Warm sunlight tickles the cheek of the six-year-old Lapi girl, who wakes up to find herself in a flower-print nightshirt and on a bed surrounded by ranks of stuffed animals. One of them in particular, a bright red stuffed Creen with black button eyes, keeps saying, "Miss Snowshoe, can you hear me?"

The small bunny blinks several times at the strange talking toy. "When did you learn to talk, Mister Feathers?" she asks. "You never did before! You'd better shut up before Momma comes in!"

After a pause, the stuffed Creen (a.k.a. Mister Feathers) says, "Miss Snowshoe, I am Mage Shift of Dream. Do you remember me?"

Anisa flops an ear, pulling the bed sheets up over her muzzle cautiously, eyes wide. "I'm not supposed to talk to strangers. Are you a stranger?" The little rabbit thinks hard. "Shift" isn't one of her brothers' names, but it does sound familiar.

"You are dreaming, Miss Snowshoe," the Creen explains. The toy doesn't have any facial expressions to go with the words, but there is the slightest hint of exasperation in its tone. "You once met me in another dream, one in which you were ascending a mountain."

"Mountain? Dream?" The bunny thinks hard … and slowly, parts start to creep through. "A … a city … and a fight with a lady?" She scratches her ear, looking herself over. "And … I was bigger." She looks back up to the Creen in confusion.

Tinny, chiming music comes from the expensive Chronotopian music box up on the dresser, as a key winds on the side, the one little Anisa isn't allowed to take down, for fear she might break it.

"Bigger?" the Creen asks, sounding confused. "Perhaps. There was an Eeee goddess who kept secrets, and she asked you to perform a sacrifice, but you tricked her."

A breeze causes the gauzy window curtain to dance about, as the shutters have been left open. A very faint smell of the blossoms in the flower box just outside the window waft in on the breeze.

More memories begin to come back, and Anisa pushes the covers off. She does a double take at her six year-old body, her mind somewhere between the adult she really is and the child she appears as now. "How … strange. this seems right and not right at the same time." Sitting up, the bunny surveys the room that seems overly large. "I think … I think I remember that. You were the Naga, right? That helped me?"

As Anisa remembers more, Mister Feathers begins to change. His wings vanish, and the button-eyes become more bead-like. "Yes, I was there with you at the end. I was also watching the sparring match between you and Fuchsia which has led to your current state of unconsciousness."

The room still looks like a child's room, however. A wooden trunk has a hand-sewn quilt draped over it, and a nicely arranged row of cloth dolls, many of them obviously very much loved, by the signs of wear and careful mending. Above, on a shelf, are some painted wooden dolls in frilly dresses – the sort meant to be dressed and shown off, but not really for play, not for a child Anisa's age. The cloth ones are primarily Lapis, though a number of the dress-up dolls are pretty, perfectly marked Gallees.

Keeping her eyes on Mr. Feathers, the rabbit swings her small legs off the bed, only to stumble clumsily and fall backwards when she jumps off. "Oof! I don't remember that being so high!" The little bunny stands up, rubbing her sore tail. "The fight … so that's how it ended? She beat me?" The miniscule Lapi grimaces, comically exaggerated on her childish face. "Dagh take it all. But … why am I here, in this dream?" The rabbit finally realizes the sound of her own voice Is that of a kid's. "And why are you here, for that matter?"

The little cloth dolls seem to look at the child in shock, at hearing a curse come out of her dainty little mouth. Either that, or they're just staring, the way dolls typically do.

"It was a draw actually," the voice of Shift says from the bed. "You knocked each other out. You are here because … well, because you are dreaming. This is probably a place or event that you remember fondly. Because the Life Mages put you into a magically induced slumber to aid the healing process, I was able to create a link to you, although it would help if you focused on remembering me further."

Almost in reflex, the small Lapi makes her way over to the toy chest, and leaps up on top of it, her oversized nightshirt hiding her feet as she sits. "Sure you don't want to stay as Mr. Feathers? We could play House! Or wrestling!" The child talking. Anisa shakes her head, and pushes her younger self back. "Er, ignore that. Let's see … you were a red Naga, Dream Ma-"

"Hey, 'Nisa!" comes a child's voice from outside. "When ya gonna wake up? Come out an' play!" This is followed by a few giggles and the sound of a leather ball bouncing off the wall of one of the nearby houses.

