When In Doubt, Go With Blue

I'm Sorry

The ritual took a lot of power - which you had - and concentration, the part you were lacking. You drifted from focus every few minutes daydreaming about Farah. You weren't sure how you could have a nightmare during a daydream, but you managed that too, predicting the shitty situation you would really return to. 

Despite them obviously wanting you in their realm, the Amyrlin and Moiraine were giving you more advanced channeling lessons. Maybe they just knew you'd be useless to them so distracted. Which was true. You could hardly meet your fairy magic standards. Levitating books was simple with Mind Magic. Trying to hone the One Power always got you ahead of yourself and you were fantasizing about a kiss you wouldn't have to interrupt. 

Sadly, it interrupted your concentration and the multiple weaves you were conducting fell flat. It could've been worse. The weaves could've exploded outward. That had happened. "You have to concentrate," was the Amyrlin's very original advice. 

You sighed too, knowing that. But that didn't help with the execution. With a deep - totally calming - breath, you raised your hands, feeling the power rise with them. It would up your arms, twining with your fingers. The energy came to a head between your hands; it made a sphere of energy, sinning and turning over on itself. The power went to grow , as if it possessed a will of its own. You tried to push more power into it, as it obviously wanted to. The energy multiplied, growing taller, more door-like. The woman leaned forward. 

The door to that room opened without hesitation and you dropped the magic. You looked at the intruder abruptly. 

It was the Amyrlin's Keeper. She took no notice of your previous activities, only having eyes for the witch "Mother". "I'm afraid there's an urgent matter which requires your attention." 

Siuan nodded dutifully, rising from her seat. The woman stepped out, but Siuan stopped on the way. She faced you full-on. "It was my great pleasure to meet you. I wish you good luck and I hope you will return." With a smile, she took your hands one last time and left. 

Moiraine walked the last few steps to the door with her, mumbling lingering worries. "I cannot teach her alone."

Just outside the door, Siuan turned back to her old pillow-friend, laying a hand on her shoulder. "She will learn if she wishes to and once she accepts that you are the only one who can teach her. And she does not truly need training. What she wants badly enough, she will do. She's the bloody source." She was almost exasperated by the tension she hadn't managed to slice. Turning away, Siuan traversed the halls with her keeper. "Thank you for the out."

"I wasn't sure if you wanted an earlier excuse, but I waited." The Keeper of Chronicles nodded. "I didn't realize you would use it to play matchmaker."

Siuan shrugged. "Her little protege is fighting everything about herself and Moiraine is more of a hedonist than anyone would guess. Nightcap?" 

Back in the room, Moiraine was stuck. She didn't know how to make you focus and you were getting frustrated. "Maybe you and your little mommy were wrong about me."

"And the Darkfriend. And your own power. And the veil between realms. Were all wrong?"

Against all that, you felt like a pouting child. "Can we go somewhere else? We don't need the books anymore." You rocked up onto your toes, hopeful. 

Moiraine thought for a long moment. Maybe you were feeling stifled and uncomfortable. "I need to leave a note for Lan in case he's back before we are, but I don't see why not." You jumped, letting a bright smile free. You followed her through her home eagerly. She left a note and gathered two cloaks. You were almost anonymous besides leaving the White Tower, and neither of you saw the red-clad woman watching you leave town. Moiraine brought you through the woods - a short cut - and out into an empty field. Well, almost empty. The brunette mused that you finally got decent on horseback and you'd be going somewhere you told her you'd never seen such a beast, despite knowing they existed. The trained woman led you to a landmark half your height and wider than you. It looked like it used to hold up the Colosseum. But it was dark. 

"What is this?" you asked, dismounting. You landed on your feet this time, you noted proudly. 

But Moiraine came to your side anyway. "This is a WayGate. The Aes Sedai use them to travel great distances within our own world. I thought you could use it like a talisman to help get your weave started. And the view is nice."

You turned and looked out in the distance. You were surrounded by trees on one side, as you'd passed through a forest to get here, a mountain far off in another direction. And a massive body of water filled the rest of the distance. Moiraine just watched you. You turned to her and Moiraine faked looking at the Gate. You realized you needed to focus. Lifting your hands, you felt the familiar raw strength form at the end of your hand. It roiled over itself, trying to bust free without direction. You fought to reign it in. Ironically, it took less energy to let it dissipate. "Thank you. For everything."

Moiraine turned back to you, carefully hiding her feelings. 

You swallowed, stepped closer. "You were the answer to... this. I was so scared of me. No one knew everything because I was so much and.... Well, you helped. A lot. So thank you."

Now, the Blue wasn't the best at expressing her emotions reasonably, but she was certain she wanted to hold you. She hoped, with your platonic but growing friendship, you'd let her. She moved a bit slow, but she got you in her arms. However, it was no longer than a heartbeat because the ground beneath your feet was rumbling like it was about to leap up at you and bite. Moiraine held your arms as if to steady you. Thanks to your Mind magic, you faced her incoming sisters at the same time as Moiraine. It was a group of Reds, riding toward you both. Moiraine faced you quickly. "Go! Now!" She shoved you closer to the WayGate, throwing up her arms to send counter-attacks. 

You faced the 'Gate, trying to shut out the sounds and the stress. You took a deep breath, briefly distracted by a resounding grunt via Moiraine. The energy was slow moving, but perhaps that was the necessary change to complete the weave. It climbed your legs, wound around your frame until it was like an aura armor. Shining silver, up to your shoulders, trailing down your arms. The ground was rumbling again, tried to shift underneath your foot. Some excess energy around your legs leaked down and away, doing apparently what the source does. You held the planet together with more than just gravity. You held everything. 

"Stop her! The source must remain!" a familiar voice called. It was the blonde Red at the helm and all of her sisters raced after you both. A few were already exchanging attacks with Moiraine. But their leader was a calculating and underhanded woman. She waited until Moiraine was already nearly overwhelmed with her sister's magic, goading at her. Moiraine just had to throw a retort back and she used that moment to throw  an unexpectedly large force at the woman. Moiraine didn't react; she just hit the ground. Their onslaught relented, but so did your focus. 

You wouldn't say you were overly fond of the woman, but you had grown to enjoy her presence. Her dry wit, her scathing wisdom, and her unfailing ability to be aware of everything in the room without saying or seeing a thing. You let the One Power dissipate and dove for the fallen brunette. You held her in your arms, feeling it come right back. You two were encircled with pure energy - a shield, you thought - and you looked up at the Reds to ensure this wasn't their doing. They wouldn't lift a finger, let alone a weave, against you. You looked her over with normal eyes then ones matching your dress. You quickly gathered the uninjured woman into your arms, lifting her up. Eyes jerked from her limp form to the witches closing in. Your protective bubble got brighter, the space around you slowly vanishing. You looked up at the last bit of reality you would see: a blue bird flying overhead. Now, it was you and Moiraine seemingly in a white room. It changed to almost celestial surroundings, the two of you falling through space. 

When the falling (rising of surrounding stars) stopped, you were still sitting on the ground, Moiraine still in your arms. You were still outside, but it was brighter, yet less pure. You were back on polluted Earth, but it was a startling familiar area. You looked up at a lovely green forest and a perfect sun shining on laughing children, and birds and squirrels.