The Crux of the Matter

[Rystil Arden]

"At the Academy...could it be--yes, that's the necklace. Did you find the journal then? That's no aspect--it's a fragment of Elayna's at the time of the creation, a memory jar, an intelligent magic item--far far less powerful than the real thing--unable even to manifest fully."

 

[Bront]

"We found the journal, but she took it and left after stealing enough souls to revive herself. I was powerless to stop her without endangering Layne and others."

 

[Rystil Arden]

"Enough souls to...? Could it be?"

"That impulsive fool!? A philosopher's stone?"

"Well, we were determined in our youth...and admittedly a bit impulsive."

"That's extremely bizarre. What it means is that we now have something like two quasi-uses running around, and then everyone who is trapped here..."

 

[Bront]

"Two... Laynie being the other?"

 

[Rystil Arden]

"Laynie's..."

"I am Elayna Valsice II...Laynie. But I have absorbed some of the best aspects of the original, haven't I...Mommy...my mother...you guys...you...you sacrificed yourselves to help me be safe, to make me strong and protect me...to be with me, always..."

"Yes child...you are as brilliant as I always knew you would be Laynie...I hope you don't hate us..."

*Laynie stays silent for a moment, and then tears begin to spill from her eyes.*

"Silly, I could never hate you! Mommy! I love you so much!" she runs over and gives Termina a long hug, Termina's armour actually vanishing on contact with Laynie so that the older woman can feel the contact.

*Termina smiles and returns Laynie's hug. Then Laynie proceeds to Guile, who waves her hands slightly in front of her.*

"Woah woah woah, kid. I don't do hugs!"

*Laynie ignores the protest and gives Guile a hug, and it may be the onlookers' imagination, but they almost feel like they see her blushing underneath her dark cloak's hood.*

 

[Bront]

"That's what I surmised. The Elayna out there didn't know of Laynie. She was tied to her some how though. It seemed only natural. She had used Laynie's body as a vessil till she could manifest herself, and to slay her would have been to slay Laynie, something I couldn't do."

"You wouldn't know anything of her... doggie, would you?"

 

[Rystil Arden]

"A gray render from the lab below. She befriended it when she was very little. Unlike her kitten, it survived the accident. Even more unlike her kitten, the soul of the only inhabitant of this place other than Elayna with a strong enough soul to avoid the Oversoul someone got bound into that animalistic creature. I speak of Laynie's foster father...Our assistant, his name began with a 'J', I think, but I can't remember--we usually just called him 'Hey you'."

 

[Bront]

"Jaedyn perhaps?"

 

[Rystil Arden]

"No, that was a different fellow, who is dead...Jaedyn Limanthra. The assistant had a different name, like James or Jassin."

 

[Bront]

"Ahh, in a memory, she called him Jaecyn, but she was unsure."