With her ears straight up, Anisa leaps from the chest and runs to the window to look out, smiling with a small giggle.

The stuffed toy that was once Mister Feathers now looks more like a Naga. It is apparently enough of a change that Mage Shift can now interact with Anisa's dream, as the plush reptile takes a moment to examine the room before moving closer to the Lapi girl. "I see what you meant about being bigger now. What are you observing outside that window?"

The scene outside seems somewhat wrong, changing, undecided. On the one hand, she sees a couple of Lapi children, neighbors (she can't remember their names), riding on the back of a little fuzzy vulpinoid creature – a Fnerf, she thinks it was called – chasing after the ball, and she sees a couple of her younger brothers chasing after them, trying to get to the ball first.

But then, there's Gibson, and he's a full adult, smiling and waving back up to Anisa. And Royce looks like he's a bit older, too. No, Gibson's a child, just a little older than Anisa. And the house next door that got replaced by the wine store, is just a house again.

Anisa's smile fades as she looks outside and the semi-stable scene. The child side of her lays her ears back in fear, but the adult forces her to try and make the scene come into focus. "My friends, Mister Shiftyfeather! Why are they all blurry like that?"

"Dreams are often vague," the plush snake answers. "I suggest that you ignore them for now. I have some serious matters to discuss with you."

The Lapi stares at the scene for a few moments more, but then the adult takes over. "Serious matters?" The bunny gets off of her tiptoes, and turns to the plush reptile. "How do you mean? Did the fight really mess me up or something?"

"You suffered only minor injuries," the snake says. "The matters I need to discuss deal with our first meeting, in the Realm of Barada. Have you told anyone else about those dreams, or that you encountered me in them?"

Anisa walks back over to the chest, and leaps back up on top of it, sitting cross-legged. "Truth be told, the details were hazy to me for a long time, so I hadn't told anyone about it." She furrows her brow, ears perked forward as she thinks hard. "But I think I told Spring Meadow about it … when I saw you at the Gardens." She looks up at the Naga. "I had thought it was all just a bad dream."

"Ah," Shift says, turning to follow Anisa's movements. "I urge you not to mention it further to anyone associated with the College Esoterica or Rephidim Temple, for your own protection and privacy, as well as my own."

The sounds of play seem to fade into the background, as Anisa focuses more on her "guest" in the room. However, the music box keeps chiming along, and the breeze still plays with the gauzy curtains adorning the window. Little dust motes twirl and spin around in sunbeams filtered through the window, and the light dims, then brightens again now and then, as puffy clouds pass by outside.

The snow colored child looks at the snake curiously. "Why is that? Was Barada sacred to them or something?" She itches a baby rabbit toe. "I thought she was an Eeee myth."

"There are many in Babel and abroad who are angry with those who interfered with that dream world," the fuzzy Naga explains. "If your activities became known, you could be exposed to reprisals. The followers of Barada are very good at finding people."

Anisa frowns, her ears drooping sideways slightly. "I'd better tell Meadow to keep quiet then. As far as I remember, she's the only person I've told." The bunny looks up to the snake. "But you have to had come to my dream for more than that. What else is on your mind?"

"There is more, yes," the Naga admits. "Were you given a piece of jewelry that you wore when the dreams occurred? Perhaps by a white Khatta girl?"

To this, the bunny nods. "As a matter of fact, I did. She gave it to me as a tip, and Daddy made me wear it during my shifts." The rabbit looks up a bit in thought, then with a grin, momentarily concentrates. Afterwards, she reaches into the collar of her nightshirt, and pulls out the necklace- or a dream image of it, at least. "Here, is this the one you mean?" It looks amazingly oversized on the little girl.

The plush snake leans forward to look at the pendant. "It very well could be, based on the description of a similar one which the School of Dream was able to examine for a short time. We would very much like to obtain this artifact for further study, as the only other one we know of is in the possession of the Temple."

