Silence had fallen over the academy, no one talked except during the dinner period, and even then it was only small chatter between some of the younger students who either didn't, or couldn't, understand the lock down.
Some distance away from the academy buildings was a medium sized building with a dome on top, this dome has colored glass as its roof which allowed sun and moonlight into the building itself, casting the colors of the glass that it shown through. However, this night only candles and magical floating lights kept the place lit up.
In the center of the room was a large table covered by flowers; on it Andy laid. The boy no longer bore a shocked expression, instead his eyes were closed and his hands had been propped on his chest to show a serene appearance. Around his body stood figures in black robes, each one held a book of some kind that each had a different language written on the cover.
Yoko and Yukita slowly walked into the room and looked at all those present. "Everyone's in bed?"
"Yes," one of the figures that was near the window said, he glanced out and surveyed the perimeter. "None of our students who can use invisibility magic are out, and the few that are on campus right now that can use the magic aren't able to fool our eyes," he added.
Yoko sighed and looked at everyone. "It's been a very long time since we last performed this ritual..."
"Phineas.. or rather.. the Phineas of the past, who when he passed away we sealed his Starlight Jewel," another figure, this one sporting a female tone, said.
"Yes, and the seal was broken ten years ago mysteriously," Yukita said. "As were three other seals that we can in place on the other Starlight Jewels, and five years before at least six more seals had also broke, and we have yet to find the bearers of those Jewels.." she sighed and walked up to Andy's limp form.
"When did he finally pass on?"
"Two hours ago, the kids a fighter, despite losing a vast amount of blood - more than enough to kill him - he still held on to that tiny string of life. It finally snapped two hours ago," another figure said, only this one wore a white robe and had just walked into the room.
"Shall we extract the jewel, and seal it?" the same white figure asked.
"No," Yoko said. Her response made many of those in the room looked at her sharply as if she had just said something that was taboo. "I want to transfer the Jewel into Anise; her own Jewel is still very weak and can't properly control magic,"
"You realize that, in doing so, not only will she be able to use magic fully but because it will come from a deceased person she'll be able to see the spirits of the dead right?" The white figure said.
Yoko nodded and took a few steps closer to the lifeless body of Andy. "I know it's a cruel fate, but it's even crueler to keep her away from the person she loves," she said, a tear running down her cheek.
With a sigh, the figure in white nodded and walked to the front of the table while another made his way to the back. "Once the ritual is over, it'll be four days before Andy's body returns to the magical realm," Yukita said. "So we hold it in three," she didn't bare any expression except sadness.
The room fell silent for a moment, then began to pick up as each figure chanted a different verse to the ritual. Each verse was spoken in an ancient dialect that only they knew, and each verse caused a glyph to appear around the table, just a few feet off the ground. Yoko listened, and closed her eyes, then spoke her verse - only hers was in plain English.
"We commit this course, and hereby transfer that which is from the deceased, to that of the living, so they may receive the blessing," she said. A bluish Jewel suddenly appeared out of Andy's body and hung lazily in the air before collapsed in on itself and exploded outward through the walls. Blue strings of light pierced the night sky, moving across the academy campus and toward the dormitory.
In their room, Anise was still asleep, oblivious to a blue Jewel that had appeared above her and then disappeared into her. She took in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "Andy....." she mumbled before falling back into a pleasant sleep.
Back in the ritual chamber, Yoko let out a sigh and looked at Andy's body. "Prepare him..." she said and the others nodded and began the process.
The two of them headed out of the building and into the night; making their way across the campus and toward their own sleeping quarters. "Tomorrow will be a long day," Yoko said just as she heard a distant bell. "Today rather, seeing how it's now midnight," she added.
"Tomorrow everyone on the council will be together, all student leaders will be present for the meeting," Yukita said. "After the meeting, the academy will be transformed from a place of study and peace, to a place to get ready for war..."
"Yes, the only ones who won't commit to that are our first years, but I can safely say that Rin, Anise, Sakura and Phineas aren't first year's anymore," Yoko smiled and glanced at the Elders window. "He already explained it to Sakura right?"
"Yes, and she didn't freak out, though she was unsteady and so is sleeping there for the night," Yukita said.
Yoko nodded. "She's hiding her terror, something she'll have to face sooner or later... by the way.. what’s the situation in the normal world?"
Yukita gave her a worrying look, which was all Yoko needed to see.
