Kat swallowed as she stared at Minor. *I mean… I guess that makes sense, I saw Enuko in that memory changing just her hands… but… I feel like there is more to this… but do I even want to ask? Should I? Dammit I want to know.*
"How could you keep something like that hidden?" asked Kat
"Well… it actually isn't as hard as you'd think" said Minor "I mentioned that the ruling house, that is, us, are supposedly descended from that Queen who started our race? Well, one of the major factors supporting this is we are one of the few capable of even reaching five tails still
"There are of course, a few other houses that can as well, but it occasionally skips a generation, or more and normally we can explain why we keep it a secret. Also… I think you need to actually know it's possible for you to change. So… I'd bet mum doesn't tell them all.
Kat nodded "That makes sense I suppose. Still I'm surprised. It seems like you've kept this under wraps for a really long time"
"Well, we might have cheated a bit. See, when in our fox forms our control over our element is supposed to drastically improve, so, for example if Grandma wanted to use her form, she'd just create a fake copy of herself, then transform and coat herself in ice
"Giving the illusion it's just a powerful spell that uses our belief in the Great Fox to strengthen it" said Minor
Kat frowned at the last part "Wait belief plays a part in magic? How does that make sense?"
"Ah… well… ah, I don't really understand it, but I think it has something to do with runes. They all mean something very specific and you have to know and believe in what they mean to use them… or that's what we were told anyway. I never paid as much attention as I should have… I didn't think I'd get the chance to use my magic ever" said Minor
Kat nodded. *Hmm, I suppose that is fairly reasonable. She's been in Major's head for years and why waste the time learning a strange runic system you can't be sure will ever be available to you especially if she thought other things might help like remember key information for Major… wait but aren't runes key information.*
*Well, whatever.* Kat looked at the landscape and the sun rising over the horizon. *It seems we can leave this scene soon.* "Looks like it's time to head off Minor" said Kat indicating at the rising sun.
"Yes. Please be ready, I can only imagine that wherever we end up next will be more hostile to us. I'm not sure how far away we are from Major's consciousness but I think at least two, and no more than five" said Minor as she turned her back to Kat and started messing around with the snow.
"Why those numbers?" asked Kat
"Well, I know the environment will get worse and worse as we get closer, and really snow is pretty tame all things considered. Major could be throwing icicles or even just icebergs at us to keep us away. This is more… like a holding area" said Minor
"Ok, say how are we ending this scene anyway?" asked Kat
"I just have to find the ground and then push into it, change things a little. Like falling dominos and the scene should shatter and we will end up in the next area" said Minor
"Hmm, couldn't I like, make a door out of fire and then you make it a real door going straight to Major? Would something like that work?" asked Kat
"There's no way something… actually… hmmm" Minor said, getting a thoughtful look on her face. "Perhaps… carving it into snow? Then outlining it with fire… Kat your fire doesn't melt ice right?"
Kat nodded "It creates more actually"
Minor nodded vigorously "This could fast track our progress greatly… ok just give me a moment"
Minor then proceeded to pick up a large pile of snow. How she managed to actually hold the pile without it collapsing was beyond Kat, as it didn't seem possible. Minor slowly started to pile snow up to the side of the campfire just outside of the light it casted.
A few minutes later, there was a large pile of snow with a door carved into the side. Minor had even gone so far as to include extra details like a doorknob and some simple carvings "Ok Kat, please light up the edges" said Minor
Kat nodded, placing her hand to the side of the pile. Flame leapt to her fingers, and eagerly filled slight indent marking the edge of the door as if it was being sucked in. Letting the power flow out of her soon gave life to a bright door, surrounded in glowing purple fire.
"Ok, stand back a moment" said Minor, and Kat did as she was asked.
Minor placed her hand on the doorknob and turned it carefully. Kat heard a click, as Minor then ever so slowly pushed forward letting the door open a tiny crack. As soon as she'd done this though, a great roar echoed out of the door.
It set Kat's teeth on edge, and seemed to worm its way into her body, vibrating through her bones, and especially her horns, which seemed to almost hum against the sound, trying to reject its presence.
Kat found herself paralysed, but Minor was already moving. She slammed the door closed with as much force as her smaller body could muster, and then proceeded to pile snow on top of the door.
This didn't seem to stop whatever was on the other side though. Loud thumps resounded as it hurled itself against the door. Clearly seeking to come for them "Kat can you get rid of the fire?"
Kat tried to shake her head, but the ringing of her horns made it hard. Finally, as an improvisation she moved her tail and created a close approximation of an X. Seeing this Minor frowned and said "Set it all on fire then"
Kat nodded, forcing the energy out of her body in a long stream. She was glad that it was listening to her. The sound had finally stopped rattling her body, and so she brought up her hands and unleashed a torrent of fire coating the hill.
As soon as the fire spread over the whole structure, Minor slammed her hand into it, and the beating stopped. Once it did Minor fell over backwards drenched in sweat "I have… no idea… what that was" panted Minor "But we will not be opening any more doors"
Kat felt her knees weaken, but held her ground, stumbling over to Minor and lifting her up into a hug "It will be ok… but what was that? Why was it even there?"
"I… I don't know" said Minor "When I 'made' the door… I… I think I tried to find the largest concentration of Major's mind… but… maybe I just found a large part that was close…"
Kat gulped "Can we even deal with something like that if we meet it later?"
Minor buried herself in Kat's arms as she mumbled "I… I don't know… I think… I think there has to be a more sane version of Major somewhere… I mean… that can't be all that's left… right? I just… I think we need to keep exploring, and find the part that wants to help"
"Are you sure there is a part that wants to help us?" asked Kat unsure
However Minor nodded with more confidence now "Yes… yes there has to be. See, as horrible as that thing is… if that was all that was left of Major, she could use her body. The only reason her mind is trapped here… is because it is warring with itself. So… so that has to mean there is a counterpart otherwise… otherwise"
Kat pulled Minor in closer "It's ok. We will find our Major, not the foolish self-destructive part of her that doesn't know what it's doing"
Minor nodded and returned Kat hug, sniffling slightly but not outright crying. "Yup… we have to" said Minor
The pair stayed there for a while longer. Kat to regenerate her energy, and Minor to calm herself down and perhaps regenerate some of her own power. * I noticed she was sweating a bunch when she slammed the door shut… but now that I think about it… that might have been from when she OPENED the door. I think using her powers to change this dream might be taking a toll on her…*
*I just hope she doesn't push herself too hard. I'll need to keep an eye on her and shut that down if I see her doing anything stupid. That's the least I can do. I promised myself I'd save them both, and I won't let the first summoning I fail be the one about people I care about…*
*Well… that first one doesn't count right? I mean… that one wasn't really my fault.* Kat smiled to herself, as she patted Minor's tails.. *Yeah. That wasn't my fault*