Anisa tucks the crystal necklace back into her shirt. "Well, that's a bit of a problem at the moment. I didn't bring it with me, so it's back in Rephidim. It's pretty, but I like the one I got from my brother better." The little rabbit jumps down from the chest, and examines her childhood toys closer. "I'm guessing it's the reason I had those dreams? What is it anyways, and who was the Khatta that gave it to me?"

"We believe it allowed you to remain focused within the particular dream realm of the Seven Sisters, which is now gone," Shift says. "It would probably be better for you if you did not know who gave it to you, however. As for it being on Rephidim, that is far preferable to it being here on Caroban at the moment, as it might draw unwanted attention. If you are willing to part with it, I am sure that suitable compensation can be arranged for both the artifact and your continued discretion."

With a small sprint, the little Lapi leaps up onto her bed and into the covers, suppressing an instinctual giggle. "Oh… uh, the necklace, right. Well, Abrahm might be a bit miffed to find it missing, but I suppose I could come up with a cover story. It's pretty, but if it's dangerous, then it's yours." The rabbit sits cross legged, and hugs a pillow as large as she. "But… I still want to know why the Lady gave it to me. Why was I singled out?"

"We have not been able to find out the logic behind the selection process," the Naga admits, turning again to face the Lapi. "It may have been random, or because the girl liked the person. We believe the Khatta was actually the Duchess Kurai of Blackshire, in the former Sylvanian territories."

"The Duchess Kurai? The railroad lady?" Anisa's large child eyes blink. "So she had something to do with it as well? Or did she even know?"

"There are no reports of the Duchess appearing in the dream realm of the Seven Sisters," Shift says. "We do not have any direct evidence of her involvement, or knowledge of how she came into possession of the pendants. We can only assume that she has some tie to the being known as Morpheus, and our primary source of information on him is somewhat suspect."

The Lapi child scratches an ear, then shrugs. "I see… I think. Well, the pendant is yours, as long as you don't plan to take over the world or anything like that." The eyes the toy snake, "That's not it… is it?"

"We only wish to understand the world, Miss Snowshoe," the toy says in all seriousness. "There may be much to learn from examining the pendant."

Anisa drops the pillow to her lap, and nods. "Fair enough then. When I return to Rephidim, I'll have it sent to you, or you can come get it. Just so long as I don't have to fight anymore goddesses or anything." The small bunny scrunches up her nose and sticks out her tongue. "Stabbing myself in the chest wasn't very fun, even if it was a dream."

"I would not know, Miss Snowshoe, though I am grateful that you did not stab me instead," the Naga says, bowing its plush head. "I will arrange for someone to contact you in Rephidim, and thank you for hearing me out."

"And thank you for… uh, coming here, I guess." The bunny giggles. "Sorry you had to spend the dream as a toy, but you did say this was a manifestation of a time I felt comfortable in."

As the Naga begins to transform back into Mister Feathers, it says, "For convenience, the person who contacts you will identify himself with the phrase, 'Morpheus is rising.'"

As the Naga starts to transform, so does Anisa's mind – back into a child's. She concentrates long enough to remember the phrase, and nods wildly. "'Morpheus is rising.' Okee Mister Feathers!! I'll try to remember! Bye-bye!"

Slowly, light starts to seep through into the hazy semi-darkness, making a blurry series of images appear beyond a sweat soaked muzzle. "M-Mommy? Daddy? Mister Feathers?" The child wonders where she is, but slowly the child starts to fade and the adult rises as reality comes into view. Anisa's sleepy eyes open, to be greeted by the room, her bed, and what feels like a dress with nothing in the back. Also, she seems to tingle in her jaw. "What the… where am I?"

Almost immediately, someone picks up Anisa's paw and pats it, saying, "Are you okay, Anisa?" There's a moment of confusion when the doe thinks it must be her brother Royce, but it turns out to just be Aaron. "Does anything hurt? They said they'd take care of every bruise."

