even be able to understand my response. The fact that you know of the place is suspect enough. Why would you want all my information?" The girl's guardian spirit was similarly dissuaded from dropping her guard, keeping the trident raised and prepared to intercept anything headed towards them.

[Anya Pushchev]

Anya tried to keep her composure when the question was deflected and a newer question was directed towards her. She did a good job save for two tears one from each eye that streamed down her face.

"M....my reasonz are my own. Zo pleaze juzt anzwer the queztion." She wiped her eyes. She was still just a young girl, so the thoughts of her parents were still enough to make her want to cry.

"It is OK little one. You will find what it is you need, even if this woman can not or will not help you." He made no movements while saying this, not wanting to startle the other spirit in a room.

"I know Endymion, I vill find my......." she cut off. She didn't want to say too much in front of the teacher. She just wanted to get what she needed and leave.

[Amy Morrison]

Amy noted the girl's tears and her hesitation when trying to answer. There was something there, she could tell. And yet...it was still too risky to just give out everythign she knew. There had to be a compromise.

"I see...so you lost someone dear to you, yes? I would like to help you, but there are just too many liabilities if I were to give you everything. For starters you would either fail all your other classes, or keep reading until you're older than me. If you could be a little more specific I might be able to give you a response that...*yawn*...might make sense."

[Anya Pushchev]

"Can zomeone find out if a loved vun is in the Zhadow realm?" She had no proof that this is what had happened to her parents, but it was the only lead she had so she had to go for it. More tears started to stream down her face. Endymion was having trouble holding himself back from moving forward, but he knew he had to.

She hid her eyes with her hands for a second. She did not like people seeing her cry. Especially someone whom she was trying to get information from. Her tears were a weakness right now, and obviously taking away from her strong demeanor.

[Amy Morrison]

Amy shook her head. "Well...I'm not sure, but I would have to say it's doubtful. Most of the time when someone is engulfed by the Shadows...it's usually without a trace. If you saw someone taken in, then that's a different matter entirely, but...attempting to sift through billions of lost souls for one or two people is an exercise in futility. I'm sorry."

In truth, Amy was kicking herself mentally for having to say that...this girl obviously lost someone very dear to her, and it pained the teacher to not be able to help her. However, she also knew that what the student asked of her was, in fact, impossible. So she really didn't have any way to go about it otherwise. And yet...

"However...I'm sure you know I teach Shadow Sciences here...I think it would be in your best interest to sign up for the class, you certainly have the mindset to do more with it."

[Anya Pushchev]

"You zay impozzible?" She wasn't really willing to accept this answer. How could she? She had been researching this for a few years now, so hitting a brick wall wasn't acceptable. "There muzt be a vay to find out.......Perhapz a Zhadow duelist could do zo?" It was her last hope.

Anya approached the desk even closer, and leaned down on it, keeping herself up with her hands. Her green eyes peered at the woman. Her eyes conveyed how serious she was on the matter.

"Tell me, how do I fine a Zhadow duelist?" she waved off the words about joining the class for now. She sometimes proved to have a one track mind. What she would do with the duelist when she found him or her was something for her to worry about when that came.

[Amy Morrison]

That question got Amy suspicious. This girl already knew a lot about the shadow realm, a LOT more than a normal student would. And then there was this...thing...floating behind her, apparently a servant of some sort. The long and short of it is that Prof. Morrison did not trust this girl.

"If you're looking for a shadow duelist, I'd suggest looking in a mirror. You really should realize that I'm the hardest teacher to try and fool in this matter, and I'm being quite gracious by not calling security and telling them we have a wanted criminal on the loose." Amy was going to put the hammer down here and now, it would be a cold day in Hell before someone tried to pull a fast one over her.

"If you want me to live to the morning, you best start talking. I might just not call the cops on you." She made it very clear that she wasn't playing any games here. The spirit she had apparently recruited seemed to share Amy's animosity and held her trident out dangerously close to the neck of the imposter of a student.

[Anya Pushchev]

Me a Zhadow duelist? Zeriously!? she thought, her head almost fuming in anger. The spirit behind her had a glowing hand aimed on the other spirit. He didn't say a word, but his intentions were obvious. Touch the girl and you die.

"How ztupid can you be! If I vere a Zhadow duelist I vould have no need for lockipicks! If I vere a Zhadow duelist I vould no fear the cops, and lastly, if I vere a Zhadow duelist! I vould not be here right now! I vould simply go to another vun for these questions!" obviously she was angry at what the woman had called her. It was an insult to her, and to her sense of justice.

"Now, you vizh to know everything? You vant to know vhy I am here. Vhen I vas younger my parents zimply disappeared." her eyes began to well with tears again. "Thiz iz the only hope I have to find them. Zo if pleaze, tell me how I may find a zhadow duelist, zo that I may force them to find my parentz."

[Amy Morrison]

Amy's spirit kept her trident squarely positioned right on top of the girl's neck, yet not making any other movements. Amy didn't make much change in her behavior either, she knew that the girl's claim of what she would do leads into a logical fallacy that wouldn't give her any real information to work with. Her story on the other hand...

"Alright. I will look into that claim of yours. Finding a shadow duelist is a lot more luck than any kind of skill, so I can't help you there. Besides, only the one that sent your parents to the shadows would be able to release them, provided there's anything to release. I wouldn't hold my breath." Amy looked at the spirit, which seemed to get her intention and slowly pulled back the weapon, but still held it ready in case things went south. Amy sighed, she still couldn't trust the girl, but she at least needed to see if there was any truth in the matter.

"If your story checks out, we can talk. Until then, I'm placing you under island lock. You're going to be under 24-hour supervision. You leave the island, don't bother coming back, you'll be expelled. You try anything funny on the island, I'll call security, they'll shoot you on sight. And they shoot to kill.

Any questions?" Amy didn't like having to do those, but it was a precaution. She knew what could be happening, and until she was sure this girl wasn't involved...she couldn't take any chances.