((CLOSED))A late night

[glitters]

((this was designed to be a 'self-rp' but if anyone wants to cut in, they most definitely are welcome to it - I'm sorry it's so long!!))


Jasmine awoke late in the night. It was only hours ago that she had been screaming and writhing in horrible pain, and when she looked in the mirror she couldn't even tell who she was. She was relieved at this hour to see that colour had returned to her face - she looked like a human being again.

She had gotten some sleep, but the events of...everything in the past few days woke her up and forbade her from resting any longer.
It had been awhile since she had been able to sit up late, she was usually studying. Tonight, it was a little of that, a little of self-mutilation, and a lot of thinking.

Andy was from Ignis, Andy and Kara were brother and sister (or 'half-brother' and 'sister', as the case may be), and Jasmine couldn't tell them. When would be a good time, Jasmine didn't know.
And if she didn't know, she was going to keep it a secret. Andy was confused enough as it was already with this apparent evil side of his trying to take control of him. She wanted to give him peace, they'd work through all of this one step at a time.


To help him, Jasmine pulled out one of the books she had found before she was bed-ridden. This was it, this was what her mother had talked about before...

"Jasmine, you know that as a child of the Twilight Kingdom, the gods will respond to your plea for help if you so show them the proper respect..."

To become a disciple to the gods that look over Crepusculum. Where her powers were growing, as was her healing knowledge, she still had a long way to go before she felt one-hundred percent confident with her abilities.
Perhaps they could help her out? She believed in them, and belief was what you needed to be a healer/defensive aid, but it was good to have something to fall back onto for the bigger and worse situations.

Jasmine flipped the book open to the page she read earlier - there, in the centre of the page, was a symmetrical symbol - a circle with two triangles, one facing upwards and the other crossing it going downwards. The centre diamond shape it created was the focal point, with a strange shape that almost looked like an eye.

This symbol had to be embedded in her hand.

She reached for her bag, digging deep in it for her knife that she always had on her, and placed her left hand flat on the table she was working at in her bedroom.
Lightly, she poked at the skin on her hand, almost unsure if this was what she should be doing. Yet she wanted to do whatever she could to protect her friends, and this would be a great benefit to them if she and her cause were accepted.

Remembering the fearful look on Andy's face today made up her mind, and she dug the blade into her hand. She bit down hard on her lip to try to keep from making a ton of noise, she didn't want to wake the house.
Though really, after what kind of pain she was going through earlier today, this should have been easy to deal with.
Blood ran across the table and Jasmine breathed deeply as she carved in the last of the markings, dropping the knife and using her right hand to now dig for a small container filled with a clear liquid - something her mother said was a purifier once. Upon pouring the liquid onto her bloodied hand she gasped sharply, every inch of the carving burned intensely.

When it had stopped, she quickly set to work bandaging up her hand and cleaning the desk. She had done what she could do for now, now was the time to pray and wait to be reviewed.

She sat back in her chair, caressing her bandaged hand, waiting, muttering her prayers under her breath to herself - she knew the entire book inside and out thanks to her mother. Hopefully it would come in handy, now.

[glitters]

((HA, A PART TWO!))

Jasmine opened her eyes later, after what she figured must have been her falling asleep.

When she looked around her, though, she jumped up. She wasn't at home. She had been laying on a cold, stone floor, in an enormous room that was half-lit. She could not see clearly, yet she could see well enough to make out dark figures moving about the outside of the room she was in.

"....um...K-Kara? Andy?....Mother...?" she raised her eyebrow, darting her eyes about the room yet, looking up at the never-ending ceiling.

"JASMINE LOQUE," a thundering voice filled the room and Jasmine gave a startled shriek and snapped her head sharply around her.

"Y-y-yes?!? Who are you and what do you want?!" she called back.

"You need not see us," the voice replied, "you should have known this was coming. You asked for it, afterall."

Jasmine's heartrate increased significantly, she had no clue what was going on or what to do. What was this thing talking about? She was just folding her hands together when she felt the bandage on her left hand and remembered - she looked down at it, lightly petting it.

"Yes..." the great voice said, "you requested the meeting with your gods - you ask for our help."

Jasmine quickly nodded and answered, "Y-yes, I do. I want to--"

"Gain more defensive power as a disciple against your enemies. We know this. We call this meeting with you to inform you that we accept this and will grant you what you desire...assuming you know what twilight really is."

Jasmine raised an eyebrow in response to this. No, seriously, what? She shrugged, thinking an answer to such an...interesting question was easy enough, especially for someone who grew up in Crepusculum. "Um...the...dark before the day, and the light before the night...? I would think it's a great, constant mixture of black and white, neither going anywhere without the other..."

"To that extent, yes. You should know what you're in for, Jasmine Loque. We'll grant you the abilities to tap into us, ask for our guidance, and as you train beneath us your magic will grow extensively as you wish to help others and ultimately vanquish your foes.
But remember that by accepting our power, you also accept death at your hands. When you call for us, when you use our magic, you shall get what you ask for - you will get your light magic. But there will be many a time where a price will be attached for your enemies - that is the dark of this magic."

Jasmine frowned. "So...you're saying I'll...kill people?"

"You'll be defending those close to you just as you wish. That is what you asked for, that is what your magic shall be used for. What happens to your foes after you've cast your spells is something only for them to worry about. Do you accept this?"

She was starting to feel even more uncomfortable. This was a test, wasn't it? The gods were asking her if she were willing to kill people to help her friends, and she had to honestly answer this. "I...I'm not too sure how to answer that..."


"'Yes' or 'No', Jasmine Loque. Those are your options."

"But you're asking me to..." she started.

"You said it yourself, earlier. In the land of the twilight, the light goes nowhere without the dark and the dark goes nowhere without the light. Accepting the light of this magic will increase the defensive magic that you wish to have, but it does not come without the dark - you will indirectly take a death count by your own hands, accepting the spilling of your enemies' blood in order to benefit your cause."

Jasmine did nothing in response. She had no idea how to respond. She hadn't thought this far ahead, she only knew that the twilight gods would help her if she so asked for them and continued to be devout. She never thought she'd have to hurt people in order to help her friends, though.

There was a long silence before the room started filling with a blinding light. Jasmine had shut her eyes tight because it hurt them so much.

"Jasmine Loque, remember the war that rages around you, and then remember what will cause it to stop. War forces people to make difficult decisions, like the one you must make. Think carefully about what you want to do, and how badly you want to help. You can take this chance to back out of this now, if you want.
If you decide that you do accept our aid, call on us immediately when you feel you need that help. We will go on from there..."



When Jasmine opened her eyes again, it was morning, and she had been sleeping slumped over the table. She felt the bandaged hand again, sighed, and then walked over and lay back on her bed.