The white Lapi blinks a few times, shaking her head rapidly to try and come fully awake. "Aaron? Where… oh, the infirmary, that's right." The doe pushes the covers down to her waist, and sits up on the bed, propping her back against the pillows. "I feel fine, a bit numb in a few spots, but okay." She pats Aaron's paw with her own free one, then rubs her jaw. "She must have got me good. Dagh, I've never seen a Naga move that well."

"They just released her a few hours ago," Aaron says, sitting back in the guest chair and grinning. Just behind him, on the table next to the wash basin Anisa can see a neatly folded bundle of clothes – the same ones she left in the Gymnasium locker room. "You nearly cracked her skull!"

Anisa looks down at her gown, and grimaces. "All I remember was seeing her fist, then next thing I know I'm back in Rephidim. Er, kinda." She grins as she looks to Aaron. "I got her too, huh? Then it was a draw. I can deal with that. Next time though, you get to stay in the ring." She winks at the buck.

Aaron's ears shoot up for a moment. "Well, you didn't lose, so I guess I have to keep my promise to let you train me," he says, finishing with a grin. "You've been asleep for over a day you know. The Mages thought it best to keep you unconscious for some of the treatment. I know I'd want to be asleep for it!"

"Well, being asleep wasn't so bad. At least I had nice dreams." She looks around the room. "What did they do? And for that matter, when can I leave?"

The Lapi buck shudders for a moment, before saying, "Well, they use leeches on the big bruises … err … I probably shouldn't have told you that until you were ready to jump into the shower. But you can leave as soon as you want, if you aren't hurting anywhere."

Anisa drops her mouth in a disgusted look, "Ugh! You're kidding me!" Leaping out of the bed in reflex, the rabbit scrubs at her skin. "Gross!! Where are the showers?!"

"Err, back at the hotel," Aaron says, and holds out Anisa's clothes to her. "I'll just wait outside for you, shall I?"

Raising her ears up in alarm, the white rabbit quickly swivels to make sure she's facing Aaron, and not the open back of her inconvenient gown. "Er, thanks," she says while taking the garb, ears blushing in embarrassment.

Aaron quickly opens the door and steps outside, saying, "You'll probably want something to eat too. Then I need to book us on a flight back to Rephidim. We sorta missed our scheduled one, so I gave the tickets to Xander and Meadow."

Ears blushing even deeper, Anisa nods. "Uh, sorry about that. Just let me slip these on and I'll be right out." Picking up the clothes, Anisa looks around to make sure no one can see her.

With a click, Aaron closes the door.

After cleaning up in her hotel room (which luckily had plenty of soap and hot water to spare) and filling up on some room service, Anisa packs up her trunks. Aaron managed to get tickets on an overnight flight to Rephidim (which has moved closer to Caroban since the last trip) and the two Lapis make it just in time to get their luggage loaded before the ship casts off.

The Rephidim Express seems particularly crowded, as the chances to visit Rephidim aren't common for the residents of Caroban. As a result, there is a good mix of Mages and mundane folk who can afford the fare, as well as a few Journeymen from the Ball and their recruiters. Since the voyage will still be overnight, box lunches have been supplied for the passengers, but they are largely left to entertain themselves.

Anisa lingers on the deck, clutching her lunch and frowning in annoyance at the large crowd. Still, she uses it as a chance to get a good look at the night sky, unhindered by city lights.

The Procession seems brighter than ever in the crystal-clear air beyond the sky island's pressure envelope, although at the cost of enduring the cold.

Said cold bites the Lapi to the bone, since she forgot to pack any warm clothing, and her fur adds only little more protection. Shivering, the rabbit crosses her arms, and decides to make her way back to the cabin.

Below decks, things seem just as crowded – but quite a bit warmer. People are queued up near the bow to use the airship's single restroom, and the privacy curtains on the various sleeper berths don't do much to keep out the noise. Luckily, the one Aaron was able to get is near the hatchway, and big enough for a Rhian.

Anisa makes her way over to the berth, keeping an eye out for Aaron, or anything else of interest. When she arrives, she sweeps the curtain aside.

Aaron jerks upright from where he was dozing, and bumps his head on the low ceiling. "Ow!!" he yelps, and rubs his head. "Oh, hi, Anisa. Getting cold up there?"

The Lapi woman smirks, and nods. "Yeah, it's a beautiful night, but getting way too cold. I don't care if my name is Snowshoe, I can do without the chill." The Lapi takes her lunch, and places it on the floor. "Scoot over, I wanna sit down for a bit. My legs are starting to ache."

The buck pulls his knees up against his chest and sits up against the outer wall, near the single port-hole. "There … you can stretch out if you want. Sorry I couldn't find something nicer, but frankly, I've traveled in worse."

Anisa sits down onto the berth, and draws her own legs up close as she sits Indian style. "Nah, I just need to sit. So, what's the plan for when you get back to Rephidim? Think the ball'll pay off?"

Aaron grins widely. "If it does, it'll be pure gravy! I made enough from this trip to finally move out of my storeroom and get a real house!"

The doe grins. "A real house eh? That'd be nice to have. I've lived in the tavern my whole life myself; I couldn't imagine living anywhere else." The rabbit readjusts her position. "Where do you plan to get one at?"

Sticking his feet out more now that Anisa isn't going to stretch out, Aaron says, "Probably something near the Scholars' Quarter. With hot and cold running water, and gaslight! No more cold sponge baths and falling down ladders in the dark for this Lapi!"

Anisa giggles. "I imagine that wouldn't be very fun, no." She sighs, and leans back against the wall. "It's back to the tavern for me, I guess. It was fun to get out for a while though, and I still have to give that mage that necklace-" The rabbit cuts herself short, and slaps a paw to her mouth. "Er, that necklace his daughter lost, that is."

Aaron cants his ears forward in interest, but doesn't ask about the mage. "Well, at least you don't have to sleep on a cot," he says instead. "This has been the best trip I've been on in awhile. And no monsters attacked me either, and you don't cause as much damage as falling out of a tree or down a cliff does," he adds with a chuckle.

The doe's ears blush. "No, I just cause damage to myself it seems." She leans back again, stretching her own legs out just slightly. "Maybe I should look for another job, although it'd drive Mom and Daddy crazy. I hate the custom of having to stay home until I'm married, but it's not like they can force me to stay."

"Old fashioned, are they?" Aaron asks. "Or I guess 'traditional' is the more polite term. Still … it's got to be nice to have a close family when you need it." Putting his arms behind his head, he says, "I hardly ever see my family. We haven't all been in the same place for years."

"Oh, it's nice … until you live with them for twenty-five years." Anisa smoothes out her ears. "'Traditional' would be an understatement. Daddy's not old-fashioned when it comes to business, but he is when it comes to family. What about your family? Where are you from originally?"

"Olympia, I think," Aaron says, screwing up his brows in thought. "Or maybe Abu Dhabi. I've got uncles and aunts and cousins all over the place, and I remember my folks traveling a lot before they left me with my uncle as an apprentice."

"I've got a lot of family too, although a lot of it is in Rephidim." The doe stretches. "They left you with your uncle? When's the last time you saw them?"

Aaron chews on his lip a bit, and says, "I saw them in Kroz not too long ago, just before the … err … balloon incident. It was a nice visit, and I didn't get bugged about my latest scars, because my cousin Ezmerelda showed up with a Zerda tail instead of her normal one."

"A Zerda tail?" Anisa blinks at this, then laughs. "How did a Lapi get a Zerda tail?"

"Gambling, I think," Aaron says, chuckling as well. "Never play against a sore loser, is my advice."

Anisa giggles, and shakes her head. "I guess not!" She giggles a bit more, then sighs. "Must be interesting being around mages all the time. By the way, how long before we're back to Rephidim? This crowd's about to drive me nuts!"

Aaron leans down to look out the porthole. "Looks nearly midnight now, so probably another six or seven hours." Sitting up again, he offers, "If you want to try and sleep, I've got some cotton for your ears, or a few herbs I keep handy. There are advantages to being an apothecary, after all. Or I could bore you to sleep with stories of stupid things I've done."

The doe laughs. "No thanks, I've slept enough for a while. I do think I'll relax a bit, though." The doe stretches out her legs, and leans against the wall. "I think we all have our stupid stories. I know I do. What are you going to do with the rest of the night?"

Aaron yawns in answer. "I could probably catch a few winks, despite the noise. It's either that, or listen to snoring mages," he says with a grin. "I wish I'd brought a book now."

Anisa scoots over, pressing her smaller frame against the inside of the bunk. "I think we can both fit in here. It's big enough. I guess I might as well take a nap, too. Not much else to do to pass the time."

"Want that cotton?" Aaron asks.

"Only as long as it hasn't been in your ears," says the doe with a smirk.

The buck twitches his whiskers and looks comically indignant. "I'd never offer you cotton I'd used in my ears, Anisa," he says, removing a few tufts of the stuff from a pouch and offering it to the doe. "Why, this is freshly plucked from my navel," he jokes.

"Oh, well that's much different!" jokes Anisa as she sticks the cotton in her ears. "Well, see you in a few! Pleasant dreams!"

It's still fairly early in the morning when the Rephidim Express docks, but not early enough that the city of Rephidim isn't already about its business. By the time the cart carrying Anisa and her luggage reaches Snowshoe's Tavern, the breakfast crowd is already swelling. "Home sweet home!" Aaron says as the cart comes to a stop.

Anisa's ears wilt as she sees the crowd inside the tavern. "Ugh, home sweet job you mean. Gluh, I'm not ready to back to work so quickly." The Lapi sets her head back with a sigh.

Aaron pats Anisa on the shoulder and chuckles. "You can always claim airship-lag or something! Sorry the Life Mages didn't leave any bruises now?"

"I can deal with bruises," says the doe, "just not Beatrice's nagging. Ah well." The Lapi jumps off the cart with a sigh. "I guess I can go to my room and block the door."

"Oh, wait!" Aaron says, and hops into the back of the cart to dig through his own luggage. "I got you a souvenir while you were zonked out. Maybe you can bribe your mother with it?" he says as he pulls out a gift-wrapped box, about eight inches on a side, and hands it to Anisa.

Anisa blinks in surprise at the gift is suddenly placed in her hands. Nose twitching and eyes wide, she perks her ears forward in curiosity. "What's this?"

"Just a knick-knack you can put on the bar or something," Aaron says. "But you can say it's from you and give it to your mom."

The doe bites her lip, then sets to work unwrapping the box. Once done, she opens it to look inside.

Inside is one of those glass spheres with the magically impressed scene in it, this one the view of the School of Air as seen from an approaching airship, with all of the little mini islands and hanging buildings, and of course the base with "SPHERE OF AIR, CAROBAN" engraved on it.

"Oh … oh wow." Anisa's face brightens up into an amused smile as she gazes into the magic orb. Quickly however, it becomes sober again. "But … these aren't cheap. It must have cost you a fortune!" She looks up to Aaron.

"Oh, well," Aaron says, trying not to make eye contact. "I felt pretty bad about you getting your jaw busted and all, and Meadow told me you'd liked these things when you saw them."

The doe's ears turn bright red, and a sheepish grin spreads across her face. "That's … very kind of you… " She carefully places the orb back in its box, then turns to the cart to get her luggage. "I'd, uh … better get going now."

"Uh, right!" Aaron says, and helps with Anisa's trunks, as unnecessary as that may be. "Just don't tell your folks how much it cost, okay? I wouldn't want them getting … you know … ideas."

The ears keep getting more crimson, and Anisa smiles slightly. "Yeah, that wouldn't be too good… " Picking up the luggage, she carries her part to the door, then sets them down outside. "So … anytime you're in the neighborhood, feel free to come by. Mateh's on the house!"

Aaron climbs back onto the bench next to the Kavi driver, and says, "Sure thing! I'll come by and ask you to help me move!"

"Yeah." The Lapi doe seems to hesitate for a bit, then "Aaron?" Quickly she reaches up and gives the buck a hug. "Thank you!" Turning around, embarrassed, she sprints to the door, grabs her bags, and disappears inside.

Aaron's ears shoot up and stay there for several moments, before the Kavi clucks to his Dromodon and the cart heads off down the cobbled street.